A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature c5.1143

c5.1143

MANU. (From the root *man*, to think.) ‘The man.’ This name belongs to fourteen mythological progenitors of mankind and rulers of the earth, each of whom holds sway for the period called a Manwantara (*manu-antara*), the age of a Manu, *i.e.*, a period of no less than 4,320,000 years. The first of these Manus was Swāyam-bhuva, who sprang from Swayam-bhū, the self-existent. The self-existent, as identified with Brahmā the creator, divided himself into two persons, male and female. From this pair was produced the male Virāj, and from him sprang the Manu Swāyam-bhuva. As the acting creator, this Manu produced the ten Prajāpatis or progenitors of mankind, called also Maharshis (*mahā-rishis*). According to another account, this Manu sprang from the incestuous intercourse of Brahmā with his daughter and wife, Sata-rūpā. Brahmā created himself Manu, “born of and identical with his original self, and the female portion of himself he constituted Sata-rūpā,” whom Manu took to wife. The law-book commonly known as Manu is ascribed to this Manu, and so also is a Sūtra work on ritual bearing the same name. The Manu of the present age is the seventh, named Vaivaswata, ‘sun-born,’ who was the son of Vivaswat, the sun, and he is a Kshatriya by race. He is also called Satya-vrata. There are various legends about his having been saved from a great flood by Vishnu or Brahmā. The names of the fourteen Manus are—(1.) Swāyam-bhuva, (2.) Swārochisha, (3.) Auttami, (4.) Tāmasa, (5.) Raivata, (6.) Chākshusha, (7.) Vaivaswata or Satya-vrata, (8.) Sāvarna, (9.) Daksha-sāvarna, (10.) Brahma-sāvarna, (11.) Dharma-sāvarna, (12.) Sāvarna or Rudra-sāvarna, (13.) Rauchya, (14.) Bhautya.