ॐ Hindu Of Universe ॐ
“God’s light is within you, It never leaves you.”
Vivasvan
The eighth Aditya is Vivasvan. He is Agnidev. The brisk and heat spread in him is from the Sun. Digestion of agriculture and fruits, digestion of food eaten by creatures is done by his fire. He is the father of the eighth Manu, Vaivasvata Manu.
Vivswana
Vivswana is the eighth aditya. He is the lord of fire. The energy and life that we get from him is used to nourish the fruits and plants that are further used as food to feed the living creatures.
Story of Vaivasvata Manu
Vaivasvata Manu was a rishi who was also the son of Vivasvan, the presiding deity of the Solar Realm. He was equal to his father and grandfather Brahma in terms of power, glory, strength and austerities performed. He practised tremendous penance in the forest of Badari for ten thousand years. One day, while he was engaged in ascetic practices, a fish approached him on the banks of river Chirini and addressed him thus, “Oh respectful rishi, I am a little fish residing here in this river and I am afraid that big fishes will swallow me. Because the large fishes always live upon small fishes, my life is in constant danger. Therefore do protect me from such an eventuality. Kindly take me with you and keep me in a place where I am safe from predators. This act will earn you merits.The rishi was taken by compassion for the little fish and took it to his home after taking it out from water. He then put it back in an earthen water vessel and reared it carefully. The fish began to grow in size in that vessel and atlast one day it could no longer remain inside that earthen pot. It therefore entreated Manu to take it out and place it in a larger body of water. Accordingly Manu took the fish out of the vessel and carried it to a large tank and put it in the water of the tank. After many years the fish grew up there as well and the space in the tank was inadequate for it even though the tank was big enough. The fish then requested Manu to take it to Ganga where it can play around with much more ease. Manu complied with its wish and placed it in Ganga. There the fish played around for a long time and then one day it became so big that even Ganga could not hold it and therefore the fish requested Manu to put it in the ocean. Manu then took out the fish to the sea and put it there with ease, despite the great bulk. When it was being pushed to the ocean it told Manu smilingly, “You have taken care of me most lovingly and therefore I would pay back your debt. Listen to me carefully. The pralaya or universal destruction is going to take place for ending this period of creation. Therefore the entire universe will be dissolved and will be recreated. All the mobile and immobile creatures will perish. Since you have so faithfully served me, I shall save you. A huge flood is coming that will engulf the entire earth. You must build a big raft that will be strong enough to carry you and the other seven pious rishis and all the seeds, and also preserve them. The boat shall be tied to a strong rope. Then wait for me. I shall appear before you with a horn on my nose and you can thus recognize me. Saying this the fish disappeared and Manu accordingly built a strong boat, procured the different seeds and set sail on a surging sea. Then he thought of the fish and the fish appeared before him with a horn on his nose and Manu tied the boat with the rope to that horn. The sea got even more furious and the entire universe was flooded with water. But the fish moved with ease on that roaring and extremely turbulent sea. Manu and his companions had no difficulty at all. There was no land to be seen anywhere. Everywhere there was water. The fish diligently carried Manu and his boat over that ocean for many days and then they could see in the horizon the mighty peak of the Himalayas. The fish directed itself towards that peak and helped them tie the boat to that peak. The peak therefore became known as Nauvandhana or the harbour. The fish then addressed the rishis saying that it was none other than Brahma, the Lord of all creatures who assumed the form of a fish to save the rishis from the great flood. He also entrusted Manu to create again all beings by acquiring the power of creation through severe austerities. Vaivasvata Manu therefore set on the task of creating all beings again and the period thereafter came to be known after him as Vaivasvata Manvantara. One Manvantara consists of 71 cycles of four Yugas and in one Kalpa or a day of Brahma there are 14 such Manvantaras. The present Manvantara is Vaivasvata Manvantara after Manu and it is the seventh Manvantara in present Kalpa according to Puranas. Some Puranas also depict the fish to be the first avatara or incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Vaivasvata Manu was the founder of the Solar dynasty or the Suryavansh to which belonged Rama, the slayer of Ravana and king of Ayodhya. All the Ikshaku princes of Ayodhya belonged to this dynasty.
Manu Vaivasvata – The Progenitor of Hindu Royal Dynasties
The Puranas give the names of the 14 Manus. The life span of each Manu is said to be one Manvantara consisting of 71 chaturyugas (each yuga consisting of Krita, Treta, Dvapara and Kali). Manu Vaivasvata is said to be the seventh Manu and the Manu of the present age from whom all ruling dynasties of ancient India trace their origin. The unreasonable life span assigned to the predecessors of Manu Vaivasvata makes their very existence a myth. Also the mentioning of the future Manus when the present age is still in vogue shows that the information is just prophesy. Hence only Manu Vaivasvata can be consider as a historical person.
According to Satapata Brahmana, Manu Vaivasvata whose personal name appears to be Satyavrata was a south Indian king and when the floods came he had abdicated from his throne and was practising austerities in the Malbar country. Later he came to north India and established his rule. Manu was the son of Vivasvan and Savarna. His father Vivasvan was the brother of Indra and son of sage Kashyapa and Adithi. In the Rig Veda Manu is spoken as the father of mankind and was the first to offer sacrifice. And as a institutor of fire rites, he was also the first composer of hymns and model to all later rishis. Manu had his capital at Ayodhya on the banks of river Sarayu. Kautilya reveals that people suffering from anarchy first elected Manu Vaivasvata to be their king and allotted 1/6th of the grains grown and 1/10th of the merchandise as sovereign due. Fed by this payment kings took upon themselves the responsibility of maintaining the safety and security of their subjects. His eldest son Ikshavaku succeeded him and he was the founder of the solar dynasty. Manu’s daughter (adopted) Ila married Budha and their heir was Pururava, the originator of lunar dynasty. Manu was a good administrator and peace and prosperity prevailed in his kingdom. He was a great lover of learning and religion. Kalhana has recorded that even during the reign of Kashmir monarch, Jayapida, the 5th successor of Lalitaditya Muktapida (712-750 A.D.) Manu along with Mandhatra, Rama and others was remembered as a great sovereign.
Probable Period of Manu Vaivasvata
Two probable dates arrived by scholars on the occurrence of Mahabharatha war are 3067 B.C. and 2449 B.C.* In Vayu Purana we have a total of 94 kings from Manu to Bhrihadbala belonging to the Ikshavaku dynasty. According to D.R.Mankad the Puranas computed the number of kings of a dynasty on the basis of units of 40 years or caturyugas. Hence the date of Manu can be arrived if we multiply 40 years (that is the number of years each ruler lived) X 94 generations = 3760 and add either 2449 or 3067 (dates of Mahabharatha War) to calculate the date of Manu, that is 6209 if the date of Mahabharatha War is taken as 2449 or 6827 if the date of Mahabharatha War is taken as 3067.
Manu Smrti – Code of Manu
Manu Vaivasvata is the author of Manu Smrti the first book on Hindu jurisprudence. As he had to organize his state composed of different groups of people, he probably had drafted the dharma shastras (codes). It is said to be based on an earlier work entitled Svayambhuva Sastra written by Svayambhuva Manu. But as Svayambhuva Manu appears to be a mythical person, the authorship of the said work could be given to Manu Vaivasvata. This book composed by Manu in the early Vedic period was later expanded, condensed, altered and readjusted to suit later conditions of life. According to P.V.Kane the extant Manu Smrti was composed between 2nd century B.C. and 2nd century A.D. and it is almost impossible to say who composed it. Probably the extant Manu Smrti was based on the original Manu Smrti composed by Manu Vaivasvata and a person who had access to the original manuscript, made additions to it and suppressing his identity published it as Manu Smrti with a view to invest the work with a halo of antiquity and authoritativeness. This interpretation we can deduce if we critically analyze the extant Manu Smrti. The present work contains 12 chapters. Except the seventh and eighth chapters which deal with the duties of kings and ministers and with law and justices, the rest of the chapters deal with castes, duties of Brahmins, pure and impure food, about vratas, shradda, yagas, kinds of marriages, etc. As we know the growth of caste system, the rituals associated with various ceremonies like yagas, marriages, etc. was a later development. So except those dealing with law, justice and governance, the rest of the topics could be interpolations.
Influence of Manu and Manu Smrti abroad
The Bible in India says that the Manu Smrti was the foundation upon which the Egyptian, the Persian, the Grecian and the Roman codes of law were built. The Laws of Hammurabi is based on the laws of Manu as Indian Kshatriyas had migrated west of Gandhara many centuries before the rule of Hammurabi at Babylonia. Vaivasvata Manu figures as a deity in the pantheon of Persia. Iranian culture reveals the great influence of the Manu Smrti and says that for the administration of the Persian empire under Darius, laws were formulated according to Manu’s treatise. Manu is held in high esteem in Philippines and his statue can be found in the art gallery of the senate chambers of the Philippine Republic. Similarly in Myanmar (Burma) indebtedness to Manu has been acknowledged in some of their law books. The Indonesian treatises on law appear to be based on Manu Smrti. Among such works, the Kutara Manava is the oldest, the major portion of which follow the work of Manu Smrti. Another work Dawagama is entirely based on the Manu Smrti.
Worship method of Vaivasvat Manu on Surya SaptamiAccording to the Hindu calendar, every year there is a law to worship Vaivasvat Sun on the seventh day of Shukla Paksha of Ashadh month. This day is dedicated to Vaivasvata Manu, the son of Sun God. It is believed that by worshiping and fasting Vaivasvat Manu on the day of Surya Saptami, one gets the boon of health, increase in wealth and victory over enemies. This time July 6, 2022 is on Friday, Surya Saptami. There is also a tradition of worshiping Varuna form of Sun God on this day. Let us know who was Vaivasvat Manu and the method of worship.
Who was Vaivasvat Manu
According to mythological beliefs, Sun God was born from the womb of Mother Aditi. According to the scriptures, Lord Surya is also known as Vivasvan and Martand. Vaivasvata Manu was the son of Surya Dev i.e. Vivasvan and Goddess Sangya. Vaivasvata Manu is also called Shraddhadev and Satyavrata. The world developed from Vaivasvata Manu. It is said that by worshiping him on this day with devotion, all the wishes are fulfilled.
Worship method of Surya Saptami (Vivaswat Manu Puja Vidhi)
In the Bhavishya Purana, the special importance of worshiping the sun has been told. Offering Arghya to the rising Sun on the day of Surya Saptami gives blessings to remain healthy. Wake up before sunrise on this day and retire from bath etc.
To offer water to the Sun, fill a copper vessel with water and add red sandalwood, rice, and red flowers to it and offer water to the Sun after meditating on Varun’s form.
While offering Arghya to the Sun, chant the mantra Om Ravaye Namah. After this, worship the Sun God with incense and lamps.
It is believed that by worshiping this method, one gets self-purification and strength by the grace of Lord Sun God. It helps to stay energetic.
Donating copper utensils, jaggery, red sandalwood, clothes and wheat on Surya Saptami is considered auspicious.
Vivasvat Saptami Katha
Lord Vishnu took Matsya Avatar during the time of Vaivasvat Manu. The story of Lord Vishnu’s Matsya Avatar is very famous. It was narrated by Sukhdev to Parikshit. The story goes as follows:
There was once a benevolent king Satyavrat. He was very religious and followed all rituals. Once he was standing on the banks of the Kritmala river and performing Tarpan. Suddenly a fish popped into his hand. As soon as he tried to release the fish in the river, that fish urged him to not do so. Seeing this, the king decided to protect the life of the fish. He put the fish in his Kamandal filled with water and brought the fish to his palace.
But in a day the fish grew so big that it could not be accommodated in the Kamandal. As the fish could not fit inside the Kamandal, it requested the King to shift it to a larger space. King Satyavrat took out the fish and put her in a big pitcher filled with water. But in just a few seconds the fish outgrew the pitcher also. After this, the king placed the fish in a lake. Once again, the fish outgrew the lake too. The king tried to put the fish in different water bodies of different sizes but the fish outgrew everything. In the end, the king placed her in the ocean.
But the fish outgrew the ocean also. Finally, the king realised that this is not an ordinary fish and questioned the fish. King Satyavrat bowed in front of the fish and said – ‘I have not seen a creature like this till date, kindly tell me the secret on who you are and reveal to me who you really are. You are not a normal creature’. On hearing this, Lord Vishnu appears and tells him that he has incarnated in the form of a fish. He says, ‘After seven days from today, all the three worlds will submerge in water, at that time a big boat will arrive. You have to get all the Devas, flora, fauna, living beings, and all other important things on to the boat. Then I will appear again in my fish Avatar. You tie the boat to my horn using the Vasuki snake. As I will not submerge the boat too won’t submerge and all of you will remain safe’. Having said this Lord Vishnu again starts meditating. Thus he gives the responsibility of saving the world to King Satyavrat.
Satyavrat follows the words of Lord Vishnu. Then devastation occurs on the seventh day and Satyavrat boards the boat taking everyone as instructed. Lord Vishnu appears in Matsya form. Everyone in the boat is saved and the devastation ends.
In present times, Satyavrat became famous as Shradha Dev, the son of Vivasvan or Vaivasvata (Sun) and also came to be known as Vaivasvata Manu. Vaivasvata Manu, the son of Sun is also the creator of Manu Smriti. Vivasvat Saptami is also very important in the tradition of worshiping the Sun God, the King of the nine planets. This form of the Sun is worshipped from ancient times.
Vivasvat Saptami Puja
All the problems of life are resolved by worshipping Surya Dev on Vivasvat Saptami. Surya Dev should be worshipped to get rid of health-related problems, happiness, and get positive results. If someone is facing problems from the government side or is facing property related issues then worshipping Surya Dev on this day helps in getting relief.
The devotee should wake up before sunrise on this day.
Water should be offered to Surya Dev after taking a bath.
Roli, Akshat, sugar and red flowers should be placed in the water while performing the Arghya.
The following Mantra should be recited – ‘ॐ ह्रां ह्रीं ह्रौं स: सूर्याय नम:’.
Only sweet food items should be consumed on this day.
Halwa should be offered as Bhog to Surya Dev.
Aditya Hridya Stotra and Suryashtak Path should be read.
Importance of Vivasvat Saptami
Several stories on Vivasvat abound. In Vedic literature, Manu is considered as the son of Vivasvat and is known by the name Vaivasvata. Surya Dev is worshipped on this day as Sun is associated with it. On this day Vivasvat Manu is worshipped. Manu Katha is also read on this day. The creation of life takes place under the leadership of Vaivasvat Manu. This led to the tradition of Shruti and Smriti. Vivasvat leads to the beginning of Surya Vansh. Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu took birth in the Surya Vansha.