Adhyaya 53 — Rudrasarga and the Measure of the Manvantaras: Svayambhuva Manu, Priyavrata’s Line, and the Seven Dvipas
न वै चतुर्युगावस्था नार्तवा ऋतवो न च ।
आग्नीध्रसूनोर्नाभेस्तु ऋषभो 'भूत् सुतो द्विज ॥
na vai caturyugāvasthā nārtavā ṛtavo na ca /
āgnīdhrasūnor nābhes tu ṛṣabho 'bhūt suto dvija
तत्र न चतुर्णां युगानां व्यवस्था, न मासर्तवो न च ऋतवः। नाभेस्तु पुत्रस्याग्नीध्रस्य ऋषभः पुत्रोऽजायत, हे द्विज॥
Time (yuga and seasonal change) is presented as a feature of certain realms—especially the human sphere where moral choice and decay matter—while lineage narration returns the focus to dharma enacted within time-bound worlds.
Combines ‘Sthāna’ (cosmic-temporal conditions) with ‘Vaṃśa’ (Nābhi → Ṛṣabha).
Timeless realms symbolize consciousness beyond cyclic fluctuation; the birth of Ṛṣabha within the genealogical stream symbolizes descent of a stabilizing principle into cyclic time.