SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 9

The king said: 'I've listened to your descriptions of all the periods of the Manus and all the wonderful actions performed by the Lord of Eternal Heroism during those periods.

King Parîkshit said: My lord, S'ukadeva Gosvâmî, you have elaborately described all the periods of the various Manus and, within those periods, the wonderful activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has unlimited potency. I am fortunate to have heard all of this from you. (Vedabase)

Text 2-3:

He who was known by the name of Satyavrata, the saintly king and ruler of Dravidades'a, received at the end of the previous day of Brahmâ the spiritual knowledge by rendering service to the Original Person [the purusha]. From you I heard how he indeed as a son of Vivasvân [the sungod] thus became the Manu. You have spoken about his many sons, the kings headed by Ikshvâku [8.13: 1].

Satyavrata, the saintly king of Dravidades'a who received spiritual knowledge at the end of the last millennium by the grace of the Supreme, later became Vaivasvata Manu, the son of Vivasvân, in the next manvantara [period of Manu]. I have received this knowledge from you. I also understand that such kings as Ikshvâku were his sons, as you have already explained. (Vedabase)

Text 4

O brahmin, please describe each of the dynasties of those kings and what characterized them, o greatly fortunate one, for they constitute the eternal of our service unto you.

O greatly fortunate S'ukadeva Gosvâmî, O great brâhmana, kindly describe to us separately the dynasties and characteristics of all those kings, for we are always eager to hear such topics from you. (Vedabase)

Text5:

Please tell us about the exploits of all those pious and celebrated souls who have lived, who will live in the future and who are there around right now.'

Kindly tell us about the abilities of all the celebrated kings born in the dynasty of Vaivasvata Manu, including those who have already passed, those who may appear in the future, and those who exist at present. (Vedabase)

Text 6

S'rî Sûta said: "Thus in the assembly of all the brahmin followers requested by Parîkchit gave the most learned in the dharma, the powerful S'uka a reply.

Suta Gosvâmî said: When S'ukadeva Gosvâmî, the greatest knower of religious principles, was thus requested by Mahârâja Parîkshit in the assembly of all the scholars learned in Vedic knowledge, he then proceeded to speak. (Vedabase)

Text 7

S'rî S'uka said: 'Now listen to me about the dynasty of Manu, o subduer of the enemies, as far as possible discussed, because not even hundred years would be enough to do this extensively.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: O King, subduer of your enemies, now hear from me in great detail about the dynasty of Manu. I shall explain as much as possible, although one could not say everything about it, even in hundreds of years. (Vedabase)

Text 8

When the Supersoul who is the Original Transcendental Person of all higher and lower forms of life found existed at the end of the kalpa could there outside of Him nothing of this universe or whatever else be found.

The transcendental Supreme Person, the Supersoul of all living entities, who are in different statuses of life, high and low, existed at the end of the millennium, when neither this manifested cosmos nor anything else but Him existed. (Vedabase)

Text 9

From His navel generated a golden lotus and on that lotus, o King, was there the selfborn one with his four heads [see also 3.8].

O King Parîkshit, from the navel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead was generated a golden lotus, on which the four-faced Lord Brahmâ took his birth. (Vedabase)

Text 10

Marîci took birth from Brahmâ's mind and from him there was Kas'yapa who thereafter in the daughter of Daksha, Aditi, begot Visvasvân as his son [see also 6.6: 38-39].

From the mind of Lord Brahmâ, Marîci took birth, and from the semen of Marîci, Kas'yapa appeared from the womb of the daughter of Daksha Mahârâja. From Kas'yapa, by the womb of Aditi, Vivasvân took birth. (Vedabase)

Text 11-12

From him appeared in Samjñâ, Manu S'râddhadeva and in his wife S'râddha he of his self-control begot ten sons that by him were named Ikshvâku, Nriga, S'aryâti, Dishtha, Dhrishtha, Karûshaka, Narishyanta and Prishadhra, and Nabhaga and the mighty Kavi.

O King, best of the Bharata dynasty, from Vivasvân, by the womb of Samjña, S'râddhadeva Manu was born. S'râddhadeva Manu, having conquered his senses, begot ten sons in the womb of his wife, S'râddha. The names of these sons were Ikshvâku, Nriga, S'aryâti, Dishtha, Dhrishtha, Karûshaka, Narishyanta, Prishadhra, Nabhaga and Kavi. (Vedabase)

Text 13

At first had he, the Manu, no son but the great personality, the powerful Vasishthha, performed for the demigods Mitra and Varuna a sacrifice that would bring one.

Manu at first had no sons. Therefore, in order to get a son for him, the great saint Vasishthha, who was very powerful in spiritual knowledge, performed a sacrifice to satisfy the demigods Mitra and Varuna. (Vedabase)

Text 14

But S'râddha, Manu's wife, as prescribed with obeisances being on a payo vrata [vow of drinking only, see 8.16] approached in that sacrifice the performing priest to beg him for a daughter.

During that sacrifice, S'râddha, Manu's wife, who was observing the vow of subsisting only by drinking milk, approached the priest offering the sacrifice, offered obeisances to him and begged for a daughter. (Vedabase)

Text 15

Thus requested executed the ritvik the ceremony, with great attention taking the ghee to commence the oblation to which the brahmin chanted the mantra vashath ['to the Living Being'].

Told by the chief priest "Now offer oblations," the person in charge of oblations took clarified butter to offer. He then remembered the request of Manu's wife and performed the sacrifice while chanting the word "vashath." (Vedabase)

Text 16

With that transgression of the performing priest was a daughter born named Ilâ ['the libation'] and when Manu saw her said he dissatisfied to his guru:

Manu had begun that sacrifice for the sake of getting a son, but because the priest was diverted by the request of Manu's wife, a daughter named Ilâ was born. Upon seeing the daughter, Manu was not very satisfied. Thus he spoke to his guru, Vasishthha, as follows. (Vedabase)