Shloka 7
Manvantara Enumerations Begin: Svāyambhuva’s Austerity, Yajñapati’s Protection, and the Avatāras up to Hari
Gajendra Prelude
विरक्त: कामभोगेषु शतरूपापति: प्रभु: । विसृज्य राज्यं तपसे सभार्यो वनमाविशत् ॥ ७ ॥
viraktaḥ kāma-bhogeṣu śatarūpā-patiḥ prabhuḥ visṛjya rājyaṁ tapase sabhāryo vanam āviśat
สวายัมภูวะ มนู ผู้เป็นสวามีของศตรูปา มิได้ยึดติดในกามสุขแห่งอินทรีย์ จึงสละราชสมบัติ แล้วเข้าสู่ป่าพร้อมภรรยาเพื่อบำเพ็ญตบะ
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.2) , evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ: “The supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way.” All the Manus were perfect kings. They were rājarṣis. In other words, although they held posts as kings of the world, they were as good as great saints. Svāyambhuva Manu, for example, was the emperor of the world, yet he had no desire for sense gratification. This is the meaning of monarchy. The king of the country or the emperor of the empire must be so trained that by nature he renounces sense gratification. It is not that because one becomes king he should unnecessarily spend money for sense gratification. As soon as kings became degraded, spending money for sense gratification, they were lost. Similarly, at the present moment, monarchy having been lost, the people have created democracy, which is also failing. Now, by the laws of nature, the time is coming when dictatorship will put the citizens into more and more difficulty. If the king or dictator individually, or the members of the government collectively, cannot maintain the state or kingdom according to the rules of Manu-saṁhitā, certainly their government will not endure.
FAQs
This verse highlights that true spiritual maturity expresses itself as detachment from sense pleasure and willingness to renounce even royal comfort for austerity and God-centered life.
After fulfilling his duties as king, Manu became detached from worldly enjoyment and chose forest life to perform tapasya, accompanied by his wife Śatarūpā.
Reduce unnecessary indulgence, simplify habits, and dedicate consistent time to sādhana—such as japa, study of Bhagavatam, and disciplined living—while responsibly performing one’s duties.