Shloka 20

मन्वन्तर-क्रमः (अतीत-सप्तमन्वन्तराः) तथा मन्वन्तरावताराः

Devanagari script

पञ्चमे चापि मैत्रेय रैवतो नाम नामतः मनुर् विभुश् च तत्रेन्द्रो देवांश् चैवान्तरे शृणु

Transliteration

pañcame cāpi maitreya raivato nāma nāmataḥ manur vibhuś ca tatrendro devāṃś caivāntare śṛṇu

Translation

In the fifth Manvantara, O Maitreya, the Manu is named Raivata; there, too, Vibhū is the Indra. Now hear from me of the gods who preside in that Manvantara.

Word by Word

• पञ्चमे: in the fifth (period)
• पञ्चमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — क्रमवाचक (ordinal) ‘in the fifth (manvantara)’

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also)

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — ‘O Maitreya’

• रैवतः: Raivata
• रैवतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘Raivata’

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — नामार्थक निपात (particle ‘by name/namely’)

• नामतः: in name
• नामतः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — प्रकार/हेतुवाचक (adverb ‘by name, in name’)

• मनुः: Manu
• मनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘Manu’

• विभुः: mighty
• विभुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘मनुः’) ‘mighty/all-pervading’

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (there/in that manvantara)

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

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — ‘gods’ (object implied with ‘शृणु’)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अवधारण (indeed)

• अन्तरे: in the interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘in the interval (manvantara)’

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

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Identification of the fifth Manvantara (Raivata) and its Indra (Vibhū), with forthcoming list of its gods.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Raivata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic time proceeds through sequential Manvantaras, each with its own Manu and Indra, indicating a lawful, intelligible rhythm in creation’s governance.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Adopt a long view of life: respond to change with equanimity, seeing roles and eras as phases within a larger dharmic order.

Vishishtadvaita: The ordered succession of cosmic offices implies a single sovereign intelligence coordinating multiplicity—compatible with the Lord as inner ruler of all administrations.

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Parāśara
• Raivata Manu
• Vibhū (Indra)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the significance of the fifth Manvantara in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies the fifth Manvantara as the era of Raivata Manu, with Vibhū serving as Indra, marking the Purana’s structured account of cosmic administration across time-cycles.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Manvantara cycle here?

Parāśara enumerates each Manvantara by naming its Manu and Indra, then indicates he will list the attendant Devas, presenting cosmic order as an organized, recurring succession.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context?

Though not named in this specific line, the Manvantara framework presupposes Vishnu as the supreme regulator whose ordinance sustains the recurring governance of the cosmos through Manus, Indras, and Devas.