Shloka 126

Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies

Devanagari script

पूर्वमन्वन्तरे श्रेष्ठा द्वादशासन् सुरोत्तमाः तुषिता नाम ते ऽन्योन्यम् ऊचुर् वैवस्वते ऽन्तरे

Transliteration

pūrvamanvantare śreṣṭhā dvādaśāsan surottamāḥ tuṣitā nāma te 'nyonyam ūcur vaivasvate 'ntare

Translation

In the former Manvantara there were twelve most excellent, supreme gods. They were called the Tuṣitas; and in the interval before the Vaivasvata Manvantara, they spoke together in counsel.

Word by Word

• pūrva-manvantare: in the former manvantara
• pūrva-manvantare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + manvantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पूर्वं मन्वन्तरम् इति) — Locative singular neuter

• śreṣṭhāḥ: the best, excellent
• śreṣṭhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative plural masculine (qualifying subject)

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा-बहुवचनार्थे (सुरोत्तमाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) — numeral used adjectivally ‘twelve’

• āsan: were
• āsan: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural imperfect ‘were’

• sura-uttamāḥ: the best of the gods
• sura-uttamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सुराणाम् उत्तमाः) — Nominative plural masculine

• tuṣitāḥ: the Tuṣitas
• tuṣitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative plural masculine (name/class)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; नाम-शब्दः (नामार्थक-निपातः) — indeclinable particle ‘by name’

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — pronoun ‘they’ nominative plural

• anyonyam: to one another
• anyonyam: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; परस्परार्थकः — Accusative singular used adverbially ‘to one another’

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural perfect ‘said’

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः (अवधारण/खल्वर्थ) — emphatic particle

• vaivasvate: in (the time of) Vaivasvata
• vaivasvate: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaivasvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular masculine (in Vaivasvata [manvantara])

• antare: during, in the interval
• antare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular neuter ‘within/during’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Manvantara succession and the gods (Tuṣitas/Ādityas) across transitions

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Vaivasvata (7th)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Deva-orders recur and reorganize at Manvantara-junctions, showing cyclical governance of the cosmos under divine ordinance.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate change as cyclic rather than chaotic, and align personal duty with the larger rhythm of time.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos is a real, ordered system undergoing cycles, implicitly governed by the Supreme who coordinates its administrations.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Characters & Entities

• Tuṣitas
• Vaivasvata Manu

FAQs

What is the significance of the Tuṣitas in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies the Tuṣitas as a group of twelve eminent deities from the prior Manvantara, showing how divine offices and celestial orders change with each Manvantara under the overarching governance of Vishnu.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Manvantara transition (antara) here?

Parāśara marks an ‘interval’ connected with the onset of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, indicating a structured handover of cosmic roles between successive Manvantara administrations.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Manvantara framework presupposes a supreme regulator of cosmic time; the changing ranks of gods underscore that all authority is contingent, while Vishnu remains the constant sovereign reality behind the cycles.