The Vishnu Purana: Book III: Chapter I | Internet Sacred Text Archive

VISHŃU PURÁŃA.

BOOK III.

CHAP. I.

Account of the several Manus and Manwantaras. Swárochisha the second Manu: the divinities, the Indra, the seven Rishis of his period, and his sons. Similar details of Auttami, Támasa, Raivata, Chákshusha, and Vaivaswata. The forms of Vishńu, as the preserver, in each Manwantara. The meaning of Vishńu.

MAITREYA.--The disposition of the earth and of the ocean, and the system of the sun and the planets, the creation of the gods and the rest, the origin of the Rishis, the generation of the four castes, the production of brute creatures, and the narratives of Dhruva and Prahláda, have been fully related by thee, my venerable preceptor. I am now desirous to hear from you the series of all the Manwantaras, as well as an account of those who preside over the respective periods, with Śakra, the king of the gods, at their head.

PARÁŚARA.--I will repeat to you, Maitreya, in their order, the different Manwantaras; those which are past, and those which are to come.

The first Manu was Swáyambhuva, then came Swárochisha, then Auttami, then Támasa, then Raivata, then Chákshusha: these six Manus have passed away. The Manu who presides over the seventh Manwantara, which is the present period, is Vaivaswata, the son of the sun.

The period of Swáyambhuva Manu, in the beginning of the Kalpa, has already been described by me, together with the gods, Rishis, and other personages, who then flourished 1. I will now, therefore, enumerate

the presiding gods, Rishis, and sons of the Manu, in the Manwantara of Swárochisha 2. The deities of this period (or the second Manwantara) were the classes called Párávatas and Tushitas 3; and the king of the gods was the mighty Vipaśchit. The seven Rishis 4 were Úrja, Stambha,

[paragraph continues] Práńa, Dattoli, Rishabha, Niśchara, and Arvarívat; and Chaitra, Kimpurusha, and others, were the Manu's sons 5.

In the third period, or Manwantara of Auttami 6, Suśánti was the Indra, the king of the gods; the orders of whom were the Sudhámas, Satyas, Śivas, Pradarśanas, and Vasavertis 7; each of the five orders consisting of twelve divinities. The seven sons of Vaśisht́ha were the seven Rishis 8; and Aja, Paraśu, Divya, and others, were the sons of the Manu 9.

The Surúpas, Haris, Satyas, and Śudhís 10 were the classes of gods, each comprising twenty-seven, in the period of Támasa, the fourth Manu 11. Śivi was the Indra, also designated by his performance of a hundred sacrifices (or named Śatakratu). The seven Rishis were Jyotirdhámá, Prithu, Kávya, Chaitra, Agni, Vanaka, and Pivara 12. The sons of Támasa were the mighty kings Nara, Khyáti, Śántahaya, Jánujangha, and others 13.