O revered sages, listen to the ancient account of the Manus and their divine origins. The sons of Parameṣṭhi, who attained the status of Merusāvarṇya, are the grandsons of Dakṣa, born through his beloved daughter. Among them, on the summit of Mount Meru, the son of Prajāpati Ruci—known as Rauci—shone forth, remembered as a Manu, endowed with great austerity and power. From the goddess Bhūti, Ruci’s consort, was born Bhauti. These, along with the others, are the seven Manus yet to come in this great cycle. O best among the twice-born, these Manus will, in their respective eras, protect the entire earth, with its seven continents and countless cities, for a thousand full ages. Through the austerities of Prajapati, dissolution is continually brought about among them; thus, seventy cycles and their divisions have been spoken of. These cycles, joined with the Krita, Treta, and other yugas, form the intervals of a Manu. Fourteen such illustrious Manus, famed for their glory, have been described. In the Vedas and all the Purāṇas, O mighty ones, the lords of the people—these Manus—are praised, and such praise is auspicious. During the reigns of the Manus, dissolutions occur, and at the end of each dissolution, new creations arise. Their ultimate end cannot be stated, even in hundreds of years. O twice-born, you have heard of the creation and dissolution of beings, and the dissolutions during the periods of the Manus. When dissolution comes, those who remain are the gods, along with the seven sages—endowed with austerity, celibacy, and learning. When a thousand ages are completed, the Kalpa comes to its end, and then all beings are consumed by the sun’s burning rays. At that time, with Brahmā at the forefront, and together with the hosts of Ādityas, all beings enter into the supreme Lord Hari-Nārāyaṇa, the best among the gods. The creator of all beings, at the end of each Kalpa, is the unmanifest, eternal God; to Him belongs this entire world. Now, O tiger among sages, I shall recount to you the creation of Manu Vaivasvata, the illustrious Manu of our present time. In this context, the ancient lineage is narrated, wherein the great soul Hari, the Lord Himself, was born in the Vrishni clan. Vivasvān, the radiant sun, was born from Kaśyapa and the daughter of Dakṣa, O best of Brahmins. His wife was Saṃjñā, the divine daughter of Tvaṣṭā, known throughout the three worlds as Sureśvarī, destined to be the wife of the illustrious Mārtaṇḍa, the great soul. Though Saṃjñā was endowed with beauty and youth, she was not satisfied with her husband’s form. Despite her brilliance and austerity, the intense radiance of the sun scorched her limbs and became displeasing to her. Out of affection, her father Kaśyapa once remarked, “This is not dead from the egg,” and thus, not knowing, called him Mārtaṇḍa. The brilliance of Vivasvān was always excessive, scorching the three worlds. O Brahmins, the best among those who burn, the sun begot three children from Saṃjñā: a daughter and two sons, all lords of creatures. Manu, the son of Vivasvān, was formerly known as Shrāddhadeva, lord of beings; Yama and Yamunā, the twins, were also born. Unable to endure the dark and scorching form of Vivasvān, Saṃjñā created her own likeness—an exact replica—her shadow, named Chāyā. This Chāyā, born of illusion, bowed respectfully before Saṃjñā and awaited her command. Saṃjñā said to her, “I must go to my father’s house. You alone should remain here in my place without fear. These two sons and this slender-waisted daughter are mine; care for them as your own, but never reveal this secret to the Lord at any time.” Chāyā replied, “O goddess, unless I am seized by the hair or cursed, I will never disclose this. Salutations to you—go as you please.” Having instructed Chāyā and receiving her assent, Saṃjñā, feeling both ashamed and resolute in her austerity, journeyed to the presence of her father Tvaṣṭā. But upon arriving, she was rebuked repeatedly by her father, who urged her again and again to return to her husband. Unwilling to return, Saṃjñā assumed the form of a mare, concealing her true self, and went north to the land of the Kurus, where she grazed on grass. Meanwhile, the Sun, thinking Chāyā to be his second wife, begot a son equal to himself. The Lord declared, “He is like the elder Manu,” and so this son became known as Sāvarṇi. The second son born to Chāyā was named Śani, and thus Saṃjñā became the mother of her own son once more. Saṃjñā showed greater affection for Śani than for her previous children. Manu accepted this, but Yama did not. Out of childish anger, Yama threatened Saṃjñā by raising his foot against her, unaware of the consequences. In her distress and anger, Chāyā (mistaken for Saṃjñā) cursed Yama, saying, “May your foot fall off!” Yama, greatly agitated and fearful of the curse, troubled by Chāyā’s words, went to his father and reported everything, his palms joined in supplication. He pleaded, “Father, may this curse be lifted.” Vivasvān replied, “One must act with affection toward all children, as a mother does.” Thus, the tale of the Manus, their creation, and the unfolding of the ages is recounted, revealing the eternal cycles of creation and dissolution, and the divine play of the Lord in all things.