Adhyaya 46 — Cosmic Dissolution, the Emergence of Brahma, and the Measures of Time (Yugas, Manvantaras, and Brahma’s Day)
देवाः सप्तर्षयः सेन्द्रा मनुस्तत्सूनवो नृपाः ।
मनुना सह सृज्यन्ते संह्रियन्ते च पूर्ववत् ॥
devāḥ saptarṣayaḥ sendrā manus tat-sūnavo nṛpāḥ | manunā saha sṛjyante saṃhriyante ca pūrvavat ||
Para dewa, Tujuh Ṛṣi, para dewa bersama Indra, Manu, serta raja-raja putranya—mereka diciptakan bersama Manu, lalu ditarik kembali seperti sediakala.
Even exalted offices (Indrahood, cosmic seerhood) are time-bound; the teaching encourages humility and commitment to dharma rather than attachment to status.
Manvantara is explicit; Sarga and Pratisarga are also explicit through ‘created’ and ‘withdrawn’ (sṛṣṭi/saṃhāra) recurring each cycle.
The repeating ‘Indra + Saptarṣi + Manu’ triad encodes cosmic governance: power (Indra), wisdom (ṛṣis), and law/order (Manu) cycling to maintain dharma in each epoch.