Shloka 47

Devanagari script

कृते कृते स्मृतेर् विप्र प्रणेता जायते मनुः देवा यज्ञभुजस् ते तु यावन् मन्वन्तरं तु तत्

Transliteration

kṛte kṛte smṛter vipra praṇetā jāyate manuḥ devā yajñabhujas te tu yāvan manvantaraṃ tu tat

Translation

O brāhmaṇa, in each Kṛta age there arises a Manu, the authoritative promulgator of the ordinances remembered as Smṛti. The gods, enjoyers of the sacrificial offerings, endure for exactly as long as that Manvantara lasts.

Word by Word

• कृते: in the Kṛta (age)
• कृते: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; युगनाम (कृतयुगे)

• कृते: in each Kṛta (age)
• कृते: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्तिः—‘कृते कृते’ = प्रत्येककृतयुगे

• स्मृतेः: of the Smṛti (tradition/law)
• स्मृतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणेता: a promulgator/author
• प्रणेता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + नी (धातु) → प्रणेता (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)

• जायते: is born/arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

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

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यज्ञभुजः: partakers of sacrifices
• यज्ञभुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—यज्ञं भुञ्जते इति (यज्ञभागभुजः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal extent/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि-अर्थे (as long as)

• मन्वन्तरम्: the manvantara (Manu-period)
• मन्वन्तरम्: Karma (Extent/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—मनोर् अन्तरम् (Manu-period)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), पुनरुक्त-बलार्थे

• तत्: that (period)
• तत्: Karma (Referent/निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘तत् (that period)’ इति निर्देश

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Yuga: Satya

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: In every Kṛta (Satya) age a Manu arises as the promulgator of smṛti-ordinances, and the gods remain as recipients of yajña for the duration of that manvantara.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Anchor ethical life in stable principles (dharma) and sustain ‘yajña’ as disciplined offering—service, gratitude, and sacred duty.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is not merely social convention but a divinely structured order renewed by Manu within cosmic cycles governed by the Supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Manu
• Devas
• Smriti
• Yajna

FAQs

What is the significance of Manu in the Vishnu Purana’s Manvantara cycle?

This verse presents Manu as the Smṛti-praneta—the lawgiver who establishes and regulates dharma for a given cosmic epoch, defining the order of a Manvantara.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the continuity of the gods (Devas) across time?

Parāśara explains that the Devas, described as yajñabhujas (receivers of sacrificial offerings), persist for the full duration of a specific Manvantara, linking divine tenure to the Manu’s era.

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

Even when not named directly, the structure of yugas, Manus, and the sacrificial order implies a higher sovereignty—Vishnu as the supreme regulator through whom cosmic administration and dharma are sustained.