Manava Dharmashastra 1.33

1.33

sa virāṭ tapastaptvā yaṃ puruṣamasṛjat taṃ māṃ vitta jānīdhvam | evaṃ smṛtiparamparayā nātra vaḥ kiñcidaviditaṃ mama varṇayitavyamasti | tanmadhye śuddhimātmana ācaṣṭe | asya sarvasya sraṣṭāram | anena sarvaśaktimāha | janmakarmātiśayavantaṃ māṃ pratyayitarīkariṣyatītyabhiprāyaḥ niścayotpattyarthaṃ ca, anyato'vagate'pi manujanmani svayamabhidhānāt | yathā'nyataḥ śruto'pi kaścit pṛcchayate, 'devadattasya tvaṃ putra' iti, 'bāḍhamiti' tenokta niścaya upajāyate | abhijanavarṇanaṃ kavīnāmantrapākaraṃ satyāmapi pāramparyeṇātmastutau | dvijasattamā ityāmantraṇam | 'sattamāḥ' sādhutamāḥ śreṣṭhā iti yāvat |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘The said Virāj, having performed austerities,’ produced a person; know—i.e., recognise—that person to be myself;—there is nothing that is not already known to you, by tradition, which I could describe to you; all that the speaker intends to point out is the purity of his own birth.

The phrase ‘the creator of this whole world’ indicates his almighty character. The idea of the speaker is that ‘the describing of myself as one of excellent birth and superior powers of action will make me more trustworthy.’

Or, the mention of his own birth might be for the purpose of carrying conviction (removing all doubts); that such may be the sense is shown by the fact that, though the origin of Manu is already known from other sources, yet he himself mentions it; for instance, even though a person is already known from other sources (as the son of a certain person), yet he is asked—‘are you Devadatta’s son?’—and he answers ‘yes’; whereupon certainty of conviction is brought about.

Poets are not ashamed of describing the nobility of their own birth, even though their glories may be already well known.

‘O best of Brāhmaṇas’—is the form of address; ‘best’ means most perfect, most superior.—(33)