Shloka 7

Adhyaya 53 — The Great Flood

Sanskrit

औत्तमस्तामसश्चैव रैवतश्चाक्षुषस्तथा ।

षडेते मनवोऽतीतास्तथा वैवस्वतोऽधुना ॥

Transliteration

auttamas tāmasaś caiva raivataś cākṣuṣas tathā | ṣaḍ ete manavo 'tītās tathā vaivasvato 'dhunā

Translation

ततोऽउत्तमस्तामसो रैवतः चाक्षुषश्च। एते षड् मनवोऽतीताः; इदानीं वैवस्वतो (मनुः)।

Word by Word

• औत्तमः: Auttama (Manu)
• औत्तमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषनाम (Manu)

• तामसः: Tāmasa (Manu)
• तामसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषनाम (Manu)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• रैवतः: Raivata (Manu)
• रैवतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषनाम (Manu)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• आक्षुषः: Ākṣuṣa (Manu)
• आक्षुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आक्षुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषनाम (Manu)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (manavaḥ)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मनवः: Manus
• मनवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• अतीताः: past/elapsed
• अतीताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-इ (धातु) → अतीत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मनवः)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• वैवस्वतः: Vaivasvata (Manu)
• वैवस्वतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषनाम (present Manu)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kala (काल/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya

Primary Deities

• Sūrya (implied by 'Vaivasvata'—son/line of Vivasvān)

Key Themes

• Manvantara chronology
• Present cosmic age identification

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

By locating the ‘now’ within a sequence of cosmic administrations, the Purāṇa situates human life within a lawful continuum—encouraging responsibility within one’s epoch.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Manvantara: listing of Manus and identifying the current Manu (Vaivasvata).

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Now is Vaivasvata’ is a cosmological timestamp; esoterically, it anchors spiritual practice to the conditions (dharma-tendencies) of the present cycle.