Chapter 150 - Names of different Manus, different Sages and others

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Full title: Names of different Manus, different sages and others during their periods]

The Fire-god said:

1-5. I shall describe the Manu periods. Svāyambhuva is (the name of) the first Manu. Agnidhra and others (were) his sons. The celestials (were) known as Yama^[1]. Indra (was a performer of) hundred sacrifices. In the period of (the second Manu) Svārociṣa, the seven sages (were) Aurva and others. Indra (was) Vipaścit. Pārāvatas and Tuṣitas (were) the celestials. Urja, Stambha and others (were) the brahmins. Caitra, Kimpuruṣa and others (were) the sons. The third Manu (was) Uttama. Indra (was) Suśānti. Sudhāma and others born in the family of Vasiṣṭha (were) the seven sages. Aja and others (were) their sons. Tāmasa Manu was the fourth. Svarūpa and others (were) the celestials. Śikhi^[2], Jyotirddhāma and others (were) the sages and Navakhyāti and others his sons.

6. In the (period of the fifth Manu) Raivata, Vitatha^[3] (was) the Indra, Amitābhas were the celestials, Hiraṇyaromā^[4] and others were the sages and Balabandha and others were his sons.

7. In the (period of the sixth Manu), Cākṣuṣa, Manojava (was) the Indra. Svāti and others (were) the celestials, Sumedhā and others (were) the sages and Puru and others (were) the sons.

8-15. Śrāddhadeva, son of Vivasvān (Sun) (was) the next Manu. Ādityas, Vasus and Rudras (were) the celestials. Purandara (was) the Indra. Vasiṣṭha, Kāśyapa, Atri, Jamadagni, Gautama, Viśvāmitra and Bharadvāja (were) the seven sages. Ikṣvāku and others (were his sons). Lord Viṣṇu was manifest with a part (of his energy in each one of these periods). He was born as Mānasa in the (period of) Svāyambhuva and Ajita in the next one (that of Svārociṣa). Then (he was born as) Satya, Hari, Devavara, Vaikuṇṭha and Vāmana (in the respective Manu periods which followed). The eighth Manu would be born as the son of Sūrya and Chāyā. As he would be a cognate of his predecessor, this eighth Manu to come (would be known as) Sāvarṇi. Sutapā and others (would be) the clans of celestials. Dīptimān Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā) and others (would be) the sages. Bali (would be) the Indra. Vīraja and others (would be) the sons. The ninth (Manu would be) Dakṣasāvarṇi. Pāra and others (would be) the celestials. Adbhuta (would be) the Indra. Savana and others (would be) the sages. Dhṛtaketu and others (would be) (his) sons. The next (Manu would be) Brahmasāvarṇi. Sukha and others (would be) celestials. Śānti (would be) their Indra. Haviṣya and others (would be) the sages. Sukṣetra and others (would be) the sons of that (Manu).

16-19. (The eleventh Manu would be) Dharmasāvarṇi. Vihaṅga and others (would be) the celestials then. The Indra (would be Vṛṣa)^[5]. Niścara^[6] and others (would be) the sages. The sons of Manu (would be) Sarvatraga and others. Rudra Sāvarṇi would be (the twelfth) Manu. Ṛtadhāmā (would be) the Indra and Harita and others (would be) the celestials. Tapas and others (would be) the seven sages. Devavān and others (would be) the sons. The thirteenth Manu (would be) Raucya. Sutrāmaṇa and others (would be) the celestials. Divaspati (would be) their Indra who routs the demons etc. Nirmoha and others (would be) the seven sages. Citrasena and others (would be) the sons.

20-22. The fourteenth Manu (would be) Bhautya. Śuci would be the Indra. Cākṣuṣa and others (would be) the celestials. Agnibāhu and others (would be) the sages. Uru and others (would be) the sons of Bhautya, the fourteenth Manu. The seven sages (would descend) to the world from the heavens and propagate the Vedas. Then (the respective) celestials would partake the oblations of sacrifices and the earth would be protected by the sons (of Manus). O Brahmin! Fourteen Manus (will reign) in the course of a day of Brahmā.

23. Lord Hari (Viṣṇu), who preceded the Manus, divided the Veda at the end of the dvāpara^[7] (yuga). The first Veda had four parts consisting of a lakh (of verses).

24-26. The Yajurveda originally a single work was divided into four. The sage (arranged) the office of an adhvaryu^[8] priest (to be done) with the Yajurveda), the hotra^[9] with the Ṛks, the audgātra^[10] with the Sāmans and brahmatva^[11] (relating to omissions and antedotes) with the Atharvan. Paila, the disciple of Vyāsa and proficient in the Ṛgveda imparted the first (Veda) to Indrapramiti and the saṃhitā (part) to Bāṣkala. He also (divided) that saṃhitā into four parts and gave it to Bauddhya [Baudhya?] and others.

27-30. The great man of intellect Vaiśampāyana, the disciple of Vyāsa, divided the tree of Yajurveda into seven branches. The Kāṇvas, Vājasaneyas and others are known to be (the branches founded) by Yājñavalkya and others. Jaimini, the disciple of Vyāsa, divided the tree of Sāmaveda into branches and Sumantu and Sukarmā received one part of the saṃhitā. Sukarmā had received one thousand saṃhitā text. Sumantu, the disciple of Vyāsa, divided the tree of Atharvaveda. He imparted it to thousands of Paippalāda, his disciples. Sūta made the Purāṇasaṃhitā by the grace of Vyāsa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For their different names see Vi.P. I,vii. 7-21 and III. i-ii.

[2]:

Vi.P. III.i.17 reads Śibi.

[3]:

Vi.P. III.i.20 reads Vibhu.

[4]:

Vi.P. III.i.23 reads Balabandhu.

[5]:

Cf. Vi.P. III. ii.29.

[6]:

Vi.P. III.ii.30 reads Nissvara.

[7]:

The third among the four yuga periods of time, equal to 8,64,000 years of men.

[8]:

The priest of the Yajurveda who attends to the needs of the sacrifice.

[9]:

The priest of the Ṛgveda who does the oblation.

[10]:

The priest of the Sāmaveda who sings the sāman melodies.

[11]:

The priest of the Atharvaveda.