Listen, O wise Maitreya, to the account of the Manus and the cycles of creation, as revealed by the sage Parāśara. In the age ruled by Tāmasa Manu, his sons—Nara, Khyāti, Keturūpa, Jānujaṅgha, and others—were all possessed of great strength and valor. When the fifth Manvantara arrived, the Manu was known as Raivata, and Vibhu was the Indra, the king of the gods. In that interval, the divine hosts consisted of the Amitābhās, Bhūtarayas, Vaikuṇṭhas, and Susamedhas, forming fourteen distinct groups of gods. The seven great sages of the Raivata Manvantara were Hiraṇyaroma, Vedāśri, Ūrdhvabāhu, Vedabāhu, Sudhāma, Parjanya, and Avyaya. Among the sons of Raivata were mighty kings such as Balabandhu, Saṃbhāvya, Satyakā, and others, who ruled the earth with power and righteousness. Remember well, O Maitreya, that four Manus—Svārociṣa, Uttama, Tāmasa, and Raivata—descended from the noble Priyavrata. Through his intense austerities and devotion to Viṣṇu, the royal sage Priyavrata was blessed that his own descendants would become the rulers of these Manvantaras. In the sixth Manvantara, the Manu was known as Cākṣuṣa, and Manojava was Indra. In this period, the gods were grouped as Āpyā, Prasūta, Bhavyā, Pṛthukā, Lekhā, and three others, making eight divine assemblies. The seven sages in this era were Sumedhā, Virajā, Haviṣmān, Uttama, Madhu, Atināmā, and Sahiṣṇu. The sons of Cākṣuṣa Manu—Ūru, Pūru, and Śatadyumna—became foremost among men and ruled the world with great might. Now, O sage, the present and illustrious Manu, who presides over the seventh Manvantara, is Śrāddhadeva, the son of Vivasvat. In this age, the gods include the Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, and others, with Purandara (Indra) reigning as the lord of the thirty gods. The seven great sages in this Manvantara are Vasiṣṭha, Kāśyapa, Atri, Jamadagni, Gautama, Viśvāmitra, and Bharadvāja. Among the sons of Manu Vaivasvata are Ikṣvāku, Nṛga, Dhṛṣṭa, Śaryāti, Nariṣyanta, the renowned Nābhāga, Iṣṭa, Karūṣa, Pṛṣadhra, and Sumahān—these nine are celebrated throughout the worlds for their righteousness. Throughout all these cycles, the power of Viṣṇu, pure and incomparable, is established and presides as the supreme divinity in each Manvantara. In the Svāyambhuva Manvantara, a portion of that divine power manifested as Yajña, the mind-born god, born from Ākūti. When the Svārociṣa Manvantara arrived, the same divinity was born from Tuṣitā as Ājita, accompanied by the Tuṣita gods. In the third Manvantara, called Uttama, he was again Tuṣita; and in Satyā, he became Satya, together with the excellent Satyas. When the Tāmasa Manvantara came, Hari was born from Haryā, along with the Haris. In the Raivata Manvantara, the divine Hari was born from Saṃbhūti, leading the Raivata gods. During the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, Vaikuṇṭha himself was born from Vikuṇṭhā, accompanied by the Vaikuṇṭha gods. And in the present Vaivasvata Manvantara, Viṣṇu appeared as Vāmana, born from Aditi and Kāśyapa. With three mighty strides, Vāmana conquered the worlds and restored the three realms to Purandara, removing all obstacles. These are the forms assumed by the Lord in the seven Manvantaras, by which all beings are nurtured and preserved. Because his power pervades the entire universe, he is known as Viṣṇu, from the root "viś," meaning "to enter." Indeed, all the gods, Manus, the seven sages, the sons of Manu, and Indra himself are manifestations of Viṣṇu’s inexhaustible power. At this point, Maitreya, eager for further knowledge, asked, “O revered sage, you have described the seven Manvantaras that have passed. Please tell me about those that are yet to come.” Parāśara replied: “Saṃjñā, daughter of Viśvakarma, became the wife of Sūrya, the Sun. Their children were Manu, Yama, and Yamī. But unable to bear the Sun’s intense radiance, Saṃjñā left her shadow, Chāyā, in her place and went to the forest to practice austerities. Unaware of the change, the Sun fathered three children with Chāyā: Śanaiścara (Saturn), another Manu, and Tapati. When Chāyā, in anger, cursed Yama, Saṃjñā’s son, it became clear to Yama and the Sun that Chāyā was not the true mother. Through deep meditation, Vivasvān (the Sun) discovered Saṃjñā in the forest, where she had taken the form of a mare and was engaged in penance. The Sun, assuming the form of a stallion, united with her and begot the divine twin physicians, the Aśvins, and at the end of his seed, Revanta. The blessed Sun then brought Saṃjñā back to her rightful place. Viśvakarman, her father, reduced the Sun’s radiance to make him bearable. Mounting the Sun on a lathe, Viśvakarman cut away one-eighth of the excess brilliance, yet the Sun remained undiminished. The portion of Viṣṇu’s energy that was cut away, blazing fiercely, fell to the earth. From that energy, Tvaṣṭṛ fashioned Viṣṇu’s discus, Śiva’s trident, the god of wealth’s palanquin, and other divine weapons. The spear of Guha and the weapons of all the gods were enhanced by that same divine energy, bestowed by Viśvakarman. Thus, O Maitreya, is the story of the Manus, the gods, and the unfathomable power of Viṣṇu, who pervades all creation and nurtures the worlds in every age.