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A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature - John Dowson, 1820 - Complete Book

English

The names of the fourteen Manus are — (i.) Swayam-bhuva, (2.) Swarochisha, (3,) Auttami, (4.) Tamasa, (5.) Raivata, (6.) Chiikshusha, (7.) Vaivaswata or Satya-vrata, (8.) Savarwa, (9.) Daksha-savarwa, (10.) Brahma- savarTza, (11.) Dharma-savarwa, (12.) SavarTza or Rudra-savarwa, (13.) Rauchya, (14.) Bhautya, The sons of Manu Yaivaswata were — Ikshw^aku, Nabhaga or N?'iga, Dh?'zsh^a, jS'aryati, Narishyanta, Pran,su, Nabhaganedish/a or Nabhanedish/a, Kariisha, and*Pnshadhra. But there is some variety in the names. With the seventh Manu, Yaivaswata, is connected the very curious and interesting legend of the deluge. The first account of this is found in the ^S'atapatha Brahma?za, of which the fol- 200 MANU. lowing is a summary : — One morning, in the water which was brought to Manu for washing his hands, he caught a fish which spake, and said, " Take care of me and I will preserve thee," Manu asked, " From what wilt thou preserve me ? " The fish answered, " A flood will carry away all living beings ; I will save thee from that." The fish desired Manu to keep him alive in an earthen vessel, to remove him to a dyke as he grew larger, and eventually to the ocean, " so that he might be beyond the risk of destruction." The fish grew rapidly, and again addressed Manu, saying, " After so many years the deluge will take j^lace; then construct a ship and pay me homage, and when the waters rise, go into the ship and I will rescue thee." Manu did as he was desired, he built the ship, conveyed the fish to the ocean, and did him homage. The flood rose, and Manu fastened the cable of the ship to the fish's horn. Thus he passed over the northern mountain (the Himalaj^a, as the commentator explains). The fish then desired Manu to fasten the ship to a tree, and to go down with the subsiding waters. He did so, and found that the flood had swept away all living creatures. He alone was left Desirous of offspring, he offered sacrifice and engaged in devotion. A woman was produced, who came to Manu and declared herself his daughter. " With her he lived, worshipping and toiling in arduous religious rites, desirous of offspring. With her he begat the offspring which is the offspring of Manu." The story, as told in the Maha-bharata, represents Manu as engaged in devotion by the side of a river, and the fish craving his protection from the bigger fisli. Manu placed the fish in a glass vase, but it grew larger and larger till tlie ocean alone could contain it. Then it warned IManu of the coming flood, and directed him to build a shij:) and to embark with the seven jKishis. He did so, and fastened liis ship to the horn of the fish. Then, according to the rendering of Professor Williams — " Along the ocean in that stately ship was borne the lord of men, and through Its dancing, tumbling billows and its roaring waters ; and the bark. Tossed to and fro by violent winds, reeled on the surface of the deep. Staggering and trembling like a drunken woman : land was seen no more, MANU—MANU-SANHITA. 201 Nor far horizon, nor the space between ; for everjwhere around Spread the wild waste of waters, reeking atmosphere, and bound- less sky. And now, when all the world was deluged, nought appeared above the waves But Manu and the seven sages, and the fish that drew the bark. Unwearied thus for years on years that fish pulled on the ship across The heaped-up waters, till at length it bore the vessel to the peak Of Himavan ; then, softly smiling, thus the fish addressed the sage : ^ Haste now to bind thy ship to this high crag. Know me, the lord of all, The great creator Brahma, mightier than all might, omnipotent. By me, in fish-like shape, have you been saved in dire emergency. From Manu all creation, gods, Asuras, men, must be produced ; By him the world must be created, that which moves and moveth not.'" The commentators on this legend of the Malia-bharata give a metaphysical turn to the legend, and endeavour to illustrate it by pliilosophical and allegorical interpretations. The same story is reproduced with variations in the Matsya, Bhagavata, and Agni Pura?2as, and Muir has given translations of the passages in voL i. of his Sanshrit Texts. In the Eamayawa mention is made of a female IManu, and it appears that the word is sometimes used for " the wife of JManu." MANU-SANHITA. The well-known law-book, the Code of Manu, or Institutes of ]\Ianu. It is attributed to the first Manu, Swayam-bhuva, who existed nearly thirty millions of years ago, but it bears the marks of being the production of more than one mind. This is the first and chief of the ^A'orks classified as Sniriti, and is a collection or digest of current laws and creeds rather than a planned systematic code. It is the foundation of Hindu law, and is held in the highest reverence. The w^ork belongs to aj period later than that of the Vedas, when the Brahmans had obtained the ascendancy, but its deities are those of the Yedic rather than the Epic or Pura?zic age. It is apparently anterior to the philosophical schools. The fifth cen- tury B.C. is supposed to be about the time when it was composed, but the rules and precepts it contains had probably existed as 202 MANIVANTARA—MARISHA. traditions long before. It is commonly called the Code of Manu, and was current among the Manavas, a class or school of Brah- mans who were followers of the Elack Yajur-veda; but it deals with many subjects besides law, and is a most important record of old Hindu society. It is said to have consisted originally of 100,000 verses, arranged in twenty-four chapters; that Xarada shortened the work to 12,000 verses; and that Sumati made a second abridgment, reducing it to 4000, but only 2685 are extant. It is evident that there was more than one redaction of the laws of the Manavas, for a Brihan or Yrihan Manu, 'great Manu,' and Vriddha Manu, ' old Manu,' are often referred to. Sir W. Jones's translation, edited by Haughton, is excellent, and is the basis of all others in French, German, &c. The text has often been printed. MA:N'WANTARA (Manu-antara). The life or period of a Manu, 4,320,000 years. MARICHA. A Rakshasa, son of Taraka. According to the KamayaTia he interfered with a sacrifice which was being per- formed by Yiswamitra, but was encountered by Eama, who discharged a weapon at him, which drove him one hundred yojanas out to sea. He was afterwards the minister of Rava-^a, and accompanied him to the hermitage where Rama and Sita were dwelling. There, to inveigle Rama, he assumed the shape of a golden deer, which Rama pursued and killed. On receiv- ing his death-wound he resumed a Rilkshasa form and spake, and Rama discovered whom he had killed. In the meanwhile Ravawa had carried off Sita. MARICHI. Chief of the Maruts. Name of one of the Prajapatis. {See Prajiipati.) He is sometimes represented as springing direct from Brahma. He was father of Ka^yapa, and one of the seven great it/shis. See itishi. MARISHA. Daughter of the sage Kaw(7u, and wife of the Prachetasas, but from the mode of her birth she is called " the nursling of the trees, and daughter of the wind and the moon." She was mother of Daksha. Her motlier was a celestial nymph named Pramlocha, who beguiled the sage Iva??f?u from his devotions and lived with liim for a long time. When the sage awoke from his voluptuous delusion, he drove her from his presence. " She, passing through the air, wiped the perspira- tion from her with the leaves of the trees," and " the child she had conceived by the 7?ishi came forth from the pores of her skiu MARKANDEYA—MARKANDEYA PURANA. 203 in drops of perspiration. The trees received the living dews, and the winds collected them into one mass. Soma matured this by his rays, and gradually it increased in size till the ex- halations that had rested on the tree-tops became the lovely girl named Marisha." — Vishnu Purdna. According to the same authority Marisha had been in a former birth the childless widow of a king. Her devotion to Vish?zu gained his favour, and he desired her to ask a boon. She bewailed her childless state, and prayed that in succeeding births she might have " honourable husbands and a son equal to a patriarch." Slie received the promise that she should be of marvellous birth, should be very beautiful, and should have ten husbands of mighty prowess, and a son whose posterity should fill the universe. This legend is no doubt an addition of later date, invented to account for the marvellous origin of Marisha.