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Shloka 1

Manvantara Administration: Appointment of Manus, Indras, and the Restoration of Dharma

श्रीराजोवाच मन्वन्तरेषु भगवन्यथा मन्वादयस्त्विमे । यस्मिन्कर्मणि ये येन नियुक्तास्तद्वदस्व मे ॥ १ ॥

śrī-rājovāca manvantareṣu bhagavan yathā manv-ādayas tv ime yasmin karmaṇi ye yena niyuktās tad vadasva me

Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired: O most opulent Śukadeva Gosvāmī, please tell me how, in each manvantara, Manu and the others are engaged in their respective duties, and by whose order they are appointed.

श्री-राजाthe revered king
श्री-राजा:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधन-पूर्वक-उपाधि ‘श्री’ (honorific prefix)
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect/लिट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
मन्वन्तरेषुin the Manvantaras
मन्वन्तरेषु:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootमन्वन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन
भगवन्O Lord
भगवन्:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootभगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन
यथाas; how
यथा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थ-सम्बन्ध (adverb/conjunction: “as/how”)
मनु-आदयःManu and others
मनु-आदयः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमनु (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘मनु’ इत्यादयः (manu and others)
तुindeed; but
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: “indeed/but”)
इमेthese
इमे:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
यस्मिन्in which
यस्मिन्:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रश्न (relative pronoun: “in which”)
कर्मणिin (what) duty/action
कर्मणि:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
येwho
ये:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative: “who”)
ये(each) who
ये:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)
येनby whom
येन:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; “by whom/whereby”
नियुक्ताःare appointed
नियुक्ताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootनि-युज् (धातु) → नियुक्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृत् (past passive participle/कृत-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (appointed/assigned)
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; “that” (object of speech)
वदस्वplease tell
वदस्व:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative/लोट्), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद-रूप ‘वदस्व’ (Vedic/epic usage)
मेto me / for me
मे:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; enclitic pronoun
P
Parīkṣit
M
Manu

FAQs

This verse shows Parīkṣit’s inquiry into how each manvantara is organized—who the Manus and other leaders are, what duties they perform, and who authorizes their roles—highlighting a divinely ordered cosmic administration.

As a sincere student of the Bhāgavatam, Parīkṣit seeks clarity on how dharma and universal order function across time cycles, prompting Śukadeva to explain the structure of manvantaras and the Lord’s arrangement of responsibilities.

The verse encourages seeing duty and responsibility as sacred service—doing one’s role conscientiously, with humility and accountability, while recognizing a higher order behind life’s structure.