Shloka 17

मन्वन्तर-क्रमः (अतीत-सप्तमन्वन्तराः) तथा मन्वन्तरावताराः

Devanagari script

शिबिर् इन्द्रस् तथा चासीच् शतयज्ञोपलक्षणः सप्तर्षयश् च ये तेषां तत्र नामानि मे शृणु

Transliteration

śibir indras tathā cāsīc śatayajñopalakṣaṇaḥ saptarṣayaś ca ye teṣāṃ tatra nāmāni me śṛṇu

Translation

In that same age, Śibir was indeed Indra, renowned by the mark of a hundred sacrifices. Now hear from me the names of the Seven Ṛṣis of that Manvantara.

Word by Word

• शिबिः: Śibi
• शिबिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘Śibi’

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘Indra’

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अव्यय/समुच्चयार्थक (also/likewise)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — ‘was’

• शतयज्ञोपलक्षणः: designated as Śatayajña
• शतयज्ञोपलक्षणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपलक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘इन्द्रः’) ‘having the mark/name of “Śatayajña”’

• सप्तर्षयः: the seven sages
• सप्तर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘the seven sages’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun ‘who/which’)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — ‘of them’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb ‘there/in that context’)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन — ‘names’ (object of ‘शृणु’)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन — ‘my/of me’

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन — ‘hear’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Who was Indra in the Tāmasa Manvantara, and who were its Saptarṣis?

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Tamasa

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even Indra-ship is a time-bound office within Manvantara cycles, attained through accumulated sacrificial and dharmic merit.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat power and status as impermanent; invest effort in dharma that benefits the whole rather than egoic display.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s governance operates through appointed roles (adhikāra) distributed according to karma, under a higher divine order.

Characters & Entities

• Śibir (as Indra)
• Indra

FAQs

What is the significance of Indra being described as śatayajñopalakṣaṇaḥ in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals Indra’s authority and merit in that Manvantara, traditionally validated by the emblematic completion of many sacrifices, reflecting the ritual-dharma framework sustaining cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the structure of a Manvantara in this section?

He identifies key offices of the age—such as the Indra and the Saptarishis—then proceeds to list their names, showing how each Manvantara has its own administrative and spiritual guardians.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when the verse names Indra and the Saptarishis, the Purana’s underlying premise is that such cosmic roles arise within Vishnu’s supreme order—Vishnu remains the sustaining reality behind changing ages and offices.