मनोरेतमधीकारं प्रोवाच भगवान्प्रभुः
The venerable Lord spoke to Manu about this authority.
अतीतानागतानां वै वर्त्तिमानेन कीर्त्तितम्
It has been described with regard to the past, the future, and the present.
प्रतिसंधिं तु वक्ष्यामि तस्य चैवापरस्य च
I shall explain the transition of this one and also of the other.
अवश्यभाविनार्थेन यथावद्विनिवर्त्तते
By the force of what must inevitably occur, it comes to an end as is proper.
सप्तर्षयश्च देवाश्च पितरो मनवस्तथा
The Seven Sages, the gods, the ancestors, and likewise the Manus—
क्षीणे ऽधिकारे संविग्ना बुद्ध्वा पर्ययमात्मनः
When their authority is exhausted, they become anxious, realizing the change of their own state.
ततो मन्वन्तरे तस्मिन्प्रक्षीणे देवतास्तु ताः
Then, when that Manvantara has ended, those deities—
उत्पद्यन्ते भविष्यन्तो ये वै मन्वन्तरेश्वराः
Who are to be the future rulers of the Manvantara—are born.
मन्वन्तरे तु संपूर्णे तद्वदन्ते कलौ युगे
When the Manvantara is complete, they say the same in the Kali age.
यथा कृतस्य संतानः कलिपूर्वः स्मृतो बुधैः
Just as the continuation of the Krita age is said by the wise to be preceded by Kali.
क्षीणे मन्वन्तरे पूर्वे प्रवृत्ते चापरे पुनः
When the previous Manvantara has ended and the next one has begun again—
सप्तर्षयो मनुश्चैव कालापेक्षास्तु ये स्थिताः
The Seven Sages and Manu, who are established according to time—
मन्वन्तरोत्सवस्यार्थे संतत्यर्थे च सर्वदा
For the sake of the festival of the Manvantara and always for the purpose of continuity—
द्वन्द्वेषु संप्रवृत्तेषु उत्पन्नास्वौषधीषु च
When pairs arise and when medicinal plants have appeared—
वार्त्तायां संप्रवृत्तायां धर्मे चैवोपसंस्थिते
When livelihood has commenced and when righteousness has been established—
अग्रामनगरे चैव वर्णाश्रमविवर्जिते
And in villages and cities where the distinctions of caste and stage of life are absent—
सप्तर्षयो मनुश्चैव संतानार्थं व्यवस्थिताः
The Seven Sages and Manu are established for the sake of continuity.
उत्पद्यन्ते हि पूर्वेषां निधनेष्विह पूर्ववत्
Indeed, when the former ones perish here, new ones are born just as before.
सर्पा भूतपिशाचाश्च गन्धर्वा यक्षराक्षसाः
Serpents, spirits, ghosts, Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Rakshasas,
सप्तर्षयो मनुश्चव ह्यादौ मन्वन्तरस्य हि
The seven sages and Manu, indeed, at the beginning of the Manvantara,
ऋषीणां ब्रह्मचर्येण गत्वानृण्यं तु व तदा
By practicing celibacy, the sages then became free from all debts.
शतंवर्षसहस्राणां धर्मे वर्णात्मके स्थिताः
For a hundred thousand years, they remained established in righteousness, according to their order.
स्थापयित्वाश्रमांश्चैव स्वर्गाय देधिरे मनः
Having established their hermitages, they set their minds on heaven.
पूर्वदेवास्ततस्ते वै स्थिता धर्मेण कृत्स्नशः
Those former gods, indeed, remained wholly established in righteousness.
मन्त्रैः सहोर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति महर्लोकमनामयम्
With mantras, they ascend upwards to the sinless Maharloka.
अवेक्षमाणा वशिनस्तिष्ठन्त्या भूतसंप्लवात्
Observing, those self-controlled ones remain until the dissolution of beings.
शून्येषु देवस्थानेषु त्रैलोक्ये तेषु सर्वशः
When the divine abodes in the three worlds are empty, in all those places,
ततस्ते तपसा युक्ताः स्थानान्यापूरयन्ति च
Then, endowed with austerity, they fill the stations again.
सप्तर्षीणां मनोश्चैव देवानां पितृभिः सह
The seven sages, Manu, and the gods, together with the ancestors,
तेषां संतत्यविच्छेद इहामन्वन्तरक्षयात्
Their line of succession is not broken here, even at the end of a Manvantara.