Shloka 8
मन्वन्तर-क्रमः (अतीत-सप्तमन्वन्तराः) तथा मन्वन्तरावताराः
स्वायंभुवं तु कथितं कल्पादाव् अन्तरं मया देवास् तत्रर्षयश् चैव यथावत् कथिता मया
svāyaṃbhuvaṃ tu kathitaṃ kalpādāv antaraṃ mayā devās tatrarṣayaś caiva yathāvat kathitā mayā
At the very beginning of this kalpa, I have already recounted to you the Svāyambhuva Manvantara; and in that same account, I have also duly described—just as they are—the gods and the sages who belong to it.
Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)
Creation Stage: Kalpa
Manvantara: Svayambhuva
Concept: At the start of the kalpa, the Svayambhuva Manvantara—with its gods and sages—was already described as part of the ordered cosmic account.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Revisit foundational teachings before proceeding: consolidate what is already learned to understand later details in proper sequence.
Vishishtadvaita: The kalpa’s unfolding is intelligible and structured; divine and rishi orders are real constituents within Vishnu’s governed cosmos.
FAQs
It marks the first Manvantara of the kalpa and sets the template for cosmic order—identifying the Manu, along with the devas and rishis who administer and preserve dharma within that era.
He emphasizes that he has already given a proper, ordered account (yathāvat) of the Svāyambhuva period—specifically naming its governing gods and seers—showing the Purāṇic method of systematic sacred chronology.
Even when not named in the verse, the Manvantara order of devas and rishis is understood as functioning under Vishnu’s supreme governance, with time-cycles and dharma sustained by His overarching sovereignty.