Shloka 24

मन्वन्तर-क्रमः (अतीत-सप्तमन्वन्तराः) तथा मन्वन्तरावताराः

Devanagari script

स्वारोचिषश् चोत्तमश् च तामसो रैवतस् तथा प्रियव्रतान्वया ह्य् एते चत्वारो मनवः स्मृताः

Transliteration

svārociṣaś cottamaś ca tāmaso raivatas tathā priyavratānvayā hy ete catvāro manavaḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Svārociṣa, Uttama, Tāmasa, and likewise Raivata—these four are remembered as Manus, all belonging to the lineage of Priyavrata.

Word by Word

• स्वारोचिषः: Svārociṣa
• स्वारोचिषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वारोचिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• उत्तमः: Uttama
• उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• तामसः: Tāmasa
• तामसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रैवतः: Raivata
• रैवतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक

• प्रियव्रत: of Priyavrata
• प्रियव्रत: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रियव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (अन्वयाः इत्यनेन सह)

• अन्वयाः: descendants (in lineage)
• अन्वयाः: Visheshana (Appositional qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘वंशजाः/वंशपरम्परायुक्ताः’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

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

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• मनवः: Manus
• मनवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• स्मृताः: are remembered (as)
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle/क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘are remembered/called’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How are the Manus related genealogically, and which belong to Priyavrata’s line?

Teaching: Genealogical

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Raivata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Manvantara sovereignty unfolds in a lawful succession, linking cosmic epochs to genealogical continuity.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: View life stages and societal roles as ordered progressions; honor continuity through disciplined duty and remembrance of lineage/teachers.

Vishishtadvaita: Temporal order (kāla-niyati) is a mode of the Lord’s governance, integrating cosmic cycles with embodied history.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Dharma Exemplar: Dharma of orderly succession (niyati)

Key Kings: Priyavrata, Svārociṣa, Uttama, Tāmasa, Raivata

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Svārociṣa Manu
• Uttama Manu
• Tāmasa Manu
• Raivata Manu
• Priyavrata

FAQs

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

This verse highlights that cosmic time is structured into repeating Manvantara periods, each governed by a Manu, showing an orderly, divinely sustained administration of the world.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the succession of Manus?

He lists the Manus in sequence and anchors them in a genealogical stream—here, the line of Priyavrata—so the cosmic chronology is tied to sacred lineage and dharmic governance.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the ordered succession of Manus implies a universe governed by a supreme sustaining principle—Vishnu as the sovereign ground of cosmic order and continuity.