The Manvantara
By D. R. Mankad
Summary
This paper analyses the Puranic concept of the manvantara, a cosmic age ruled by a Manu. According to most Puranas there are fourteen manvantaras in a day of Brahma, each equal to seventy‑one caturyugas, yielding over 300 million divine years. The author collates passages from the Brahma, Vishnu, Vayu, Bhagavata and other Puranas, noting that while the first eight manvantaras have consistent names, the later six differ between texts. He compares computations by scholars such as Aryabhatta and Pulisa, who multiply a caturyuga by factors ranging from seventy to seventy‑two, producing different manvantara lengths. Tables in the article contrast these figures and offer formulas for estimating the number of ruling generations between Manus. The paper also examines myths about progenitors like Daksha, Savarni and Meru Savarni and discusses how Puranic genealogies compress or expand dynastic lists to fit cosmological frameworks. By highlighting discrepancies and explaining the symbolism behind the numbers, the author shows that the manvantara system reflects cosmological speculation rather than historical chronology.
AI-generated summary, automatically checked against the article text.
Conclusion
The paper concludes that Puranic accounts of manvantaras are symbolic frameworks rather than precise chronological records. Variations in the length and naming of manvantaras arise from differing cosmological interpretations and attempts to harmonise myth with astronomical cycles. Historians should therefore use these figures with caution; they illuminate the cosmological imagination of ancient authors but cannot be directly correlated with historical time.