Chapter 1

The great sages, approaching Manu who was seated with a concentrated mind, duly honored him according to custom and spoke these words: // Mn_1.1 //

"O divine Lord, it is right for you to declare to us, precisely and in order, the sacred laws for all the four varnas (social orders) and for those born between them. // Mn_1.2 //

For you alone, O Lord, know the true meaning of the purpose and reality of this entire ordinance of the Self-existent One, which is inconceivable and immeasurable." // Mn_1.3 //

He, of immeasurable power, having been thus duly questioned by the great-souled ones, honored all those great seers and replied: "Let it be heard." // Mn_1.4 //

This universe existed as darkness, unperceived, without distinctive marks, unattainable by reasoning, unknowable, as if wholly asleep on all sides. // Mn_1.5 //

Then the divine Self-existent One, himself unmanifest, manifesting this universe with the great elements and so forth, appeared with creative power, dispelling the darkness. // Mn_1.6 //

He who is beyond the grasp of the senses, who is subtle, unmanifest, and eternal, who is the soul of all beings and inconceivable—he himself shone forth. // Mn_1.7 //

He, desiring to create the various kinds of progeny from his own body, first, through contemplation, created the waters, and in them he cast his seed. // Mn_1.8 //

That seed became a golden egg, in splendor like the thousand-rayed sun; in it he himself was born as Brahma, the great father of all the worlds. // Mn_1.9 //

The waters are called nārāḥ, for the waters are indeed the sons of Nara; and since they were his first dwelling place (ayana), he is therefore remembered as Nārāyaṇa. // Mn_1.10 //

That which is the unmanifest cause, eternal, and of the nature of both being and non-being—the Male Spirit who was produced from it is celebrated in the world as Brahma. // Mn_1.11 //

After dwelling in that egg for a full year, that divine Lord, by his own contemplation, split the egg in two. // Mn_1.12 //

And with those two halves he formed the heavens and the earth, and between them the middle region, the eight directions, and the eternal abode of the waters. // Mn_1.13 //

From himself he also brought forth the mind, which is of the nature of both being and non-being; and from the mind, he brought forth the ego, the conceiver and ruler. // Mn_1.14 //

And also the great soul, and all things composed of the three qualities, and, one by one, the five sense organs which apprehend the objects of sense. // Mn_1.15 //

Then, joining the subtle particles of those six of immeasurable power with particles of himself, he created all beings. // Mn_1.16 //

Because those six subtle particles which are the components of his form enter into these beings, the wise therefore call his form the body (śarīra). // Mn_1.17 //

Into that body enter the great elements, together with their functions, and the mind with its subtle parts—the imperishable creator of all beings. // Mn_1.18 //

From the subtle constituent particles of these seven Males of great power, this perishable universe proceeds from the imperishable. // Mn_1.19 //

Among these, each succeeding element acquires the quality of the one preceding it; and whichever place it occupies in the series, it is remembered to have that many qualities. // Mn_1.20 //

At the beginning, he created for all beings their distinct names, their distinct actions, and their separate conditions, all from the words of the Veda. // Mn_1.21 //

The Lord also created the host of the gods, whose nature is action, and the subtle host of the Sadhyas, and the eternal yajña (sacred sacrifice). // Mn_1.22 //

From fire, wind, and the sun, he milked forth the triple eternal Veda—distinguished as Rik, Yajus, and Saman—for the accomplishment of the sacrifice. // Mn_1.23 //

He created time and the divisions of time, the constellations and also the planets, the rivers, the oceans, the mountains, and both level and uneven lands. // Mn_1.24 //

He created tapas (ascetic heat), speech, and pleasure, and also desire and anger; and desiring to create these beings, he brought forth this entire creation. // Mn_1.25 //

And in order to distinguish actions, he separated Dharma (righteousness) from non-Dharma, and he yoked these creatures with the pairs of opposites, such as pleasure and pain. // Mn_1.26 //

And with the minute, perishable particles of the five elements which are mentioned, this whole world comes into being in due order. // Mn_1.27 //

And whatever action the Lord first assigned to each being, that being, being created again and again, spontaneously adopted that very action. // Mn_1.28 //

Harmful or harmless, gentle or cruel, righteous or unrighteous, true or false—whatever he assigned to any being at creation, that quality entered it of its own accord. // Mn_1.29 //

Just as the seasons, in the course of the year, of their own accord assume their respective seasonal marks, so do embodied beings assume their respective actions. // Mn_1.30 //

And for the sake of the prosperity of the worlds, he caused the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, the Vaishya, and the Shudra to emanate from his mouth, arms, thighs, and feet. // Mn_1.31 //

Having divided his own body into two, the Lord became male with one half and female with the other; in her, he created Viraj. // Mn_1.32 //

Know me, O best of the twice-born, to be that Male, Viraj, whom he himself created after performing tapas, the creator of this entire universe. // Mn_1.33 //

Then I, desiring to create progeny, performed the most difficult tapas and created at the beginning ten great sages, the lords of progeny. // Mn_1.34 //

Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Prachetas, Vasishtha, Bhrigu, and also Narada. // Mn_1.35 //

These beings of great splendor created seven other Manus, the gods and the orders of gods, and great seers of immeasurable power. // Mn_1.36 //

Yakshas, Rakshasas, and Pishachas; Gandharvas, Apsaras, and Asuras; Nagas, Sarpas, and Suparnas; and the separate orders of the Ancestors. // Mn_1.37 //

Lightnings, thunderbolts, and clouds; rainbows and the bow of Indra; meteors, portents, and comets; and celestial lights of every kind. // Mn_1.38 //

Kinnaras, monkeys, fish, and various kinds of birds; cattle, deer, and men; and beasts with two rows of teeth. // Mn_1.39 //

Worms, grubs, and moths; lice, flies, and bugs; all stinging and biting insects, and the various kinds of immovable things. // Mn_1.40 //

Thus by my command was this whole universe, both movable and immovable, created by these great-souled ones according to their actions and through the power of tapas. // Mn_1.41 //

And whatever action has been declared for each of these beings here, that I shall now declare to you, as well as their order in birth. // Mn_1.42 //

Domestic animals, wild beasts, carnivorous creatures with two rows of teeth, Rakshasas, Pishachas, and men are born from the womb. // Mn_1.43 //

Birds, snakes, crocodiles, fish, and tortoises, as well as similar creatures of land and water, are born from eggs. // Mn_1.44 //

Stinging and biting insects, lice, flies, and bugs, and whatever else of this kind is produced from heat, are born from sweat. // Mn_1.45 //

All immovable beings are born from shoots, whether they grow from a seed or a cutting; herbs are those which perish after their fruit has ripened and which bear many flowers and fruits. // Mn_1.46 //

Those trees which bear fruit without flowers are called vanaspati; but those which bear both flowers and fruit are called vṛkṣa. // Mn_1.47 //

And various kinds of tufted plants and shrubs, and likewise species of grass, as well as creepers and vines, all grow from seeds or from cuttings. // Mn_1.48 //

These, enveloped by a multiform darkness resulting from their past actions, possess an internal consciousness and are endowed with pleasure and pain. // Mn_1.49 //

These are the states of existence, beginning with Brahma, which have been enumerated in this dreadful and ever-transmigrating cycle of beings. // Mn_1.50 //

Having thus created this whole universe and me, he of inconceivable power was again absorbed into his own Self, compressing time by means of time. // Mn_1.51 //

When that divine one is awake, then this world is active; when he, the tranquil-souled, sleeps, then the whole universe sinks into slumber. // Mn_1.52 //

When he sleeps in peace, the embodied beings whose nature is action desist from their actions, and the mind becomes inert. // Mn_1.53 //

And when they are simultaneously absorbed into that great Self, then this soul of all beings sleeps peacefully, full of bliss. // Mn_1.54 //

This soul, resorting to darkness, remains for a long time united with the senses, but does not perform its own function; then it departs from its form. // Mn_1.55 //

When, having become a minute particle, it enters as a seed into a movable or immovable being, united with it, it then assumes a new form. // Mn_1.56 //

Thus he, the imperishable one, by means of waking and sleeping, incessantly vivifies and destroys this entire movable and immovable universe. // Mn_1.57 //

Having composed this shastra (sacred treatise), he himself first taught it to me with due ceremony; and I then taught it to Marichi and the other sages. // Mn_1.58 //

This Bhrigu will recite this shastra to you in its entirety; for this sage has learned the whole of it completely from me. // Mn_1.59 //

Then Bhrigu, thus addressed by the great sage Manu, with a pleased mind, spoke to all the seers: "Let it be heard." // Mn_1.60 //

Of this Svayambhuva Manu, there are six other Manus in his line, great-souled and of great power, who have each created their own progeny. // Mn_1.61 //

They are Svarochisha, Uttama, Tamasa, and Raivata likewise, Chakshusha of great splendor, and the son of Vivasvat. // Mn_1.62 //

These seven Manus, beginning with Svayambhuva, all of great splendor, in their respective ages produced and protected this whole movable and immovable world. // Mn_1.63 //

Eighteen twinklings of an eye are a kāṣṭhā, thirty such are a kalā, thirty kalās are a muhūrta, and that many muhūrtas are a day and a night. // Mn_1.64 //

The sun divides the day and night of both men and gods; the night is for the sleep of beings, the day for the performance of actions. // Mn_1.65 //

A month is a day and a night of the Ancestors, and the division is by fortnights; the dark fortnight is their day for the performance of actions, the bright fortnight is their night for sleep. // Mn_1.66 //

A year is a day and a night of the gods, and their division is as follows: the northern course of the sun is the day, the southern course is the night. // Mn_1.67 //

Now learn in summary the measure of a day and a night of Brahma, and of each of the ages (yugas) in succession. // Mn_1.68 //

They say that four thousand years is the Krita Yuga; its twilight before is of as many hundreds, and its twilight after is of the same length. // Mn_1.69 //

In the other three ages, with their twilights before and after, the thousands and the hundreds are diminished by one in each. // Mn_1.70 //

This period which has just been enumerated, the four ages taken together, is called an age of the gods, consisting of twelve thousand years. // Mn_1.71 //

A thousand ages of the gods should be known as one day of Brahma, and his night is of the same length. // Mn_1.72 //

Those who know the day and the night know that sacred day of Brahma ends after a thousand ages, and his night is of the same duration. // Mn_1.73 //

At the end of his day and night, he who was asleep awakens; and having awakened, he creates the mind, which is of the nature of both being and non-being. // Mn_1.74 //

The mind, impelled by the desire to create, performs the work of creation; from it is born the ether, and they know its quality to be sound. // Mn_1.75 //

But from the ether, as it undergoes transformation, arises the pure and powerful wind, the carrier of all scents; it is held to have the quality of touch. // Mn_1.76 //

And from the wind, as it undergoes transformation, arises the brilliant and shining light, the dispeller of darkness; it is said to have the quality of form. // Mn_1.77 //

And from light, as it undergoes transformation, the waters are remembered, having the quality of taste; from the waters, the earth, having the quality of smell. Such is the creation from the beginning. // Mn_1.78 //

The age of the gods, which was stated before as twelve thousand years, when multiplied by seventy-one, is here called a Manvantara. // Mn_1.79 //

The Manvantaras, the creations and the dissolutions, are numberless; the Supreme Being performs this again and again, as if in sport. // Mn_1.80 //

In the Krita age, Dharma is four-footed and complete, and so is truth; no gain comes to men through any unrighteousness. // Mn_1.81 //

In the other ages, Dharma is successively deprived of one foot due to what is gained; and through theft, falsehood, and deceit, Dharma diminishes by one foot in each. // Mn_1.82 //

In the Krita age, men are free from disease, accomplish all their aims, and have a life of four hundred years; but in the Treta and the other ages, their lifespan diminishes by one quarter in each. // Mn_1.83 //

The lifespan of mortals as declared in the Veda, the desired rewards of actions, and the power of embodied beings bear fruit in the world according to the age. // Mn_1.84 //

The Dharmas of men are different in the Krita age, different in the Treta and the Dvapara, and different again in the Kali age, in proportion to the decline of each age. // Mn_1.85 //

In the Krita age, the highest Dharma is tapas; in the Treta, knowledge is declared to be so; in the Dvapara, they call it the yajña; and in the Kali age, giving is the one Dharma. // Mn_1.86 //

For the protection of this whole creation, he of great splendor assigned separate duties to those born from his mouth, arms, thighs, and feet. // Mn_1.87 //

To the Brahmanas he assigned teaching and studying, sacrificing for oneself and sacrificing for others, giving and receiving alms. // Mn_1.88 //

The protection of the people, giving, offering sacrifices, and studying, and non-attachment to the objects of the senses—these, in summary, are for the Kshatriya. // Mn_1.89 //

The protection of cattle, giving, offering sacrifices, and studying, as well as trade, lending money, and agriculture are for the Vaishya. // Mn_1.90 //

But the one duty the Lord assigned to the Shudra was to serve these other varnas without malice. // Mn_1.91 //

Man is declared to be purer above the navel; therefore the Self-existent One has declared his mouth to be the purest part of him. // Mn_1.92 //

By his origin from the highest limb, by his seniority, and by his preservation of the Veda, the Brahmana is by right the lord of this whole creation. // Mn_1.93 //

For the Self-existent One, having performed tapas, created him from his own mouth at the beginning, for the conveyance of offerings to the gods and ancestors, and for the protection of this all. // Mn_1.94 //

Through whose mouth the dwellers in heaven always consume the offerings to the gods, and the ancestors the offerings to the dead—what being is superior to him? // Mn_1.95 //

Of beings, the living are the best; of the living, those who live by intelligence; of the intelligent, men are the best; and among men, the Brahmanas are remembered as the best. // Mn_1.96 //

And among Brahmanas, the learned are the best; among the learned, those whose intellect is resolved; among the resolved, the performers of duties; and among the performers, those who know Brahma. // Mn_1.97 //

The very birth of a Brahmana is an eternal incarnation of Dharma; for he is born for the sake of Dharma and is destined to become one with Brahma. // Mn_1.98 //

A Brahmana, when he is born, is born supreme on the earth, the lord of all beings, for the protection of the treasury of Dharma. // Mn_1.99 //

Whatever exists in the world is the property of the Brahmana; by his pre-eminence of birth, the Brahmana is indeed entitled to this all. // Mn_1.100 //

The Brahmana eats but his own food, wears but his own clothes, and gives but his own alms; it is through the compassion of the Brahmana that other people enjoy. // Mn_1.101 //

To determine the duties of him and of the others in due order, the wise Svayambhuva Manu composed this shastra. // Mn_1.102 //

This must be studied with diligence by a learned Brahmana, and it must be taught by him to his pupils properly, but by no one else. // Mn_1.103 //

A Brahmana who studies this shastra and fulfills his vows is never tainted by the sins of action arising from his mind, speech, or body. // Mn_1.104 //

He purifies his company and his ancestors and descendants for seven generations each way; and he alone is worthy to possess this whole earth. // Mn_1.105 //

This is the highest means of securing good fortune; this promotes understanding; this brings fame and long life; this is the supreme path to ultimate bliss. // Mn_1.106 //

In this, Dharma has been declared in its entirety, as well as the good and bad qualities of actions, and the eternal rule of conduct for the four varnas. // Mn_1.107 //

The rule of conduct is the highest Dharma, declared in both Śruti and Smārta; therefore a self-possessed twice-born should always be devoted to it. // Mn_1.108 //

A Brahmana who has fallen from the rule of conduct does not reap the fruit of the Veda; but he who is united with it will enjoy the full fruit. // Mn_1.109 //

Thus the sages, seeing that the course of Dharma proceeds from the rule of conduct, accepted the rule of conduct as the highest root of all tapas. // Mn_1.110 //

And the origin of the world, and the rule for the saṃskāras (purifying rites), the conduct of a student's vow, and the supreme rule of the bath; // Mn_1.111 //

And the taking of a wife, and the characteristics of the different forms of marriage, the rules for the great sacrifices, and the eternal procedure for ancestral rites; // Mn_1.112 //

And the characteristics of the modes of livelihood, and the vows of a graduate, what may and may not be eaten, purification, and the cleansing of things; // Mn_1.113 //

The duties of women, the way of the ascetic, liberation, and renunciation, the entire Dharma of a king, and the settlement of legal cases; // Mn_1.114 //

The rules for examining witnesses, and the law concerning husband and wife, the law of inheritance, gambling, and the removal of "thorns"; // Mn_1.115 //

The conduct towards Vaishyas and Shudras, and the origin of the mixed varnas, the Dharma in times of distress for the varnas, and likewise the rule of penance; // Mn_1.116 //

And the threefold transmigration of the soul arising from actions, the supreme good resulting from actions, and the examination of their merits and demerits; // Mn_1.117 //

The laws of countries, the laws of families, and the eternal laws of castes, and the laws of heretical groups and guilds—all this Manu has declared in this shastra. // Mn_1.118 //

Just as Manu, when asked by me in former times, declared this shastra, so you too should now learn it from my presence. // Mn_1.119 //