Description of Manvantar; Varn Aashram Dharm; Sanskaar; Dharm of a Brahmchaaree

13-Manvantar

Agni Dev said - "Now I will tell you about Manvantar.

1st Manvantar was Swaayambhuv Manu who had Aagneedhra etc sons (see Manu Vansh or Creation). In this Manvantar, there were Yam etc Devtaa, Aurv etc Saptarshi, and Shatkratu Indra.
2nd Manvantar was Swaarochish. Swaarochish Manu had Chaitra and Kimpurush etc sons; Paaraavat and Tushit Devtaa; Urjswant etc Saptarshi, and Vipashchit was Indra.
3rd Manvantar was Uttam. Uttam Manu's sons were Aj etc; Sudhaamaa etc Devtaa; Vashishth's sons were Saptarshi; and Sushaanti was Indra.
4th Manvantar was Taamas. Taamas Manu had 9 sons - Khyaati etc; Swaroop etc Devtaa; Jyotirhom etc Saptarshi; and Shikharee was Indra.
5th Manvantar was Raivat. Raivat had Balbandh etc sons; Amitaabh was Devtaa; Hiranyaromaa etc were Saptarshi, and Vitath was Indra.
6th Manvantar was Chaakshush. Chaakshush had Puru etc sons; Swaati etc Devtaa; Sumedhaa etc Saptarshi; and Manojav was Indra.
7th Manvantar - Soorya's son Shraaddhdev is Manu; Aaditya, Vasu and Rudra etc are Devtaa; Jamadagni, Gautam, Vishwaamitra and Bharadwaaj etc are Saptarshi; and Purandar is Indra. This is present Manvantar.

Hari incarnated in all these Manvantars  as Maanas, Ajit, Satya, Hari, Devavar, Vaikunth and Vaaman.
8th Manvantar - Soorya and Chhaayaa's son Saavarni will be the 8th Manu; Viraj etc will be his sons; Sutapaa etc will be Devtaa; Ashwatthaamaa etc will be Saptarshi; and Bali will be Indra.
9th Manvantar - Daksh Saavarni will be Manu; Dhritketu etc will be his sons; Paar etc will be Devtaa; Savan etc will be Saptarshi; and Adbhut will be Indra.
10th Manvantar - Brahm Saavarni will be Manu; Sukshetra etc will be his sons; Sukh etc Devtaa; Havishya etc will be Saptarshi; and Shaanti will be Indra.
11th Manvantar - Dharm Saavarni will be Manu; Sarvtrag etc will be his sons; Vihang etc will be Devtaa; Nishchar etc will be Saptarshi; and Gan will be Indra.
12th Manvantar - Rudra Saavarni will be Manu; Devavaan etc will be his sons; Harit etc will be Devtaa; Tapasya etc will Saptarshi; and Ritdhaamaa will be Indra.
13th Manvantar - Rauchya will be Manu; Chitrasen etc will be his sons; Divaspati will be Indra; Nirmoh etc will be Saptarshi; and Sootraamani will be Devtaa.
14th Manvantar - Bhautya will be Manu; Ooru etc will be his sons; Chaakshush etc will Devtaa; Agnibaahu etc will be Saptarshi; and Shuchi will be Indra.

[All Puraan give the description of Manvantar. See Manvantar for the description given by other Puraan]

Saptarshi propagate Ved on Prithvi. Devtaa take the share in Yagya, and Manu's sons take care of this Prithvi. There are 14 Manu in Brahmaa's 1 day. Manu, Devtaa and Indra also are 14. In the end of each Dwaapar, Bhagavaan appears as Vyaas and divide Ved. Aadi Ved (initial Ved) was only one, in which there were 4 Charan and 100,000 Richaa (Shlok). First there was only one Yajur Ved, Muni Vyaas divided it in four parts. He took Adhwaryu's portion from Yajur Ved, Hotaa's portion from Rig Ved, Brahmaa's portion from Atharv Ved, and Udgaataa's portion from Saam Ved Vyaas' firt disciple was Pail who was knowledgeable in Rig Ved.

Indra gave the Sanhitaa to Pramati and Baashkal. Baashkal divided in 4 parts and gave to his disciples. Vyaas' disciple Vaishampaayan Jee divided Yajur Ved in 27 parts. Kaanv and Vaajsaneya etc branches were edited by Yaagyavalkya. Vyaas' disciple Jaimini divided Saam Ved. Sumantu and Sukarmaa wrote one Sanhitaa each. Sukarmaa took 1,000 Sanhitaa from his Guru. Sumantu created a branch of Atharv Ved and taught it to his Paippal etc thousands of disciples. Vyaas' another disciple Soot Jee extended Puraan Sanhitaa.

Varn Aashram Dharm

Agni Dev said - Varun told this to Pushkar and Pushkar told this to Parashuraam Jee, the same I am telling you. Pushkar said - "Ahinsaa (non-violence), speaking truth, Dayaa (kindness), compassion to all, pilgrimage, Daan (donation), Brahmcharya (abstinence), not being greedy, serving Guru, Braahman and elders, tolerance, theism - these Dharm are for all Varn and Aashram. Whatever is opposite to this, the same is A-Dharm.

Doing Yagya and doing Yagya for others, donating, teaching Ved and self-study are Braahman's general Dharm. Donating, studying Ved and doing Yagya properly are Kshatriya and Vaishya's general Karm. Protecting one's people and punishing criminals and wiked are Kshatriya's special Dharm. Farming, protecting cows, and trading are Vaishya's special Karm. To serve Braahman, Kshatriya and Vaishya and all kinds of architecture are Shoodra's Karm.

Because of Yagyopaveet Sanskaar, Braahman, Kshatriya and Vaishya are called Dwij. If a child is born to a couple married according to Anulom Vivaah (higher Varn boy and lower Varn girl), that child belongs to mother's caste. If it is Pratilom Vivaah (lower Varn boy and higher Varn girl) -
Shoodra boy + Braahman girl = Chaandaal child;
Kshatriya boy + Braahman girl = Soot child;
Vaishya boy + Braahman boy = Vaidehak child

Shoodra boy + Kshatriya girl = Pukkas (Vilomaj child)
Vaishya boy + Kshatriya girl = Maagadh (Vilomaj child)
Shoodra boy + Kshatriya girl = A-Yogav (Vilomaj child)

There are many types of children who are born to a Vaishya girl married a Vilomaj boy. They should marry among themselves

To kill the creatures who should be killed, is the Karm of a Chaandaal. To earn living by making the items used by women and protecting women are the Kam of a Vaidehak. Being Saarathee (charioteer) is Soot's Karm. Pukkas live on killing animals and Maagadh's Karm is to sing praise. A-Yogav's Karm is to earn living by sculpturing. Chaandaal's Karm is to live outside of the village and wearing clothes taken off from dead bodies. Chaandaal should not touch other people. The caste of Varnsankar people should be known from their parents and their Varn Karm."

Grihasth's Earning

Pushkar said - "A Braahman should earn his living by his Shaastra-prescribed Karm, not by Kshatriya or Vaishya or Shoodra's Karm. In emergency, he may adopt Kshatrya or Vaishya's Karm, but he should never take up Shoodra's Karm. A Dwij can do farming, trading, cow herding, or lending, but he should not sell milk, jaggery, salt, and meat. A Braahman should live by Rit, Amrit, Mrit or Pramrit Vritt, but never by Shwaan Vritti. (see Vritti for their detailed description)

Sanskaar and Dharm of Brahmchaaree

Pushkar said - "(1) Women have 16 nights of their menstrual period. Among them the first 3 nights must be avoided. The 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th nights are good to produce son. This is called "Garbhaadhaan Sanskaar". (2) As one is able to know that the woman is pregnant, one should perform "Punsavan Sanskaar". It should be done before the baby moves. (3) In the 6th or 8th month when a masculine Nakshatra is ruling, one should perform "Seemantonnayan Sanskaar". (4) After the child is born and before cutting the cord, one should do his "Jaatkarm Sanskaar". (5) After Sootak are over, his "Naamkarn Sanskaar" should be done. A Braahman's name should end with Sharmaa and a Kshatriya's name should end with Varmaa, a Vaishya's name should end with Gupt and a Shoodra's name should end with Daas. After this Sanskaar, the woman should give the child to her husband saying "This is your child". (6) "Choodaakarm Sanskaar". (7) A Braahman should do "Upanayan Sanskaar" in the 8th-16th year of the child; a Kshatriya should do this in his 11th-22nd year, a Vaishya should do this in his 12th-24th year. Their Yagyopaveet should be of cotton, silk and wool respectively. Shoodra is not supposed to do this. Women's all Sanskaar are performed without Mantra except Vivaah Sanskaar.

Who eats food facing East, he gets long life;
who eats facing South, he gets fame;
who eats food facing West, he gets wealth; and
who eats food facing North, he speaks truth.

A Brahmchaaree should do Agnihotra twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. He should not take honey, meat, should not argue with anybody, and should not sing or dance. He should not follow Hinsaa and abusing others. After completing his Ved studies, he should give Guru Dakshinaa and take Vrat-ending bath; otherwise should live in Gurukul lifelong."

Varn Aashram Dharm    Contd....