Shloka 21

मन्वन्तर-क्रमः (अतीत-सप्तमन्वन्तराः) तथा मन्वन्तरावताराः

Devanagari script

अमिताभा भूतरया वैकुण्ठाः ससुमेधसः एते देवगणास् तत्र चतुर्दश चतुर्दश

Transliteration

amitābhā bhūtarayā vaikuṇṭhāḥ sasumedhasaḥ ete devagaṇās tatra caturdaśa caturdaśa

Translation

There the divine hosts are known as the Amitābhās, the Bhūtarayās, the Vaikuṇṭhas, and the Sa-sumedhas; in that Manvantara they are counted as fourteen and fourteen, each in its proper order.

Word by Word

• अमिताभाः: the Amitābhās (a class of deities)
• अमिताभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित-आभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (अमिता आभा यस्य/येषाम्)

• भूतरयाः: the Bhūtarayas (a class of deities)
• भूतरयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत-रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भूतानां रयः/वेगः)

• वैकुण्ठाः: the Vaikuṇṭhas (a class of deities)
• वैकुण्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ससुमेधसः: of excellent intelligence
• ससुमेधसः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-मेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (सुमेधाः सन्ति येषाम्)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवगणाः: groups of gods
• देवगणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (देवानां गणाः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (चतुर्+दश) द्विगु-समासः; अत्र गणनार्थे (indeclinable-like numeral)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen (each)
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (चतुर्+दश) द्विगु-समासः; पुनरुक्तिः—प्रत्येकं वर्गे (each)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Enumeration of Manvantaras and their presiding deities, sages, and rulers

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Raivata

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Each Manvantara has its own ordered classes of gods who sustain the cosmic administration for that cycle.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate cyclical time and cultivate steadiness amid change by aligning with dharma rather than transient epochs.

Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic order is upheld through divinely appointed beings functioning as instruments of the Supreme’s governance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Amitābhās
• Bhūtarayās
• Vaikuṇṭhas
• Sa-sumedhas
• Deva-gaṇas

FAQs

What is the significance of listing deva-gaṇas in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows that each Manvantara has an ordered cosmic administration, with specific classes of gods assigned in a structured way, reflecting a regulated universe under higher sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Manvantara order to Maitreya here?

Parāśara teaches by cataloguing the divine groups that function in a given Manvantara, using fixed numerical and categorical listings to communicate cosmic regularity rather than random mythic detail.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the Manvantara system presupposes a supreme sustaining principle—Vishnu—under whose governance these divine hosts operate as roles within cosmic order.