Genealogical Table of the Daughters of Manu

Offering respects to Śrī-guru, to Kṛṣṇa, the ocean of mercy, and to Lokanātha, the eye of the universe, I take shelter of Śrī Śuka.

I offer myself and everything I have to the absolute Lord who is dearer than life to all the cowherd men and women, and to the service of his dear devotees.

In the Fourth Canto, in thirty-one chapters, there is a description of visarga-- what was created by Brahmā and the Manus by the order of the Lord. In one chapter, the Manus and Manu’s daughters are described, and in six chapters the destruction of Dakṣa’s sacrifice and its restoration are described. Five chapters describe Dhruva, and eleven chapters describe Pṛthu. Eight chapters describe the Pracetās.

In the First Chapter, the descendents of the three daughters head by Ākūti and the stories Yajña and Dattātreya, born of Nārāyaṇa, are described.

In the previous volume, in relating the story of Kardama, the family of Devahūti, Manu’s second daughter, was not described. To put things in order, now the lineage of the first daughter, Ākūti, is described. Brahmā had many sons, but among them Manu was outstanding for his devotion. That is the significance of the word tu. The word ca indicates that he also had two sons.

Though he had sons, Manu gave Ākūti to Ruci on the condition that Ruci’s son would be give back to Manu as his own son (putrikā-dharma). He did not desire more sons, but knew that Ākūti would give birth to an avatāra, since Manu had omniscience. May the Lord be my daughter’s son and my son as well. In giving the daughter away the following would be said:

abhrātṛkāṁ pradāsyāmi tubhyaṁ kanyām alaḍkṛtām

asyāṁ yo jāyate putraḥ sa me putro bhavet

I will give you my daughter well ornamented, with few brothers. The son born to her will be my son.

Abhrātṛkām means few brothers, rather than no brothers.

Bhūteḥ means “of Lakṣmī.” She was a portion of Lakṣmī. Thus there is no violation when the two got married.

The Lord of sacrifice is Viṣṇu, Yajña.

Dvi-śat means twelve.

During Svāyambhuva’s period, the Tuṣitas were the devatās, Marīci and others were the sages, and Yajña was the head of the devatās. Svāyambhuva Manu's two sons, Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, became very powerful, and their sons and grandsons were active during that period.

Incidentally, six types of beings who preside during that Manvantara are described in two verses. It will be explained later:

manvantaraṁ manur devā manu-putrāḥ sureśvaraḥ

ṛṣayo 'ṁśāvatāraś ca hareḥ ṣaò vidham ucyate

In each reign of Manu, six types of personalities appear as manifestations of Lord Hari: the ruling Manu, the chief devatās, the sons of Manu, Indra, the great sages and the partial incarnations of the Supreme Lord. SB 12.7.15

In this verse the total comes to six because Svāyambhuva was Manu and Yajña took the role of Indra and the avatāra of the Lord.

He told about Devahūti’s son and daughters. He says “almost everything” because he had not told about her daughters’ descents.

Another version has kṣattar-brahmarṣi. Prasūti-prasavam means “the spreading of sons and grandsons.”

By their descendents (yayoḥ) the universe became full.

The descendents of Kaśyapa will be described in the Sixth Canto. Devakulyā was the name of the daughter. In another birth she became the divine river Gaḍgā because of the divine act of washing the Lord’s feet.

Ātma means Viṣṇu. Actually these three were aṁśas of Viṣṇu, Śiva and Brahmā.

Kiñcit means “why.”

Ṛkṣa is the name of a mountain.

In a grove of flowering palāśa and aśoka trees filled with the sound of the Nirvindhyā River, Atri, controlling his mind and breath, remained standing on one foot for a hundred years, consuming only air.

He stood in a grove of trees with flower clumps. Udghuṣṭe means “sounding.”

Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, spreading great fame, seeing that the three worlds, like fuel, were burning because of the fire emanating from the sage’s head by the fire of prāṇāyāma, went to his hermitage along with Gandharvas, Siddhas Vidyādharas and the Nāgas.

The three deities saw the three worlds, fuel for his prāṇāyāma, burn up by the fire of penance coming from the sage’s head. It is understood that he stood there doing prāṇāyāma. This is related the description in verse 19: controlling the mind by prāṇāyāma, he stood there. This is a simultaneous action as when saying “Jingling, the anklet fell off,” or “While closing his eyes, he laughed.”

He was eager to meet them because they had appeared there. He was standing up in order to greet them properly.

He offered respects by falling on the ground and then, with articles of worship in his hands, approached Śiva on his bull, Brahmā on his swan and Viṣṇu on Garuòa, marked with their insignias, whom he understood to be his superiors by their glances of mercy and smiling faces. Because of their effulgence he closed his eyes.

He held flowers and other items in his hands. Their symbols were the trident, the water pot and the cakra among other things. He recognized them (upalambhitān) by their glances of mercy, which no other being could have, indicated by their pleased faces.

Ślakṣṇayā means sweet.

You have accepted bodies for creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe, by the division of guṇas in every kalpa. I recognize you. Or you have accepted bodies by the material guṇas. This is a statement made out of ignorance concerning the position of Viṣṇu, since it is impossible for the Supreme Lord to have a body of material sattva. I offer respects to you. By mercy you should destroy my doubt. Who among you did I call by my sādhana? He had indicated one person when he said “I surrender unto the Lord of the universe.” (verse 20) Among you, who is the Lord of the universe? By your mercy, you should say.

They remained silent. Thus he clarifies his statement. I have fixed one person in my mind, with various articles of worship (pradhānaiḥ), for creating progeny. Another version has vibhudha-pradhāna (chief among the devatās). Why have three of you come?

We are that Lord of the universe upon whom you meditated. We are the gives of boons to you whose desires are always fulfilled (sat-saḍkalpasya). The meaning is this. You desired that you should have one son equal to the Lord of the universe. Having a doubt as to who was the Lord of the universe, you meditated on all three of us, and then decided on one form, thinking “Among the three, let the real Lord come.” The three of us, having three powers in the universe, have come here. Though we are in three forms, we are one. You should not have used the words “the Supreme Lord.” It is similar to the utterance “O enemy of Indra! Increase in power.” This statement can also mean the opposite “O Indra! O enemy! Increase in power.” (SB 6.9.11) From such a desire, and to show the strength of your sādhana, you will get a result according to your sādhana and according to your desire.

In order to show that Viṣṇu is actually the Supreme Lord among, then Viṣṇu became Dattātreya, an avatāra, not the other two. Visrapsyanti means “they will spread.” This is a causative from the root sṛp, meaning to move.

Sabhājitāḥ means worshiped. Miṣaotoḥ means watching.

Havirbhū became the wife of Pulastya. In another birth Agastya was the digestive fire (dahrāgni). Another son of Pulastya was Viśravā.

Viśvravā bore a son Kuvera in his wife Iòaviòā. The other wife was Keśinī.

Śakty-ādayaḥ apare means sons from another wife.

Putrān means two sons and one daughter.

The daughters were given to Dhātā and Vidhātā (tayoh).

Bhṛgu’s son was Kavi.

O Vidura! These sages produced various types of population through these offspring. To you, listening with faith, I have related the topics of grandsons and descendents of Kardama, which immediately destroy all sins. Dakṣa, son of Brahmā, married Prasūti, daughter of Manu.

The sages produced various types of population (lokān).

He gave one daughter to the Pitṛs combined and one daughter to Śiva, who destroys material existence. The names of the thirteen daughters of Dakṣa who were given to Dharma are Śraddhā, Maitrī, Dayā, Sānti, Tuṣṭi, Puṣṭi, Kriyā, Unnati, Buddhi, Medhā, Titikṣā, Hrī and Mūrti. Śraddhā gave birth to Śubha, Maitrī produced Prasāda, Dayā gave birth to Abhaya.

Yuktebhaḥ means together. By the original meaning of the words the daughters starting with Śraddhā are the presiding deities of various śaktis of ṣattva-guṇa. These daughters had corresponding qualities.

Śānti gave birth to Sukha, Tuṣṭi gave birth to Muda, Puṣṭi gave birth to Smaya, Kriyā gave birth to Yoga, Unnati gave birth to Darpa, Buddhi gave birth to Artha, Medhā gave birth to Smṛti, Titikṣā gave birth to Kṣema, and Hrī gave birth to Praśraya. Mūrti was the source of the Lord who is the ocean of all auspicious qualities, Śrī Nara-Nārāyaṇa.

Smaya means enthusiastic to perform acts of dharma. Darpa means expert in austerity and yoga. Another smaya (arrogance) and darpa (pride) produced generations of sinful people. Sarva-guṇotpattiḥ means that she was the source of the Lord who is endowed with all auspicious qualities. Mūrti, a form of śuddha-sattva, should be understood to be the śakti who manifests the Lord.

In the heavenly planets, instruments sounds, flowers fell from the sky. The satisfied sages chanted prayers, the Gandharvas and Kinnaras sang, and the beautiful damsels of the heavenly planets danced. All signs of good fortune were visible. Just at that time, great demigods like Brahmā also worshiped the Lord with prayers.

We offer respects to the Lord who, has appeared in the form of a sage for revealing (praticakṣanāya) that the universe belongs to him, is made by him, through his māyā and is situated within him, like a group of clouds in the sky. The instrumental case (ṛṣi-mūrtinā) indicates that it is his nature. Neuter gender of rūpa-bhedam, etena and mūrtiṇa is poetic license.

May he glance on us with a merciful eye (vilokanena), which deride (kṣipatā) the spotless lotus, the abode of Lakṣmī, in order to destroy the disturbance to the order of the universe (sthiti-vyatikara)

They were worshipped by the devatās who had received mercy (avalokaiḥ).

Nara and Nārāyaṇa (subject), portions of the Lord, at the end of Dvāpara-yuga (iha), have attained the forms of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna (object). The portions (aṁśas) have entered their aṁśīs. This is explained in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.5.13):

karttārau tau hareraṁśau naranārāyaṇāv ṛṣī.

dvāparānte karmabhūtāv āyātau kṛṣṇa-phālgunau

Nara-Nārāyaṇa, the expansions of Viṣṇu, entered Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna at the end of Dvāpara- yuga.

Svāhā was Agni’s wife.1 All three children, who identified with fire (agny-abhimāninaḥ), ate the oblations of sacrifice.

There were three fathers mentioned in the last verse and one grandfather Agni.

By the names of these forty-nine devatās, offerings are performed (nirūpyante) in Vedic (vaitānike) actions of sacrifice. These are not the common fires, and thus there is no waste in having so many.

Saumyāḥ means those who drink soma. Those who receive fire sacrifice are called sāgnayaḥ and those who do not receive fire sacrifice are called anagnayaḥ.

From the Pitṛs, Svāhā held (dadhāra) two daughters in her womb. Words should be supplied to complete the meaning.

This gives the reason for not producing a son. Her father was unfavorable to faultless Śiva by showing anger.

Thus ends the commentary on the First Chapter of the Fourth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.