Shloka 1
षडशीतितमो ऽध्यायः (इति गयामाहात्म्यं समाप्तम्) / हरिरुवाच / चतुर्दश मनून्वक्ष्ये तत्सुताश्च सुकादिकान् / मनुः स्वायम्भुवः पूर्वमग्निघ्राद्याश्च तत्सुताः
ṣaḍaśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ (iti gayāmāhātmyaṃ samāptam) / hariruvāca / caturdaśa manūnvakṣye tatsutāśca sukādikān / manuḥ svāyambhuvaḥ pūrvamagnighrādyāśca tatsutāḥ
षडशीतितमोऽध्यायः—इति गयामाहात्म्यं समाप्तम्। हरिरुवाच—चतुर्दश मनून् वक्ष्ये, तत्सुतांश्च शुकादिकान्। पूर्वं स्वायम्भुवो मनुः, तस्य सुताः अग्निघ्रादयः॥
Hari (Lord Vishnu)
Concept: Purāṇic cosmology: the fourteen Manus and their progeny structure time, dharma, and creation cycles; Svāyambhuva Manu is first.
Vedantic Theme: Cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) unfolding through cycles; knowledge as orientation within saṃsāra’s vast framework.
Application: Study manvantara narratives to contextualize dharma historically and cyclically; cultivate humility and steadiness by reflecting on vast time scales.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.86 (Gayā-māhātmya conclusion); Garuda Purana subsequent chapters on Manus and genealogies (contextual continuation)
FAQs
This verse introduces the systematic account of the fourteen Manus—cosmic lawgivers who preside over successive epochs—along with their progeny, framing how dharma and creation proceed through time.
Indirectly: by shifting from Gayā’s sacred merit to the broader structure of cosmic time and lineage, it supplies the cosmological backdrop within which dharma, karma, and ritual results (including ancestral rites) are understood.
Use it as a reminder to study dharma within a larger tradition and lineage: practice rites (like Gayā-related śrāddha) and ethical living with awareness of scriptural continuity and cosmic order.