Shloka 179
Kroṣṭu–Yādava Lineages, the Syamantaka Jewel, Krishna’s Birth Context, and the Māyāmoha Account
अवतारा दशद्वौ च शुद्धा मन्वंतरे स्मृताः । नामधेयं समासेन शृणु तेषां विवक्षितम्
avatārā daśadvau ca śuddhā manvaṃtare smṛtāḥ | nāmadheyaṃ samāsena śṛṇu teṣāṃ vivakṣitam
In jedem Manvantara werden zwölf reine Avatāras überliefert. Höre nun kurz die Namen derer, die genannt werden sollen.
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Adhyaya 13)
Concept: Remembering and hearing the names of Vishnu’s manifestations across Manvantaras purifies and situates one within dharmic time.
Application: Daily recitation or contemplation of avatara names as a simple sadhana; keep a ‘name-list’ practice (smarana) during transitions of the day.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage in a quiet hermitage gestures toward a luminous cosmic wheel marked by Manvantaras, each segment revealing a faint vision of a different divine descent. The air is calm, and the listener leans forward as if the very act of hearing turns into a garland of names.","primary_figures":["Pulastya","Bhīṣma (or attentive disciple)","Vishnu (as a subtle, radiant presence within the cosmic wheel)"],"setting":"Forest ashrama with a lotus pond; above it, a mandala-like sky-wheel of time.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance with serene dawn glow","color_palette":["lotus pink","saffron gold","peacock blue","sage green","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Pulastya seated on a jeweled seat in an ashrama, pointing to a gold-leaf cosmic mandala of Manvantaras, miniature vignettes of avataras in each segment, rich reds and greens, embossed halos, ornate borders, gem-studded ornaments, sacred text scroll in hand.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil hermitage scene with delicate trees and a lotus pond, a translucent circular mandala in the sky showing tiny avatara silhouettes, cool blues and soft pinks, refined facial features, lyrical naturalism and fine textile patterns.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Pulastya teaching beside a lotus pond, bold outlines, flat pigments, a large circular time-wheel behind with simplified avatara icons, temple-wall composition with decorative borders and characteristic eye shapes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a central circular mandala of Manvantaras framed by lotus vines and floral borders, deep blues and gold, small devotional panels of avataras around the rim, peacocks at corners, emphasis on sacred ‘name-garland’ aesthetics."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","rustling leaves","gentle tanpura drone","distant birds","silence between names"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मन्वंतरे = मन्वन्तरे (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद)
FAQs
A Manvantara is a vast cosmic period associated with a particular Manu (progenitor-lawgiver), during which specific divine manifestations and cosmic administrations are remembered in Purāṇic tradition.
It indicates a recognized list of twelve avatāras regarded as “śuddha” (pure/untainted) within the Manvantara framework, whose names the text is about to enumerate.
It frames remembrance (smṛti) and attentive listening (śṛṇu) as a disciplined way to approach sacred history—encouraging reverent study of divine manifestations rather than casual or fragmentary knowledge.