Shloka 39

मन्वन्तर-क्रमः (अतीत-सप्तमन्वन्तराः) तथा मन्वन्तरावताराः

Devanagari script

तामसस्यान्तरे चैव संप्राप्ते पुनर् एव हि हर्यायां हरिभिः सार्धं हरिर् एव बभूव ह

Transliteration

tāmasasyāntare caiva saṃprāpte punar eva hi haryāyāṃ haribhiḥ sārdhaṃ harir eva babhūva ha

Translation

And when the Tāmāsa Manvantara arrived, in the cycle of Haryā, together with the Haris, Hari himself alone became manifest as the presiding Lord.

Word by Word

• तामसस्य: of Tāmasa
• तामसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular (qualifying ‘अन्तरे’)

• अन्तरे: in the Manvantara/interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय — conjunction

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण — emphatic particle

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) had come
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Locative absolute participle ‘when (it) had arrived’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — adverb

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण — emphatic particle

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

• हर्यायाम्: in Haryā
• हर्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular

• हरिभिः: with the Haris
• हरिभिः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सहार्थक — adverb/postposition ‘together with’

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण — emphatic particle

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• ह: (indeed/it is said)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — narrative particle

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the same Hari becomes the Manvantara presider under different names and associates

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Tamasa

Avatara Context

Purpose: In the Tāmāsa Manvantara, the Lord manifests as Hari with the Haris to dispel tamas and preserve the deva-led order of that cycle.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Maintenance of divine administration and the sattvic continuity of dharma against tamas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even when a cosmic cycle is characterized by tamas, Hari alone is the effective protector, acting through divine associates to restore balance.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In periods of inner ‘tamas’ (apathy, despair), take refuge in Hari through disciplined remembrance and service.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s sole sovereignty (‘Hari alone’) coexists with His functioning through a retinue—unity of agency with plurality of modes.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Tāmāsa Manvantara
• Haris

FAQs

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

It marks a specific epoch within the repeating Manvantara cycle, emphasizing that cosmic governance changes by periods, yet the supreme presiding power remains Hari.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the recurrence of cosmic periods here?

By stating that when a named Manvantara ‘arrives again,’ Parāśara highlights cyclical time—periods recur, and within each, the same Supreme Lord manifests to uphold order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu (Hari) in this verse?

The verse stresses Hari’s singular supremacy—amid changing cosmic administrations and attendant divine groups, Vishnu alone is the ultimate source and ruler who becomes manifest.