Shloka 3
Adhyaya 61 — The Second Manvantara Begins: The Brahmin’s Swift Journey and Varuthini’s Temptation on Himavat
स्वायम्भुवं तथा ख्यातं मुने मन्वन्तरं मम ।
तदन्तराण्यहं श्रोतुमिच्छे मन्वन्तराणि वै ।
मन्वन्तराधिपान् देवानृषींस्तत्तनयान्नृपान् ॥
svāyambhuvaṃ tathā khyātaṃ mune manvantaraṃ mama |
tad-antarāṇy ahaṃ śrotum icche manvantarāṇi vai |
manvantara-adhipān devān ṛṣīn sattanayān nṛpān ||
भगवन् मुने, स्वायम्भुवो मन्वन्तरः मया यथावत् श्रुतः। इदानीं देवैः सहाधिष्ठातृभिः, ऋषिभिः, मनोः पुत्रैः, राजभिश्च सह, क्रमशः अन्यान् मन्वन्तरान् श्रोतुमिच्छामि।
FAQs
History is presented as sacred time: each era has guiding intelligences (devas, ṛṣis) and exemplary rulers. The implied ethic is that governance and social order should align with dharma as transmitted through these lineages.
Directly 'Manvantara' and also 'Vaṃśa/Vaṃśānucarita' (genealogies and dynastic accounts), since the request includes sons and kings.
Successive manvantaras can be read as cycles of collective consciousness, each with its own archetypal guides (devas/ṛṣis) and executive powers (kings).