Shloka 3

Adhyaya 61 — The Second Manvantara Begins: The Brahmin’s Swift Journey and Varuthini’s Temptation on Himavat

Sanskrit

स्वायम्भुवं तथा ख्यातं मुने मन्वन्तरं मम ।

तदन्तराण्यहं श्रोतुमिच्छे मन्वन्तराणि वै ।

मन्वन्तराधिपान् देवानृषींस्तत्तनयान्नृपान् ॥

Transliteration

svāyambhuvaṃ tathā khyātaṃ mune manvantaraṃ mama |

tad-antarāṇy ahaṃ śrotum icche manvantarāṇi vai |

manvantara-adhipān devān ṛṣīn sattanayān nṛpān ||

Translation

Bạch hiền giả, Manvantara Svāyambhuva đã được giảng giải cho con như vậy. Nay con mong được nghe theo thứ tự các Manvantara khác, cùng với các vị thần chủ trì, các bậc hiền triết, các người con (của Manu) và các bậc quân vương.

Word by Word

• svāyambhuvam: Svāyambhuva (named)
• svāyambhuvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svāyambhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); adjective qualifying ‘manvantaram’

• tathā: thus/also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• khyātam: known/declared
• khyātam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khyāta (कृदन्त; √khyā प्रख्याने)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/ktá); Napumsaka, Prathamā (1st) or Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; predicative with ‘manvantaram’

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumān (पुंलिङ्ग), Sambodhana (सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

• manvantaram: Manvantara (epoch)
• manvantaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manvantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• mama: of me/my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; genitive pronoun

• tad-antarāṇi: the subsequent (ones)
• tad-antarāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘tad-antara’ = ‘that-following’; Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• śrotum: to hear
• śrotum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु; श्रवणे)
• Form: Tumun infinitive (तुमुन्/infinitive)

• icche: I desire
• icche: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु; इच्छायाम्)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, present), Prathama? actually Uttama (1st person/उत्तमपुरुष), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• manvantarāṇi: Manvantaras
• manvantarāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manvantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle/emphasis (निपात)

• manvantara-adhipān: lords of the Manvantaras
• manvantara-adhipān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manvantara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘manvantarasya adhipāḥ’; Pumān, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• devān: gods
• devān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumān, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• ṛṣīn: seers
• ṛṣīn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumān, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• tad-tanayān: their sons/descendants
• tad-tanayān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + tanaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘teṣāṃ tanayāḥ’; Pumān, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• nṛpān: kings
• nṛpān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumān, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

Speakers

• Krauṣṭuki to Mārkaṇḍeya (dialogue frame)

Key Themes

• Manvantara
• Genealogy
• Purāṇic chronology

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

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.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Directly 'Manvantara' and also 'Vaṃśa/Vaṃśānucarita' (genealogies and dynastic accounts), since the request includes sons and kings.

What is the esoteric significance?

Successive manvantaras can be read as cycles of collective consciousness, each with its own archetypal guides (devas/ṛṣis) and executive powers (kings).