Manvantara is a Sanskrit word literally meaning the duration of the life span of a Manu.

Each Manvantara is created and ruled by a specific Manu, who in turn is generated by Lord Brahma.

There are many Brahmas, one for each of the billions of universes. Ours is called Bhu-Mandala.

Out of the many billions of Brahmas, ours has four heads and others have 10 or 100 or 1000 or 10,000 or even 10 million heads, depending on the size of their material Universe.

Fourteen Manus constitute one Kalpa, or a day of Brahma. Another Kalpa of the same duration constitutes one night. Therefore, there are two Kalpas in a 24-hour day of Brahma, one for daytime, one for nighttime.

Thereafter, at the end of Brahma’s daytime, from sunrise to sunset, there is a period of dissolution or Pralaya, wherein the world^[1]  is destroyed and lies in a state of rest, which is called Brahma Ratri, the night of Brahma^[2].

This happens between sunset and sunrise within Brahma’s 24 hour day.

Also all Maha yugas only exist between sunrise and sunset; there are no Maha yugas during Brahma’s 12 hour night.

Comparison to the Age of the Universe from Modern Astronomy

Modern scientific astronomy estimates the Age of the Universe as around 13 billion years (13 x 109 years).

Conversion of 1 day-night of Brahma into human years yields 8.58816

* 109 years (derived as 2 kalpas)

* 14 Manvantaras

* 71 Chaturyugas

* 12,000 Deva vatsaras

* 360 human years).

According to Vedas, there are 504,000 Manus manifested during the lifetime of one Brahma (311,040,000,000,000 human Earthly years), 5,040 Manus in one year of Brahma, and 420 Manus in one month of Brahma.

Manus of the Sveta Varaha Kalpa

The period we are living is called Sveta Varaha Kalpa because the Boar incarnation of Visnu that has a white complexion appeared at the beginning of this age.

The names of the fourteen Manus:

Below are the names of the fourteen Manu followed by the Manvantara-avatara name:

• Svayambhuva Manu, Yajna
• Svarocisha Manu, Vibhu
• Uttama Manu, Satyasena
• Tapasa Manu, Hari
• Raivata Manu, Vaikuntha
• Cakshusha Manu, Ajita
• Vaivasvata Manu, (current) Vamana
• Savarni Manu, Sarvabhauma
• Daksha-savarni Manu, Rishabha
• Brahma-savarni Manu, Vishvaksena
• Dharma-savarni Manu, Dharmasetu
• Rudra-savarni Manu, Sudama
• Deva-savarni Manu, Yogesvara
• Indra-savarni Manu, Brihadbhanu

Some information about the Manu

First Manvantara, Svayambhuva Manu

Saptarshis: Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vasistha.

In the Svayambhuva Manvantara, the Avatar is named Yajna.

His two daughters, namely Akuti and Devahuti, gave birth to two sons, named Yajna and Kapila respectively.

Svayambhuva Manu, along with his wife, Satarupa, went into the forest to practice austerities on the bank of the River Sunanda.

At some point in time, Rakshasas and Asuras attacked them, but Yajna, accompanied by his sons the Yamas and the demigods, killed them. Then Yajna personally took the post of Indra, the King of the heavenly planets.

Second Manvantara, Svarochisha Manu

The Sapta Rishi were Urjastambha, Agni, Prana, Danti, Rishabha, Nischara, and Charvarivan. In the Svarocisha-manvantara, the avatara is named Vibhu.

He was the son of Agni, and His sons were headed by Dyumat, Sushena and Rochishmat. In the age of this Manu, Rochana became Indra, the ruler of the heavenly planets, and there were many demigods, headed by Tushita.

There were also many saintly persons, such as Urjastambha. Among them was Vedasira, whose wife, Tushita, gave birth to Vibhu. Vibhu instructed eighty-eight thousand dridha-vratas, or saintly persons, on self-control and austerity.

Third Manvantara, Uttama Manu

The Sapta Rishi were the sons of Vasistha, namely Kaukundihi, Kurundi, Dalaya, Sankha, Pravahita, Mita, and Sammita. In the Uttama-manvantara the avatara is named Satyasena.

Uttama was the son of Priyavrata. Among his sons were Pavana, Srinjaya and Yajnahotra. During the reign of this Manu, the sons of Vashista, headed by Pramada, became the seven saintly persons.

The Satyas, Devasrutas and Bhadras became the demigods, and Sushanti became Indra. From the womb of Sunrita, the wife of Dharma, the Lord appeared as Satyasena, and He killed all the Yakshas and Rakshasas who were fighting with Satyajit.

[1] A partial destruction, not the entire universe itself

[2] Brahma Ratri or Brahma Ratra

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