In the beginning, Prajāpati sought to create offspring from the waters, but the beings he fashioned did not multiply. To remedy this, he divided his own body into two parts: one became male, the other female. Through the female, he produced two kinds of beings. By his greatness, Prajāpati pervaded both heaven and earth. Viṣṇu then created Virāj, and Virāj brought forth the cosmic man. This cosmic man is known as Manu, whose era is called a Manvantara. The period following is known as the interval of the mind-born Manu. That mighty Virāj, the lordly person, created beings whose origin was from Nārāyaṇa’s creation; these beings were not born from a womb. One who understands this original creation is blessed with long life, fame, virtuous offspring, and attains whatever state he desires. Having thus created beings, the lord of creatures, Āpava, obtained as his wife Śatarūpā, who herself was not born from a womb. By the greatness of Āpava, who enveloped the heavens, Śatarūpā was born through righteousness alone. She performed severe austerity for ten thousand years and then accepted as her husband the man blazing with ascetic power. This self-born man is called Manu, and his seventy-one yugas are known as a Manvantara. From Virāja, Manu, Śatarūpā gave birth to Vīra; from Vīra, Kāmyā was born, and from Kāmyā came Priyavrata and Uttānapāda. Kāmyā, the best of daughters, was the child of Kardama, lord of creatures. Kāmyā had four sons: Samrāṭ, Kukṣi, Virāṭ, and Prabhu. Atri, another lord of creatures, took Uttānapāda as his son, and from Uttānapāda, Sūnṛtā bore four sons. Sūnṛtā, famed as the daughter of Dharma, beautiful-hipped, was born through a horse sacrifice and became the auspicious mother of Dhruva. Uttānapāda, lord of creatures, begot Dhruva, Kīrtimān, Āyuṣmān, and Vasu on Sūnṛtā. Dhruva performed severe austerity for three thousand divine years, desiring great fame. Pleased by his efforts, Brahmā granted him a place equal to his own—an immovable position before the Seven Sages. Witnessing Dhruva’s pride, prosperity, and greatness, Uśanas, the teacher of gods and demons, exclaimed in wonder: “Oh, the power of his austerity! Oh, his learning! Oh, how wondrous! Today, having placed Dhruva before them, the Seven Sages stand.” From Dhruva came Śliṣṭi and Bhavya; from Śliṣṭi, Succhāyā bore five spotless sons: Ripu, Ripumjaya, Vīra, Vṛkala, and Vṛkatejas. Bṛhatī bore Cakṣuṣa, radiant in all ways, from Ripu. She gave birth to Cākṣuṣa Manu in Puṣkariṇī, the wife of Vīraṇya, the great-souled son of the lord of creatures. From Naḍvalā, daughter of Vairāja Prajāpati, ten mighty sons were born to Manu: Kutsa, Puru, Śatadyumna, the austere one, Satyavāk, Kavi, Agniṣṭut, Atirātra, Sudyumna—these are nine—and Abhimanyu, the tenth, of great might. From Puru, Āgneyī bore six illustrious sons. From Aṅga came Sumanas, Svāti, Kratu, Aṅgirasa, and Maya. Aṅga also fathered Veṇa, son of Sunīthā, as his only child. Because of Veṇa's misconduct, great anger arose among the sages. For the welfare of the people, they churned his right arm, and from it, a great king appeared. Seeing him, the sages joyfully proclaimed, “Here indeed are the people.” This king would perform great deeds and attain great fame; he was born armed with bow and armor, blazing like burning fire. Pṛthu, son of Veṇa, thus protected the earth, born from the royal line. He was the first lord of the earth to be consecrated with the rājasūya. From Pṛthu also arose the skilled Sūta and Māgadha. By him, the earth-cow was milked for crops by the king. Desiring the livelihood of all beings, the gods, along with groups of sages, ancestors, Dānavas, Gandharvas, and hosts of Apsarases, as well as serpents, virtuous people, plants, and mountains, each milked the earth in their respective vessels. The earth gave milk as each desired, and by that, all were sustained. Pṛthu had two sons, righteous and vanishing at the end of the sacrifice. Śikhaṇḍinī gave birth to Havirdhāna from Antardhāna; from Havirdhāna, Āgneyī bore six sons named Dhiṣaṇa: Prācīnabarhiṣ, Śukra, Gaya, Kṛṣṇa, and Vrajājina. Prācīnabarhiṣ, the blessed one, was a great Prajāpati. From Havirdhāna came those who nurtured the people; the blessed Prācīnabarhiṣ was lord of those who move upon the earth. He took as his wife the daughter of the ocean, and after great austerity, Prajāpati was born to Savarṇā. From Savarṇa, the ocean-born, Prācīnabarhiṣ had ten sons, all called Pracetas, masters of archery. Practicing undivided righteousness, they performed great austerity for ten thousand years, lying in the waters of the ocean.