In the sacred narration of the cycles of time, the succession of Manus and their worlds unfolds with divine order. During the era of the ninth Manu, the sages Savana, Dyutimān, Bhavya, Vasu, Medhātithi, Jyotiṣmān, and Satya shine forth as the great seers guiding the age. The sons of Dakṣa Māvarṇika—Dhṛtaketu, Dīptiketu, Pañcahasta, Nirāmaya, Pṛthuśravā, and others—emerge as noble rulers. As the tenth Manvantara dawns, Brahmasāvarṇi becomes Manu. At this time, Sūdhāmān and Viśuddha, together with a hundred gods, preside over the heavens. Among them, Śānti, a mighty being, is the Indra. The seven sages of this period are Haviṣmān, Sukṛta, Satya, Tapomūrti, Nābhāga, Satyaketu, and another of great renown. Brahmasāvarṇi’s sons—Sukṣetra, Uttamaujā, Bhūriṣeṇa, and others, ten in all—protect the earth. The eleventh Manu is Dharmasāvarṇi. During his reign, the gods are grouped as Vihaṅgamas, Kāmāgamas, Nirvāṇas, and the Ṛṣis; each group numbers thirty, and their Indra is named Pṛṣā. The seven sages are Niḥsvara, Agnitejas, Vapuṣmān, Ghaṇi, Āruṇi, Haviṣmān, and Anagha. Sarvatraga, Sudharmā, Devānīka, and others serve as the sons of this Manu, ruling the earth. Next comes the twelfth Manu, Sāvarṇi, son of Rudra. In this age, Ṛtudhāmā is Indra. The gods are five groups: Haritā, Rohitā, Sumanasas, Sukarmāṇas, and Surāpās, each group consisting of ten. The seven sages are Tapasvī, Sutapas, Tapomūrti, Taporati, Tapodhṛti, Dyuti, and Tapodhana. Among the sons of this Manu are Devavān, Upadeva, Devaśreṣṭha, and others, who become mighty kings. The thirteenth Manu is Ruci. The gods of his era are Sutrāmāṇas, Sukarmāṇas, Sudharmāṇas, and Amarās, forming thirty-three groups. Their Indra is the lord of the day, powerful and radiant. The sages of this time are those who are free from delusion, seers of truth, unshakable, without longing, steadfast, and imperishable, with Sutapa as the seventh sage. Citrasena, Vicitra, and others are the rulers of the earth. In the fourteenth Manvantara, Manu himself arises. Indra is pure, and the assembly of gods is fivefold: the Cākṣuṣas, Pavitras, Kaniṣṭhas, Bhrājikas, and Vācavṛddha. The seven sages are Agnibāhu, Śuci, Śukra, Māgadha, Ognīdhra, Yukta, and Jita. The sons of Manu—Ūruga, Gambhīra, Buddhi, and others—rule the earth as described. At the end of each cycle of four ages, confusion overtakes the Vedas. Then, the seven sages descend from heaven to earth, restoring the sacred texts and setting them in motion once more. At the start of every cycle, Manu is born anew, establishing the law. The gods, who partake of sacrifice, remain throughout the Manvantara, and the sons of Manu and their descendants protect the earth for its duration. Thus, in each Manvantara, Manu, the seven sages, the gods, and the kings—who are the sons of Manu—exist, with Indra as their chief. When fourteen Manvantaras pass, a complete Kalpa—equal to a thousand ages—is fulfilled. The night of equal length follows, during which Brahmā, assuming the form of Śeṣa, sleeps in the flood of waters. Having absorbed the three worlds, the blessed Lord, Janārdana, the source and sustainer of all beings, abides in his own Māyā. When the Blessed Lord awakens, he creates the world anew, just as before, endowed with the quality of passion. In each Kalpa, the Manus, rulers of earth, Indras, gods, and the seven sages—these sattvic beings—maintain the world. Viṣṇu, whose activity is the preservation of the world, establishes the order of the four ages. In the Kṛta age, he assumes the form of Kapila and others, bestowing supreme knowledge for the welfare of all beings. In the Treta age, he protects the three worlds as a universal emperor, subduing the wicked. In Dvapara, he takes the form of Vyasa, dividing the single Veda into four and multiplying it into hundreds of branches. At the end of Kali, Hari appears as Kalki, establishing the path for those of bad conduct. Thus, the infinite Self eternally protects, creates, and destroys the world; nothing surpasses him. O sage, the existence of all beings—past, present, and future—of the great soul has been described here and elsewhere. All the Manvantaras and their rulers have been recounted; what else would you have me relate?