Chapter 2 - The future Manvantaras

Maitreya

You’ve described these seven Manvantaras, brahmin sage, please tell me now about the periods yet to come. 1

Parāśara

Viśvakarman’s daughter Saṃjñā was married to the Sun, and their offspring were the Manu Vaivasvata, Yama and Yamī, sage. 2

Unable to endure her husband’s energy, Saṃjñā engaged Chāyā to serve him, and she herself retired to the forest to undertake austerities. 3

Thinking Chāyā to be Saṃjñā, the Sun had three more children with her: sluggish Saturn, another Manu named Sāvarṇi, as well as Tapatī. 4

One day, Chāyā, enraged with Yama, cursed him. Only then did Yama and the Sun realise that she wasn’t Saṃjñā. 5

When Chāyā admitted to the Sun that Saṃjñā was in the forest, he perceived through his yogic power that she was practising austerities in the form of a mare. 6

Appearing as a stallion, the Sun mounted Saṃjñā and sired the heavenly twins the Aśvins, as well as Revanta. 7

The lordly Sun then led Saṃjñā to his own abode, where Viśvakarman pared back his energy. 8

Turning the Sun upon his lathe, the heavenly craftsman reduced his brilliance by just one-eighth, without impairing his eternal light. 9

The blazing energy of the Sun shaved off by Viśvakarman fell back to earth, best of sages. 10

There, the heavenly artisan Tvaṣṭṛ used that energy to fashion Viṣṇu’s discus, Śiva’s trident and a palanquin for wealth-giving Kubera. 11

Viśvakarman then used the rest to make Kārttikeya’s lance and all the other deities’ weapons. 12

Chāyā’s second son was also called a Manu and, because he had the same complexion (savarṇa) as his elder brother, he was called Sāvarṇi. 13

His Manvantara, the Sāvarṇi period, will be the eighth. Listen, blessed sage, while I describe it for you. 14

Sāvarṇi will be the following Manu, Maitreya, and the Sutapas, Amitābhas and Mukhyas will be the gods. 15

Each host will include twenty deities. Now I’ll name the seven sages, best of seers: 16

Dīptimant, Gālava, Rāma, Kṛpa, Drauṇi and my son Vyāsa, with Ṛśyaśṛṅga as the seventh. 17

By the grace of Viṣṇu, Bali, blameless son of Virocana, whose realm is the underworld of Pātāla, will be the king of gods. 18

The kings Virajas, Arvarīvant, Nirmoha and others will be Manu Sāvarṇi’s sons. 19

The ninth Manu will be Dakṣasāvarṇi, Maitreya. 20

The Pāras, Marīcigarbhas and Sudharmans will be the threefold hosts of gods then, each with a dozen deities. 21

Their king will be mighty Adbhuta, brahmin. 22

Savana, Dyutimant, Bhavya, Vasu, Medhātithi and Jyotiṣmant, with Satya as the seventh—these will be the seven great sages. 23

Dhṛtaketu, Dīptiketu, Pañcahasta, Nirāmaya, Pṛthuśravas and others will be Dakṣasāvarṇi’s sons. 24

The tenth Manu will be Brahmasāvarṇi, sage. The gods will be Sudhāmans, Viruddhas and Śatasaṃkhyas. 25

Mighty Śānti by name will be their king. Now hear about the seven sages of that period: 26

Haviṣmant, Sukṛti, Satya, Apāṃmūrti, Nābhāga, Apratimaujas and Satyaketu. 27

The ten sons of Brahmasāvarṇi—Sukṣetra, Uttamaujas, Bhūriṣeṇa and the rest—will protect the earth. 28

The eleventh Manu will be Dharmasāvarṇika. 29

The Vihaṃgamas, Kāmagamas and Nirmāṇarucis will be the principal hosts of deities then, each comprising thirty gods, with Vṛṣa as their king. 30

Niścara, Agnitejas, Vapuṣmant, Viṣṇu, Āruṇi, Haviṣmant and Anagha will be the seven sages. 31

The kings Sarvaga, Sarvadharman, Devānīka and others will be that Manu’s sons. 32

The twelfth Manu will be Sāvarṇi, son of Rudra, with Ṛtudhāman as king of gods. Now hear about the deities from me. 33

The Haritas, divine Lohitas, Sumanases, Sukarmans and Supāras will be the hosts of gods, each with fifteen deities, brahmin. 34

Tapasvin, Sutapas, Tapomūrti, Taporati, Tapodhṛti, with Dyuti as another and Tapodhana as the seventh will be the sages. 35

The kings Devavant, Upadeva, Devaśreṣṭha and others will be that Manu’s mighty sons. 36

The thirteenth Manu will be known as Raucya, sage. 37

The Sutrāmans, Sukarmans and Sudharmans will be the various hosts of gods, each with thirty-three deities. 38

Mighty Divaspati will be their king. 39

The seven sages will be Nirmoha, Tattvadarśin, Niṣprakampa, Nirutsuka, Dhṛtimant and Avyaya, with Sutapas as the seventh. 40

The kings will be Citrasena, Vicitra and others. 41

Bhautya will be the fourteenth Manu, Maitreya. Śuci will be the king of gods and there’ll be five heavenly hosts. Listen to their names: 42

The Cākṣuṣas, Pavitras, Kaniṣṭhas, Bhrājiras and Vācāvṛddhas will be the deities. Now hear from me the seven sages: 43

Agnibāhu, Śuci, Śukra, Māgadha, Agrīdhra and Yukta, with Jita as the other. Listen to the Manu’s sons: 45

The kings Ūru, Gambhīra, Budhna and others will be the sons of Manu. Those whom I’ve named will protect the earth, you tiger of a sage. 45

The cycle of ages

At the end of every cycle of four ages, the Vedas disappear, but seven sages descend from heaven to the world to propound them once again. 46

In each Kṛta age, a Manu arises to promulgate smṛti, the sacred texts recalled by men, brahmin. The deities enjoy the sacrifices during each Manvantara. 47

The Manu’s sons and their descendants also rule the world for the duration of that period. 48

A Manu, seven sages, the deities, the Manu’s sons who rule the earth and one king of gods preside over every period. 49

When fourteen Manvantaras have passed, an aeon or kalpa of one thousand cycles of four ages is said to be complete. 50

Then comes a night of the same duration, best of sages, during which Viṣṇu, who also takes the form of Brahmā, reposes on the serpent Śeṣa in the middle of the ocean. 51

After consuming all three worlds, the lord, creator and universal Janārdana, rests amid his own illusory power, brahmin. 52

Following which, the eternal lord awakes, and, taking on the quality of energy, creates the world again at the onset of each new aeon as before. 53

Viṣṇu’s stainless aspect—which manifests as Manus, sovereigns, seven sages, deities and their kings—maintains the universe, best of brahmins. 54

Now you’ll hear how Viṣṇu, in the character of the maintainer of the world, undertakes its preservation during every age, Maitreya. 55

In the Kṛta, Viṣṇu, at the heart of all creation, delighting in the welfare of the world, takes the form of Kapila and other sages, and teaches highest knowledge. 56

In the Tretā, in the form of a universal monarch, the lord protects the threefold worlds while destroying wicked beings. 57

In the form of Veda-vyāsa, having split the single Veda into four, the lord arranges these in lesser branches by the hundreds. 58

Once he’s arranged the Vedas in the Dvāpara, Lord Hari takes the form of Kalki at the end of the Kali yuga, setting sinners on the path of virtue. 59

In this way, the infinite being creates, protects and, in the end, destroys the world. There’s nothing more beside him. 60

I’ve described to you the past, the present and the future of creation, brahmin, and mighty Viṣṇu’s actual nature in this world and elsewhere. 61

I’ve also told you all about the Manvantaras and those who oversee them. What else would you like to hear? 62

So ends Chapter Two in Book Three of the glorious Viṣṇu Purāṇa.

Other Purana Concepts:

[back to top]

Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘The future Manvantaras’. Further sources in the context of Purana might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:

Maitreya, Kalki, Vedavyasa, King of gods, Seven Sages, The sun, Manu's son, Samjna and Chaya.