Chapter 1 - Description of Manvantaras

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The King (Parīkṣit) requested:

1. Here (in the 7th book) I have heard from you, in details, the history of the dynasty of Svāyambhuva Manu in which were born the progenitors of the universe like Marīci and others and their progeny. Now relate to us, Oh preceptor, the history of other Manus^[1].

2. Oh Brahman! Be pleased to relate to us who are (eagerly) listening, the history of all those Manu-epochs (wherein) wherever the incarnations and great exploits of Hari, the greatest of the great, are sung by the wise.

3. Do you also tell (in details), what Lord Hari, the creator and protector of the universe has accomplished in the past Manvantara, is doing in the present one, and will work in the Manu-epochs to come, Oh Brahman.

The sage (Śuka) replied:

4. In this current Kalpa (—Brahmā’s day), six Manu- epochs beginning with Svāyambhuva have elapsed. Of these, the first Manvantara (Svāyambhuva) has been described to you, along with the creation of gods and other creatures, during this period.

5. The Lord incarnated as (Yajña) the son of (Svāyambhuva) Manu’s daughter Akūti to enlighten her in the righteous path and as (Kapila) the son of (the same) Manu’s daughter Devahūti for imparting spiritual wisdom.

6. I have previously (in Skandha III) narrated to you the work done by venerable Kapila. I shall (now) relate to you, Oh Chief of Kurus, what the glorious Lord Yajña did.

7. Being indifferent and unattached to sensual enjoyment, and having abdicated his kingship, Lord Svāyambhuva Manu, the spouse of Śatarūpā, entered the forest, along with his queen, to practice penance.

8. Touching the ground with one foot (standing on one leg) for one hundred years, on the bank of the Sunandā, he practised terribly austere penance, Oh Bhārata, and chanted the following (prayer:).

Manu said:^[2]

9. A). With his vision uninterrupted, this Vāsudeva dwells in all bodies. He does not perceive the (evolution, continuance and dissolution of) universe with the help of another. He is the cause of the (sentient and non-sentient) universe. Hence his vision (and power of controlling from within).

10.^[3] By him the universe is endowed with consciousness, but unto whom (none in) the universe (can) impart consciousness. He remains awake (as a witness) while the universe is in sleep (even during Pralaya). No creatures can know him but he knows all. (He is the ātman).

11.^[4] Whatever is animate (and inanimate) in this universe,—the whole universe is pervaded by the Supreme Soul. Therefore you should make your living by whatever has been allotted to you by him (or what is given to you, after offering it to him^[5]). Do not covet another person’s riches.^[6]

11. Resort to the self-illuminating Lord who is the abode (the Inner Controller) of all beings and yet unconcerned and aloof from them like Suparṇa (or the bird of beautiful wings, the symbol of Ātman, the companion of jīva in Upaniṣads like the Muṇḍaka 3.1.1), whom though he sees all, no eye (created being) can see (as he is beyond sense-perception), and whose vision (knowledge) never vanishes, (as he is knowledge incarnate).

12. The attributes like beginning, middle and the end cannot be predicated of him (being present in all), he has none that is his own or as belonging to another. (Being all-pervading) the distinction of ‘in-ness’ and ‘out-ness’ is not-applicable to him. All these stages (of creation, subsistence and destruction) are attributable to the universe which is his manifestation. Hence, he is the Reality, the supreme truth, the great Perfect Brahman.

13. He (the Supreme Being) has the universe as his body (or he contains the universe within himself at the time of the Deluge) He has innumerable designations. He is the Absolute Ruler, the Supreme Truth, self-effulgent, uncreated, eternal ancient Being. By his (Māyā) Potency, which is also uncreated, he brings about the creation (sustenance and destruction) of this (universe). By his eternal knowledge and wisdom, he sets aside Māyā and remains actionless (in his original state as Brahman).

14. (As the Lord initiates action e.g. creation of the universe etc. just to return to actionlessness) so the sages wish to undertake the religious duties with the object of attaining to actionlessness^[7] or Liberation (Mokṣa). For, a person who performs actions (dedicating them to the Lord) generally attains to Mokṣa (lit. stage of actionlessness).

15. The Supreme Lord of glorious powers engages him- self in acts, but is not attached to them, for through realization (of the blissful nature) of his Self, he has all his objects achieved. Hence, those who follow him do not come to grief.

16. I (Svāyambhuva Manu) take shelter in the Almighty Lord who (out of grace) engages himself in activities (such as creation etc. of the universe or follows the path of Veda in his incarnations as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa etc.) yet is absolutely free from egotism as he is full of wisdom. Being Perfect, he is above all cravings (for blessings etc). Being himself the Master, he is not impelled by others; he is yet steadfast in the path of action (according to the incarnation taken by him) as he has to set an example to people and he is the exponent of the path of righteousness

Śrī Śuka said:

17. Seeing him thus repeating the Mantropaniṣad (the mystical prayer based on Upaniṣadic texts) in meditation, Asuras and Rākṣasas fell upon him to devour him out of hunger.

18. The all-pervading Hari in the form of Yajña, seeing them determined to kill Manu, killed them with the help of gods known as Yāma (who were his sons), and ruled over the Heaven (as the Indra thereof).^[8]

19. The second Manu was Svārociṣa, the son of Fire God. He had Dyumat, Suṣeṇa, Rociṣmat as his prominent sons.

20. There Rocana was the Indra, and the gods were (his sons) Tuṣita, and others (Toṣa, Pratoṣa, Santoṣa, Bhadra, Śānti, Iḍaspati, Idhma, Kavi, Vibhu, Svahna, Sudeva, Rocana as listed in the fourth Skandha). The seven sages, well-versed in the Vedas and the knowledge of Brahman, were Ūrja (son of Vasiṣṭha), Stambha (son of Kāśyapa) and others (prāṇa, Bṛhaspati, Datta (son of Atri), Atri, Cyavana as enumerated in the Harivaṃśa).

21. From the sage Veda-Śiras and through his wife Tuṣitā by name, the Lord Viṣṇu was born and was well known as Vibhu.

22. Eighty-eight thousand sages who have undertaken the vow of austerities, followed his vow of celibacy, as he was celibate since boyhood.

23. The third Manu was by name Uttama, the son of Priyavrata. He had sons prominent among whom were Pāvana, Sṛñjaya, Yajñahotra, Oh King.

24. In that Manvantara, Pramada and other seven sons of Vasiṣṭha were the seven sages. The three groups of gods were Satya, Vedaśruta and Bhadra, and Satyajit was the Indra.

25. The glorious Supreme Lord was born from Dharma through his wife Sunṛtā and became known as Satyasena. Satyavrata gods were also born along with him.

26. As a friend of the Indra Satyajit, he killed wicked Yakṣas and Rākṣasas who practised hypocrisy and were of bad character, and also the hosts of evil spirits who harmed living beings.

27. The fourth Manu was by name Tāmasa, and was the brother of Uttama. He had ten sons such as Pṛthu, Khyāti, Nara, Ketu and others.

28. In the Manvantara called Tāmasa, the gods were of three groups, Satyaka, Hari and Vīra, and the Lord of the Heavens was Triśikha, and the seven sages were Jyotis, Dhāma and others (namely Pṛthu, Kāvya, Caitra, Agni, Dhanada, and Pīvara according to Harivaṃśa).

29. The gods were called Vaidhṛti, as they were the sons of Vidhṛti, Oh King. They, with their own intellectual power, retained the Vedas which were lost in the course of time.

30. In that Manvantara was born Lord Hari from Harimedhas through Hariṇī, and he rescued the big elephant from the grip of an alligator.

The King Requested:

31. Oh son of Vyāsa, we are desirous of hearing from you how Hari delivered the abovementioned King of Elephants seized by the alligator.

32. Wherever the Supreme Lord Hari of most hallowed renown is sung, that story is extremely sacred, praiseworthy, auspicious and contributory to our welfare.

Sūta said:

33. When the son of Vyāsa was urged to continue the narration by King Parīkṣit, who had determined to die of starvation, Śuka congratulated the king with delight and continued (his narration) in the assembly of sages who were listening with rapt attention, Oh Brāhmaṇas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Anvitārthaprakāśikā. adds:

v.l. the second half of this verse:

atra dharmās'ca vividhās'cātur varṇyā'śritāḥ subhāḥ / [?]

Here various courses of righteous and auspicious duties pertaining to four varṇas are described.

[2]:

The next verses are based ou Upaniṣadic texts and are known as Mantropaniṣad.

[3]:

It is the Sun which prompted by Hari gives light and heat to the universe, and from which, tapas, the root cause of all power becomes possible. Even the Sun does not know Lord Hari who remains awake while it (the Sun) sets. But Hari knows it fully—Padaratnāvalī

[4]:

(i) Everything sentient and insentient in the universe has been penetrated and controlled (from within) by the Supreme Soul who is its main support. Do not think that the re is anything absolutely independent of and existing separately from Him. Everything belongs to Him. Do not covet for anything as it depends (for its very existence) upon Him only.—Bhāgavata Candrikā

(ii) The whole of the universe (beginning with the Sun) consisting of the created and yet-to-be-created mobile and immobile objects in the range of Prakṛti, is the abode of the Lord (who is their creator). Therefore, Oh mind, be satisfied, maintain yourself with whatever has been given to you by Him. Do not covet for His omniscience and absolute blissfulness. Nor long for what the Lord has given to another person—Padaratnāvalī

(iii) Everything in the universe is created by the Lord for His sport. Even if you possess abundant wealth, maintain yourself like a worker getting his wages after giving the 1st priority to His service (and that of His devotees).—VC.

[5]:

Even the wealth in your house belongs to God—Anvitārthaprakāśikā.

[6]:

This is a verbatim reproduction of Īśa Upa. I.

[7]:

v.l. Karma-hantave: for the destruction of karmas.

[8]:

Bhāgavata Purāṇa 12.7.15 mentions that each Manvantara is presided over by a Manu as its head, a group of gods (the Manu’s sons), an Indra, seven sages and an incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu. Thus in the first Manvantara Svāyambhuva (the son of Brahmā) was the Manu; the gods were known as Yāma; Yajña was the incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu who officiated as Indra also; and the seven sages were Marīci, Atri, Aṅgirā, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya and Vasiṣṭha.