View source for Manvantaras (मन्वन्तराणि)

Manvatara (Samskrit : मन्वन्तरम्) is a cyclic unit of macrocosmic time period consisting of 71 Mahayugas. It is called Manvantara as Manu is the ruler of the earth on behalf of Brahma, in each of these periods. Fourteen such Manvantaras make up one Kalpa or a day in the life of Brahma. One of the five characteristics of the Puranas is that it should contain the details of the Manvantaras. Hence Puranas are the source of this information and the list of Manus from a few Puranas will be presented in the following sections. Astronomy also describes the time periods of Manvantaras.

== Manus in Bhagavata Purana ==
Bhagavata Purana (12.7.15) mentions that each Manvantara is presided over by a Manu as its head, a group of Devatas (Manu's sons), an Indra, Sapta Rshis, and an incarnation of Sri MahaVishnu.<blockquote>मन्वन्तरं मनुर्देवा मनुपुत्राः सुरेश्वराः ।  ऋषयोंऽशावताराश्च हरेः षड्‌विधमुच्यते ॥ १५ ॥ (Bhag. Pura. 12.7.15)<ref>Bhagavata Purana (Skanda 12 [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A8/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AD Adhyaya 7])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>manvantaraṁ manurdevā manuputrāḥ sureśvarāḥ । r̥ṣayoṁ'śāvatārāśca hareḥ ṣaḍ‌vidhamucyate ॥ 15 ॥ (Bhag. Pura. 12.7.15)</blockquote>In the Bhagavata Purana, Skanda 8 a detailed description of Manus, the associated devatas, Manu's sons, Indra, Vishnu and Saptarshis of each Manvantara are given in Adhyayas 1, 5 and 13. In a few instances the names of the Saptarishis are filled in from the Harivamsha. They are summarized in the table below.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;"
|+Manus, Indras, Saptarshis and Mahavishnu names in different Manvantaras according to Bhagavata Purana
|-
!No
!|Manu
!Son of !!|Indra
!Saptarshis
!Mahavishnu
!Remarks
|-
|1
|स्वायम्भुवमनुः ॥ Svayambhuva Manu
|Brahma|| Yajna (avatar) |Yajna (Avatar of Vishnu)
|Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya and Vashishta
|Yajna
|Matsyavatara
|-
|2
|स्वारोचिषमनुः॥ Svarochisha Manu
|Agni||Rochana
|Urja, Stambha, Prana, Brhaspati, Datta, Atri, Cyavana
|Vibhu (Son of Vedasiras and Tushita)
|
|-
|3
|उत्तममनुः ॥ Uttama Manu (Auttami)
|Priyavrata||Satyajit
|Pramada and other sons of Vashishta
|Satyasena (Son of Dharma and Sunrta)
|
|-
|4
|तामसमनुः ॥ Tamasa Manu
|Priyavrata
|| Trishikha
|Jyoti, Dhaama, Prthu, Kavya, Chaitra, Agni, Dhanada and Pivara.
|Hari (Son of Harimedhas and Harini)
|Gajendra Moksham
|-
|5
|रैवतमनुः ॥ Raivata Manu Adhyaya 5
|Priyavrata
||Vibhu
|Hiranyaroma, Vedasiras, Urdhvabahu, and others
|Vaikuntha (Son of Subhra and Vikuntha)
|Stories of Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu
|-
|6
|चाक्षषमनुः ॥ Chakshusha Manu
|Chakshus||Mantradyumna
|Havishmat, Viiraka, Sumedhas, Anuttama, Madhu, Atinaaman, Sahishnu
|Ajita (Son of Vairaaja and Sambhuti)
|Samudra Manthana and Devasura sangrama
|-
|7
|वैवस्वतमनुः ॥ Vaivasvata Manu or Sraddhadeva Adhyaya 13
|Vivasvaan and Samjna||Purandara (the present Indra)
|Kasyapa, Atri, Visvamitra, Vashishta, Gautama, Jamadagni and Bharadvaja
|Vamana (Kasyapa and Aditi)
|The Present Manvantara
|-
|8
|सावर्णिकमनुः ॥ Savarni Manu
|Vivasvaan and Chaya|| Mahabali |Bali 
|Galava, Parasurama, Asvatthama, Krpa, Rshyashringa, Badarayana
|Sarvabhauma (Son of Devaguhya and Sarasvatii)
|
|-
|9
|दक्षसावर्णिकमनुः ॥ Daksha Savarni Manu
|Varuna
||Adbhuta
|Dyutimat
|Rshabha (son of Ayushmat and Ambudhara)
|
|-
|10
|ब्रह्मसावर्णिकमनुः ॥ Brahma Savarni Manu
|Upasloka||Shambhu
|Havishmat, Sukrti, Satya, Jaya, Murti and others
|Visvaksena (Son of Vishvasrj (Prajapati) and Visuchi
|
|-
|11
|धर्म्मसावर्णिकमनुः ॥ Dharma Savarni Manu
|||Vaidhrta
|Aruna and others
|Dharmasetu (Aaryaka and Vaidhrta)
|
|-
|12
|रुद्रसावर्णिकमनुः ॥ Rudra Savarni Manu
|||Rtadhaman
|Tapomurti, Tapasvin, Agnidhraka and others
|Svadhaman (Son of Satyasahas and Soonrta)
|
|-
|13
|देवसावर्णिकमनुः ॥ Deva Savarni Manu (Rouchya)
|||Divaspati
|Nirmoka, Tattvadarsin and others
|Son of Devahotra and Brhati
|
|-
|14
|इन्द्रसावर्णिकमनुः ॥ Indra Savarni or Bhoutya (भौत्यः)
|||Suchi 
|Agnibahu, Suchi, Suddha, Magadha and others
|Brhadbhanu (Satraayana and Vitaanaa)
|
|}

== Manus in Vishnu Purana ==
The following is the list of Manus and the Indras of one Kalpa given as per Vishnupurana (3.1)<ref>Vishnupurana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7 Amsha 3 Adhyaya 1])</ref>. Agni Purana also gives a similar list.<ref>Agni Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AB%E0%A5%A6 Adhyaya 150])</ref><ref>Shastri, J. L., Bhatt. G. P., Gangadharan, N. (1998) The ''Agni Purana''. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Pvt. Ltd. ([https://archive.org/details/AgniPuranaUnabridgedEnglishMotilal/page/n439 Page 428])</ref><blockquote>स्वायंभुवो मनुः पूर्वं परः स्वारोचिषस्तथा । उत्तमस्तामसश्चैव रैवतश्चाक्षुषस्तथा ॥ ३,१.६ ॥ (Vish. Pura. 3.1.6)</blockquote><blockquote>svāyaṁbhuvō manuḥ pūrvaṁ paraḥ svārōciṣastathā । uttamastāmasaścaiva raivataścākṣuṣastathā ॥ 3,1.6 ॥ (Vish. Pura. 3.1.6)</blockquote><blockquote>षडेते मनवोतीताः सांप्रतं तु रवेः सुतः । वैवस्वतेयं यस्त्वेतत्मप्तमं वर्ततेन्तरम् ॥ ३,१.७ ॥ (Vish. Pura. 3.1.7)</blockquote><blockquote>ṣaḍētē manavōtītāḥ sāṁprataṁ tu ravēḥ sutaḥ । vaivasvatēyaṁ yastvētatmaptamaṁ vartatēntaram ॥ 3,1.7 ॥ (Vish. Pura. 3.1.7)</blockquote>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;"
|-
!No
!|Manvantara/Manu!!|Indra
|-
|1
|Svayambhuva (स्वायंभुवः)|| Yajna (avatar) |Yajna (Avatar of Vishnu) ('''यज्ञः'''स्वायंभुवेन्तरे।... 3.1.36)
|-
|2
|Svarochisha (स्वारोचिषः)||Vipaschit ('''विपश्चित्त'''त्र देवेन्द्रो... 3.1.10)
|-
|3
|Uttama (उत्तमः)||Sushanti ('''सुशान्ति'''र्नाम देवेन्द्रो... 3.1.13)
|-
|4
|Tamasa (तामसः)|| Shibi (king) |Shibi or Shatakratu ('''शिवि'''रिन्द्रस्तथा... 3.1.17)
|-
|5
|Raivata (रैवतः)||Vibhu '''(र्विभु'''श्च तत्रेन्द्रो... 3.1.20)
|-
|6
|Chakshusha (चाक्षुषः)||Manojava ('''मनोजव'''स्तथैवेन्द्रो... 3.1.26)
|-
|7
|Vaivasvata (वैवस्वतः)||Purandara (the present Indra) ('''पुरन्दराय''' त्रैलोक्यं... 3.1.43)
|-
|8
|Savarni (सावर्णिः)|| Mahabali |Bali ('''बलि'''रिन्द्रो भविष्यति... 3.2.18)
|-
|9
|Daksha Savarni (दक्षसावर्णिः)||Adbhuta (भविष्यति '''अद्भुतो'''... 3.2.22)
|-
|10
|Brahma Savarni (ब्रह्मसावर्णिः)||Shanti ('''शान्ति'''र्नाम... 3.2.26)
|-
|11
|Dharma Savarni (धर्मसावर्णिः)||Vrsha (श्चेन्द्रश्च वै '''वृषः''' ...3.2.30)
|-
|12
|Rudra Savarni (रुद्रसावर्णिः)||Rtudhama ('''ऋतधामा''' च तत्रेन्द्रो...3.2.32)
|-
|13
|Rauchya Savarni (रौच्य)||Divaspati ('''दिवस्पति'''र्महावीर्यस्तेषामिन्द्रो... 3.2.39)
|-
|14
|Bhautya (भौत्यः) (alternatively भौमः।Bhauma)||Suchi ('''शुचि'''रिन्द्रः... 3.2.42)
|}

== Duties of Manus and their Functionaries ==
There are five categories of functionaries under the control of the Supreme Being. 
# The Manu
# Sons of Manu
# [[Saptarshis (सप्तर्षयः)|Saptarshis]]
# [[Indra (इन्द्रः)|Indras]]
# Devata Group
Directed by the forms of Mahavishnu (in each Manvantara) such as Yajna and others, Manu and others perform their designated work in the world.

At the beginning of each new Krtayuga, when Kala swallows the vedas, Manus are instructed by the forms of Mahavishnu in the path of Dharma, characterized by four feet (tapas, soucha, daya and satya). Thus the Manus themselves controlled in mind, following the dharma or eternal law, propagate the dharmik path all over the world during their period.

Manu's sons themselves and through their descendents protect the path of Dharma to the end of their Manvantara. The Devatas eligible for the share of yajnas enjoy their position. Indra, supported by Mahavishnu, enjoys the leadership of the Devatas, the affluence and becomes the protector of the three worlds, by sending the rains.

Mahavishnu, in every Yuga, assuming various forms of rshis, siddhas teaches the paths of Jnana, Karma and Yoga. Carrying out the work of creation, in the form of Prajapati, he also protects the people from adharma. Possessing different characteristics, in the form of [[Kala (कालः)|Kala]] (time), he destroys all. (Bhag. Pura. 8.14)<ref>Tagare, G. V. and Shastri, J. L. ''The Bhagavata Purana, Part 3 (Skandas 7 to 9).'' Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass</ref>

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Vedangas]]
[[Category:Jyotisha]]