The System of Universal Management

Verse 1 (bhagavata.8.14.1)

श्रीराजोवाच मन्वन्तरेषु भगवन्यथा मन्वादयस्त्विमे । यस्मिन्कर्मणि ये येन नियुक्तास्तद्वदस्व मे ॥ 14.1 ॥

śrī-rājovāca manvantareṣu bhagavan yathā manv-ādayas tv ime yasmin karmaṇi ye yena niyuktās tad vadasva me

The King said: O lord, please tell me how, in each of these Manvantaras, Manu and the rest are appointed to their respective duties, and by whom.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.8.14.2)

श्रीऋषिरुवाच मनवो मनुपुत्राश्च मुनयश्च महीपते । इन्द्राः सुरगणाश्चैव सर्वे पुरुषशासनाः ॥ 14.2 ॥

śrī-ṛṣir uvāca manavo manu-putrāś ca munayaś ca mahī-pate indrāḥ sura-gaṇāś caiva sarve puruṣa-śāsanāḥ

The sage said: O King, the Manus, the sons of Manu, the sages, the Indras and all the hosts of demigods — all of them act under the command of the Supreme Person.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.8.14.3)

यज्ञादयो याः कथिताः पौरुष्यस्तनवो नृप । मन्वादयो जगद्यात्रां नयन्त्याभिः प्रचोदिताः ॥ 14.3 ॥

yajñādayo yāḥ kathitāḥ pauruṣyas tanavo nṛpa manv-ādayo jagad-yātrāṁ nayanty ābhiḥ pracoditāḥ

O King, the incarnations such as Yajna, of which I have already spoken, are the very forms whose impulse the Manus and the rest follow in conducting the affairs of this world.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.8.14.4)

चतुर्युगान्ते कालेन ग्रस्ताञ्छ्रुतिगणान्यथा । तपसा ऋषयोऽपश्यन्यतो धर्मः सनातनः ॥ 14.4 ॥

catur-yugānte kālena grastāñ chruti-gaṇān yathā tapasā ṛṣayo ’paśyan yato dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

At the close of every set of four ages, when the Vedic teachings have been all but swallowed up by time, the sages, through their austerity, once again behold them, and the eternal dharma is thus restored.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.8.14.5)

ततो धर्मं चतुष्पादं मनवो हरिणोदिताः । युक्ताः सञ्चारयन्त्यद्धा स्वे स्वे काले महीं नृप ॥ 14.5 ॥

tato dharmaṁ catuṣpādaṁ manavo hariṇoditāḥ yuktāḥ sañcārayanty addhā sve sve kāle mahīṁ nṛpa

O King, thereafter, impelled by Hari, the Manus, each in his own age, actively set in motion upon this earth dharma in its complete, four-footed form.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.8.14.6)

पालयन्ति प्रजापाला यावदन्तं विभागशः । यज्ञभागभुजो देवा ये च तत्रान्विताश्च तैः ॥ 14.6 ॥

pālayanti prajā-pālā yāvad antaṁ vibhāgaśaḥ yajña-bhāga-bhujo devā ye ca tatrānvitāś ca taiḥ

The guardians of the people carry on their protection, in due order, until each age reaches its end, and with them stand the demigods, sharers in the portions offered in sacrifice.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.8.14.7)

इन्द्रो भगवता दत्तां त्रैलोक्यश्रियमूर्जिताम् । भुञ्जानः पाति लोकांस्त्रीन् कामं लोके प्रवर्षति ॥ 14.7 ॥

indro bhagavatā dattāṁ trailokya-śriyam ūrjitām bhuñjānaḥ pāti lokāṁs trīn kāmaṁ loke pravarṣati

Indra, enjoying the mighty splendor of the three worlds granted to him by the Lord, sustains the three worlds, showering rain upon them as needed.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.8.14.8)

ज्ञानं चानुयुगं ब्रूते हरिः सिद्धस्वरूपधृक् । ऋषिरूपधरः कर्म योगं योगेशरूपधृक् ॥ 14.8 ॥

jñānaṁ cānuyugaṁ brūte hariḥ siddha-svarūpa-dhṛk ṛṣi-rūpa-dharaḥ karma yogaṁ yogeśa-rūpa-dhṛk

In every age, Hari teaches transcendental knowledge assuming the form of a perfected sage, teaches the path of action assuming the form of a rishi, and teaches yoga assuming the form of a great master of yoga.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.8.14.9)

सर्गं प्रजेशरूपेण दस्यून्हन्यात् स्वराड्वपुः । कालरूपेण सर्वेषामभावाय पृथग्गुणः ॥ 14.9 ॥

sargaṁ prajeśa-rūpeṇa dasyūn hanyāt svarāḍ-vapuḥ kāla-rūpeṇa sarveṣām abhāvāya pṛthag guṇaḥ

Taking the form of the lord of creatures, he brings forth creation; taking the form of a sovereign king, he destroys evildoers; and taking the form of time, he brings about the dissolution of all things — thus he appears endowed with these various distinct qualities.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.8.14.10)

स्तूयमानो जनैरेभिर्मायया नामरूपया । विमोहितात्मभिर्नानादर्शनैर्न च दृश्यते ॥ 14.10 ॥

stūyamāno janair ebhir māyayā nāma-rūpayā vimohitātmabhir nānā- darśanair na ca dṛśyate

Praised in various ways by people whose minds are bewildered by the illusion of name and form, and who approach him through many different philosophies, he still remains unseen by them.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.8.14.11)

एतत् कल्पविकल्पस्य प्रमाणं परिकीर्तितम् । यत्र मन्वन्तराण्याहुश्चतुर्दश पुराविदः ॥ 14.11 ॥

etat kalpa-vikalpasya pramāṇaṁ parikīrtitam yatra manvantarāṇy āhuś caturdaśa purāvidaḥ

Thus has this measure of the divisions within a kalpa been declared, wherein those learned in ancient history speak of the fourteen Manvantaras.