Svayambhuva Dictionary

Root-manu and Seed-manu Fourteen manus preside over our planetary chain during its life-cycle, there being two principal or round-manus for each round. The first of each pair, appearing at the beginning of a round, is called the root-manu; the second, appearing towards the end, before the intervening twilight or nirvana, is the seed-manu, who presides over the holding of the seeds of life until the coming of the life-waves at the beginning of the next round. The root-manu appears on globe A, the seed-manu on the seventh globe (globe G).

Root- and seed-manu, in certain relations, are spoken of as being respectively the prime cause and its accumulated final effect at the end of the round. As we are now in the middle of the fourth round, there have so far been seven principal or round-manus.

By reason of nature's analogical procedures, there is for each globe of a planetary chain a root-manu at the beginning of its several succeeding periods of activity, and a seed-manu at the end of the same; as being their spiritual offspring, the names are the same as those by which the principal or round-manus are known. This list of root- and seed-manus for each round is given in The Laws of Manu (cf SD 2:309): 1) Svayambhuva, Svarochi or Svarochisha; 2) Auttami, Tamasa; 3) Raivata, Chakshusha; 4) Vaivasvata (our progenitor), Savarna; 5) Daksha-savarna, Brahma-savarna; 6) Dharma-savarna, Rudra-savarna; and 7) Rauchya, Bhautya.

Vaivasvata is the primitive root-manu of our fourth human wave. Manu, insofar as the human life-wave is concerned, is not a man but collective humanity; yet it is likewise true that Manu is a spiritual individual -- a difficult doctrine to grasp at first presentation. The name Vaivasvata is also used for one of the seven minor manus who preside over the seven root-races of our planet. It is this latter that among other peoples is called Xisuthrus, Deucalion, Noah, etc.

See also MANU

(See also: Root-manu, Seed-manu , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

A Theosophical definition of Manu :

Manu

Manu in the esoteric system is the entities collectively which appear first at the beginning of manifestation, and from which, like a cosmic tree, everything is derived or born. Manu actually is the spiritual tree of life of any planetary chain of manifested being. Manu is thus in one sense the third Logos; as the second is the father-mother, the Brahma and prakriti; and the first is what we call the unmanifest Logos, or Brahman (neuter) and its cosmic veil pradhana.

In other words, the second Logos, father-mother, is the producing cause of manifestation through their son, which in a planetary chain is Manu, the first of the manus being called in the archaic Hindu system Svayambhuva.

During a Day of Brahma or period of seven rounds, fourteen subordinate or inferior manus appear as patrons and guardians of the race cycles or life-waves (See also H. P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, passim; also Manvantara).

Manu is likewise the name of a great ancient Indian legislator, the alleged author of the Laws of Manu (Manava-dharma-sastra).

See also: Manu , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

Self-born Parentless, in Sanskrit aupapaduka or aja -- terms used of the head of a hierarchy, such as the Logos, corresponding to the Son, the second person of the Christian Trinity. From another aspect, it is the cosmic dragon in the highest of its septenary meanings.

All gods and beings born through and from will, whether of deity or adept, are said to be self-born, e.g., the pitris, who issued from Brahma's body of twilight; or Daksha, a self-born power who sprang from his father's body. Each cosmic monad is svayambhuva (the self-become or self-born) and in its turn becomes a center of force from within which emerges a planetary chain.

The first root-race is called self-born, for the individuals of this race were the astral shadows of their progenitors, and their method of reproduction was by fission. Seven self-born primordial gods emanated from the triadic One. The self-born were the primary creation of seven creations, otherwise emanations of self-born gods, or 'elohim, as the Hebrews call them.

Theosophic philosophy postulates four methods of reproduction (chatur-yoni) in the manifested realms which run from the divine through many intermediate degrees to the physical: 1) the highest or self-born (aupapaduka), such as the inner birth at will of gods and bodhisattvas; 2) birth from the seeds of life of various kinds on the different planes, whether they be monads or physical seminal germs; 3) egg-born (andaja), such as reptiles and birds; and finally 4) womb-born (yonija), such as man and other mammalia. These four modes of birth are not given here in the order of their importance or spirituality, for human beings, who are womb-born, at a later stage through initiation and inner development finally attain the aupapaduka birth again.

(See also: Self-born , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Dhruva

The younger son of Uttanapada, and grandson of Svayambhuva Manu, and great-grandson of Brahma. Insulted by his stepmother, Dhruva left home at the age of five and achieved perfection in six months. Lord Vasudeva gave Dhruva his own spiritual planet at the top of the universe, called Dhruvaloka or the polestar.

(See also: Dhruva , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Manu:

Manu: impersonation of Krishna as the ruler, father and legislator of humanity. There are fourteen of them for each day of Brahma or kalpa 308.6 millions of years ruling. Present Manu, the seventh: Sraddhadeva (also called Vaivasvata see further image)

- Writer of the Manu-samhita.

 - The first earthly creature created from Brahma

- The fourteen Manu's appearing in one day of Brahma are: (1) Svayambhuva, (2) Svarocisa, (3) Uttama, (4) Tamasa, (5) Raivata, (6) Caksusa, (7) Vaivasvata, (8) Savarni, (9) Daksa-savarni, (10) Brahma-savarni, (11) Dharma-savarni, (12) Rudra-savarni, (13) Deva-savarni and (14) Indra-savarni.

One Body was transformed into two and therefore, where there was one Will formerly, two appeared, one which attracted and the other which was drawn towards creation, the feminine and the masculine. Since the one attracted in a hundred distinct ways it was called, Satharupa (hundred-facetted) and Beloved of Brahma (Brahmapriya). The other was named, Manu (BV-30), (RRV-10a).

(See also: Manu , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Vaivasvata Manu:

Vaivasvata Manu: an original father and law-giver of the human race. There are fourteen Manus appearing in one day of Brahma, namely 1. Svayambhuva, 2. Svarocisa, 3. Uttama, 4. Tamasa, 5. Raivata, 6. Caksusa, 7. Vaivasvata, 8. Savarni, 9. Daksa-savarni, 10. Brahma-savarni, 11. Dharma-savarni, 12. Rudra-savarni, 13. Deva-savarni and 14. Indra-savarni.

(See also: Vaivasvata Manu , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Laws of Manu, Laws of Manava-dharma-sastra Also called the Manu-samhita; The Code of Manu (or Institutes of Manu).

Well-known archaic Hindu codes or institutes comprising maxims of various kinds, attributed to the first manu, known as Svayambhuva, who according to archaic records lived nearly 30 million years ago during the satya yuga of the race during which he appeared. One of the most important Smriti (unwritten traditional teachings).

The Laws of Manu is one of the main pillars of ancient Hindu law, and is held in the highest reverence. Tradition says that Manu wrote down the laws of Brahma in 100,000 slokas, which formed 24 books and a thousand chapters. He gave the work to Narada, one of the archaic sages, who abridged it for the use of mankind to 12,000 verses. Narada in his turn gave the Code to Sumati, a son of Bhrigu who for greater convenience reduced it to 4,000 verses.

The Laws of Manu is recognized as approaching the Vedas in age. It is not merely a law book in the European sense of being a mere code of legal enactments; the chief topics of its twelve extant books are

1)    cosmogony;

2)    the sources of the law, sacraments, initiation, discipleship;

3)    marriage and the duties of a householder or the second social order;

4)    means of subsistence, and private study and morals;

5)    diet, purification, and the duties of women;

6)    the duties of a recluse and ascetic, or the third and fourth social orders;

7)    government, and the duties of a king and the military caste;

8)    judicature and law, civil and criminal;

9)    duties of husband and wife, miscellaneous regulations concerning conduct and the duties of a king;

10) duties and occupations of the castes and mixed castes;

11) penances and expiations; and

12) metempsychosis and final liberation.

(See also: Laws of Manu, Laws of Manava-dharma-sastra , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Maharshi maharsi (Sanskrit) [from maha great + rishi sage, seer]

Also Maharishi. A great sage or seer, especially referring to the ten maharshis who were the mind-born sons of Prajapati or Manu Svayambhuva: Marichi, Atri, Angras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Prachetas, Vasishtha, Bhrigu, and Narada. They are also called the ten (or seven) prajapatis.

See also MUNI

(See also: Maharshi, maharsi , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

A Theosophical definition of Manifestation :

Manifestation

A generalizing term signifying not only the beginning but the continuance of organized kosmic activity, the latter including the various minor activities within itself. First there is of course always the Boundless in all its infinite planes and worlds or spheres, aggregatively symbolized by the circle; then parabrahman, or the kosmic life-consciousness activity, and mulaprakriti its other pole, signifying root-nature especially in its substantial aspects.

Then the next stage lower, Brahman and its veil pradhana; then Brahma-prakriti or Purusha-prakriti (prakriti being also maya); the manifested universe appearing through and by this last, Brahma-prakriti, "father-mother." In other words, the second Logos or father-mother is the producing cause of manifestation through their son which, in a planetary chain, is the primordial or the originating manu, called Svayambhuva.

When manifestation opens, prakriti becomes or rather is maya; and Brahma, the father, is the spirit of the consciousness, or the individuality. These two, Brahma and prakriti, are really one, yet they are also the two aspects of the one life-ray acting and reacting upon itself, much as a man himself can say, "I am I." He has the faculty of self-analysis or self-division. All of us know it, we can feel it in ourselves  - one side of us, in our thoughts, can be called the prakriti or the material element, or the mayavi element, or the element of illusion; and the other is the spirit, the individuality, the god within.

The student should note carefully that manifestation is but a generalizing term, comprehensive therefore of a vast number of different and differing kinds of evolving planes or realms. For instance, there is manifestation on the divine plane; there is manifestation also on the spiritual plane; and similarly so on all the descending stages of the ladder or stair of life. There are universes whose "physical" plane is utterly invisible to us, so high is it; and there are other universes in the contrary direction, so far beneath our present physical plane that their ethereal ranges of manifestation are likewise invisible to us.

See also: Manifestation , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

Svayambhuva Manu

the original father of the human race.

(See also: Svayambhuva Manu , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)