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Manu (Hinduism)
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For other uses of Manu, see Manu
In Hindu traditions, Manu is a title accorded to the progenitor of mankind, and also the very
first king to rule this earth, who saved mankind from the universal flood. He was absolutely
honest which was why he was initially known as "Satyavrata", or One with the oath of
truth.
Mahabharata says: "And Manu was imbued with great wisdom and devoted to virtue. And he
became the progenitor of a line. And in Manu's race have been born all human beings, who
have, therefore, been called Manavas. And it is of Manu that all men including Brahmanas,
Kshatriyas, and others have been descended, and are, therefore, all called Manavas.
Subsequently, O monarch, the Brahmanas became united with the Kshatriyas. And those sons
of Manu that were Brahmanas devoted themselves to the study of the Vedas. "The ten sons of
Manu are known as Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, the
eighth, a daughter named Ila, Prishadhru the ninth, and Nabhagarishta, the tenth. They all
betook themselves to the practices of Kshatriyas. Besides these, Manu had fifty other sons on
Earth. But we heard that they all perished, quarrelling with one another."[1]

Contents
[hide]
• 1 14 Manus of Śveta Vārāha Kalpa
○ 1.1 The genealogy
• 2 Works ascribed to Manu
• 3 In Theosophy
• 4 In modern literature
• 5 References
• 6 Notes
• 7 See also

[edit] 14 Manus of Śveta Vārāha Kalpa

Each Manu rules during an eon called a Manvantara. Puranas ascribe to each Manvantara one
Indra, one Vishnu avatara, etc.[2] 14 Manvantaras make up a Kalpa, a period corresponding to
a day in the life of Brahma. 14 Manus of the present Śveta Vārāha Kalpa are
1. Svayambhuva Manu
2. Svarocisa Manu
3. Uttama Manu or Auttami
4. Tamasa Manu
5. Raivata Manu
6. Caksusa Manu
7. Sraddhadeva Manu (son of Vaivasvata) [3]
 8. Savarni Manu
9. Daksa Savarni Manu
10. Brahma Savarni Manu
11. Dharma Savarni Manu
12. Rudra Savarni Manu
13. Deva Savarni Manu or Raucya
14. Indra Savarni Manu or Bhauta

Currently we are in the 7th Manvantara headed by Sraddhadeva (Vaivasvata) Manu.

The Matsya Avatara of Lord Vishnu is said to have appeared to King Manu (whose original
name was Satyavrata, the then King of Dravida[4][5], while he washed his hands in a river.
This river was supposed to have been flowing down the Malaya Mountains in his land of
Dravida. According to the Matsya Purana, his ship is supposed to have been perched after the
deluge on the top of this Malaya Mountains. [6][7][8][9] (This land or kingdom of Dravida that
was ruled over by Satyavrata or Manu might have been an original, greater Dravida, that
might have stretched from Madagascar and East Africa in the west to Southernmost India and
further to Southeast Asia and Australia in the east.) The little fish asked the king to save It,
upon his doing so, kept growing bigger and bigger. It also informed the King of a huge flood
which would occur soon. The King builds a huge boat, which houses his family, 9 types of
seeds, and animals to repopulate the earth after the deluge occurs and the oceans and seas
recede.
This story is to an extent similar to other deluge stories, like those of Gilgamesh from ancient
Sumerian Mythology, and the story of Noah's ark from Judeo-Christianity.

[edit] The genealogy

The genealogy of the Ikshvaku dynasty as mentioned in the Ramayana (i.69.17-32 and
ii.102.4-29)[10] is as follows:
• Brahma created 10 Prajapatis, one of whom was Marichi.
• Kashyapa is the son of Marichi and Kala. Kashyapa is regarded as the father of
humanity.
• Vivasvan or Surya is the son of Kashyapa and Aditi.
• Vaivasvata Manu, originally Satyavrata, the then Emperor of Dravida is the son of
Vivasvan. He is regarded as the first ruler belonging to the Ikshvaku Dynasty.
• Ikshvaku is the son of Vaivasvata Manu.
• Kukshi is the son of Ikshvaku
• Vikukshi is the son of Kukshi
• Bana is the son of Vikukshi
• Anaranya is the son of Bana
• Prithu is the son of Anaranya
• Trishanku is the son of Prithu
• Dhundhumara is the son of Trishanku
• Yuvanashva is the son of Dhundhumara
 • Mandhata is the son of Yuvanashva
• Susandhi is the son of Mandhata
• Dhruvasandhi and Presenajit are the sons of Susandhi
• Bharata is the son of Dhruvasandhi
• Bahu (Asita) is the son of Bharata
• Sagara is the son of Bahu
• Asamanja is the son of Sagara
• Amsumanta (Ansuman) is the son of Asamanja
• Dileepa is the son of Amsumanta
• Bhagiratha is the son of Dileepa
• Kakustha is the son of Bhagiratha
• Raghu is the son of Kakushta. The clan of Raghuvamsha started with Raghu
• Pravriddha is the sone of Raghu
• Shankhana is the son of Pravriddha
• Sudarshana is the son of Shankhana
• Agnivarna is the son of Sudarshana
• Shighra is the son of Agnivarna
• Maru is the son of Shighra
• Prashushruka is the son of Maru
• Ambarisha is the son of Prashushruka
• Nahusha is the son of Ambarisha
• Yayati is the son of Nahusha
• Nabhaga is the son of Yayati
• Aja is the son of Nabhaga
• Dasharatha is the son of Aja
• Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna are the sons of Dasaratha
• Lava and Kusha are the sons of Rama.
The Puranas provide a genealogical list from Kusha to Brihadbala, who was killed by
Abhimanyu in the Mahabharata war. This list is corroborated by the Raghuvamsha till
Agnivarna[11]:
• Atithi, the son of Kusha
• Nishadha, the son of Atithi
• Nala, the son of Nishadha
• Nabhas, the son of Nala
• Pundarika, the son Nabhas
• Kshemadhanvan, the son of Pundarika
• Devanika, the son of Kshemadhanvan
• Ahinagu, the son of Davanika
 • Paripatra, the son of Ahinagu
• Dala (or Bala), the son of Ahinagu
• Uktha, the son of Dala
• Vajranabha, the son of Uktha
• Shankhana, the son of Vajranabha
• Vyushitashva, the son of Shankhana
• Vishvasaha, the son of Vyushitashva
• Hiranyanabha, the son of Vishvasaha
• Pushya, the son of Hiranyanabha
• Dhruvasandhi, the son of Pushya
• Agnivarna, the son of Dhruvasandhi
• Shighra, the son of Agnivarna
• Maru, the son of Shighra
• Prasushruta, the son of Maru
• Susandhi, the son of Prasushruta
• Amarsha and Sahasvant, the sons of Susandhi
• Vishrutavant, the son of Amarsha
• Brihadbala, the son of Vishrutavant.
[edit] Works ascribed to Manu
According to tradition, Manava Grihyasutra, Manava Sulbasutra and Manava Dharmashastra
(Manusmriti) texts are ascribed to Manu (Sayambhuva). Manusmriti is considered by some
Hindus to be the law laid down for Hindus and is seen as the most important and earliest
metrical work of the Dharmaśāstra textual tradition of Hinduism.[12]. At the same time it is a
Smriti, so whenever there is a conflict between what is mentioned in it and that mentioned in
sruti (Vedas and Upanishads) the latter is considered to be correct as it holds higher spiritual
authority.
[edit] In Theosophy
In Theosophy, the Manu is regarded as the progenitor of the Aryan root race.
[edit] In modern literature
In the Victor Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Claude Frollo is seen to be
studying Manu's works in his study of alchemy.
[edit] References
1. ^ Mahabharata Book 1:Adi Parva:Sambhava Parva:Section LXXV
2. ^ 14 Manu-s of 14 Manu-antara-s
3. ^ Bhagavata Purana (Srimad Bhagavatam) 8.13.1
4. ^ Matsya Purana
5. ^ Bhagavata Purana 8.24.12
6. ^ Matsya Purana
 7. ^ Bhagavata Purana 8.24.12
8. ^ http://books.google.com/books?
id=IQwXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA341&lpg=PA341&dq=Malaya+Manu+Matsya&sourc
e=web&ots=n3yoFHIe9H&sig=l2ogGObTKvnjsIf_Xj34gZrFtYM&hl=en&sa=X&oi
=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result
9. ^ http://www.indiadivine.org/articles/442/1/The-Matsya-Purana/Page1.html
10. ^ Vyas, R.T. (ed.) (1992). Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Text as Constituted in its
Critical Edition. Vadodara: Oriental Institute, Vadodara. p. pp.91-2, 255-56.
11. ^ Pargiter, F.E. (1972). Ancient Indian Historical Tradition. New Delhi: Motilal
Banarasidass. p. p.149.
12. ^ See Flood 1996: 56 and Olivelle 2005.

[edit] Notes
• Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 0-521-43878-0.
• Olivelle, Patrick. "Dharmasastra: A Literary History"
[edit] See also
• Metrics of time in Hinduism
• Manu Smriti
• Mannus, the first human in Germanic mythology
• Noah
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