Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 36

The Future Manus and the Avatāras in Their Manvantaras

Devanagari script

राजंश्चतुर्दशैतानि त्रिकालानुगतानि ते । प्रोक्तान्येभिर्मित: कल्पो युगसाहस्रपर्यय: ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

rājaṁś caturdaśaitāni tri-kālānugatāni te proktāny ebhir mitaḥ kalpo yuga-sāhasra-paryayaḥ

Translation

Ô roi, je t’ai maintenant décrit les quatorze Manus du passé, du présent et de l’avenir. La durée totale de leurs règnes équivaut à mille cycles de yuga; on appelle cela un kalpa, c’est-à-dire un jour de Brahmā.

Synonyms

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (संबोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (cardinal numeral), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन-समर्थ (agreeing with एतानि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोग (with neuter plural)

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (pronoun)

• त्रिकालानुगतानि: extending through the three times (past, present, future)
• त्रिकालानुगतानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + काल + अनुगत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (tri-kāla-anugata: ‘following the three times’), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (एतानि इति विशेषण)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative/सम्प्रदान) एकवचन-रूप (ते = तुभ्यम्), सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्तानि: have been declared
• प्रोक्तानि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; वाक्ये विधेय-भावेन (have been stated)

• एभिः: by these
• एभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual)

• मितः: measured; delimited
• मितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मा (धातु) + त (कृदन्त) / मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) used adjectivally, प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (कल्पः इति विशेषण)

• कल्पः: a kalpa (aeon)
• कल्पः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• युगसाहस्रपर्ययः: (whose) cycle is a thousand yugas
• युगसाहस्रपर्ययः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग + साहस्र + पर्यय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (yuga-sāhasra-paryaya: ‘having a cycle of a thousand yugas’), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

Purport

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Eighth Canto, Thirteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Description of Future Manus.”

Characters & Entities

• Parīkṣit Mahārāja
• Manu

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about a kalpa and yuga cycles?

This verse states that a kalpa (a day of Brahmā) is measured through the succession of fourteen Manus and is defined as a complete cycle of one thousand yugas.

Why did Śukadeva Gosvāmī explain the fourteen Manus to King Parīkṣit?

In the context of describing manvantaras and future Manus (Canto 8, Chapter 13), Śukadeva summarizes that these fourteen Manus span the three divisions of time and together define the measure of a kalpa.

Practical application of Bhagavata’s teaching on cosmic time in modern life?

Reflecting on vast cosmic cycles helps cultivate humility and detachment, encouraging one to prioritize bhakti and dharma over temporary worldly anxieties.