Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10 Verse 6 भगवद् गीता अध्याय 10 श्लोक 6 महर्षयः सप्त पूर्वे चत्वारो मनवस्तथा। मद्भावा मानसा जाता येषां लोक इमाः प्रजाः।।10.6।। English Translation - Swami Gambirananda 10.6 The seven great sages as also the four Manus of anceint days, of whom are these creatures in the world, had their thoughts fixed on Me, and they were born from My mind. English Translation - Swami Sivananda 10.6 The seven great sages, the ancient four and also the Manus, possessed of powers like Me (on account of their minds being fixed on Me), were born of (My) mind; from them are these creatures born in this world. English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 10.6. The ancient Seven Great-Seers and also the Four Manus, of whom these creatures in this world are offsprings-they have been born as My mental dispositions. English Commentary - Swami Sivananda 10.6 महर्षयः the great Rishis? सप्त seven? पूर्वे ancient? चत्वारः four? मनवः Manus? तथा also? मद्भावाः possessed of powers like Me? मानसाः from mind? जाताः born? येषाम् from whom? लोके in world? इमाः these? प्रजाः creatures. Commentary In the beginning I was alone and from Me came the mind and from the mind were produced the seven sages (such as Bhrigu? Vasishtha and others)? the ancient four Kumaras (Sanaka? Sanandana? Sanatkumara and Sanatsujata)? as well as the four Manus of the past ages known as Savarnis? all of whom directed their thoughts to Me exclusively and were therefore endowed with divine powers and supreme wisdom.The four Kumaras (chaste? ascetic youths) declined to marry and create offspring. They preferred to remain perpetual celibates and to practise BrahmaVichara or profound meditation on Brahman or the Absolute.They were all created by Me? by mind alone. They were all mindborn sons of Brahma. They were not born from the womb like ordinary mortals. Manavah? men? the present inhabitants of this world? are the sons of Manu. The Manus are the mindborn sons of God. These creatures which consist of the moving and the unmoving beings are born of the seven great sages and the four Manus. The great sages were original teaches of BrahmaVidya or the ancient wisdom of the Upanishads. The Manus were the rulers of men. They framed the code or rules of conduct or the laws of Dharma for the guidance and uplift of humanity.The seven great sages represent the seven planes also. In the macrocosm? Mahat or cosmic Buddhi? Ahamkara or the cosmic egoism and the five Tanmatras or the five rootelements of which the five great elements? viz.? earth? water? fire? air and ether are the gross forms? represent the seven great sages. This gross universe with the moving and the unmoving beings and the subtle inner world have come out of the above seven principles. In mythology or the Puranic terminology these seven principles have been symbolised and give human names. Bhrigu? Marichi? Atri? Pulastya? Pulaha? Kratu and Vasishtha are the seven great sages.In the microcosm? Manas (mind)? Buddhi (intellect)? Chitta (subconsciousness) and Ahamkara (egoism) have been symbolised as the four Manus and given human names. The first group forms the base of the macrocosm. The second group forms the base of the microcosm (individuals). These two groups constitute this vast universe of sentient life.Madbhava with their being in Me? of My nature. English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's 10.6 Sapta, the seven; maharsayah, great sages-Bhrgu and others; tatha, as also; catvarah, the four; manavah, Manus [Savarni, Dharma-savarini, Daksa-savarni, and Savarna.-Tr.]- well known as Savarnas; purve, of ancient days; yesam, of whom, of which Manus and the great sages; imah, these; prajah, creatures, moving and non-moving; loke in the world, are the creation; madbhavah, had their thoughts fixed on Me-they had their minds fixed on Me, (and hence) they were endowed with the power of Visnu; and they jatah, were born; manasa; from My mind-they were created by Me through My mind itself. English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 10.6 See Comment under 10.11 English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary 10.6 The seven great Rsis of yore, namely, those seven great Rsis like Bhrgu etc., were from the mind of Brahma in the cycle of the past Manu to perpetuate the creation permanently; and the four Manas called the sons of Savarna existed for the work of eternal sustentation. All creatures in the world are their progeny. So they are the generators of this progeny as also their sustainers till the time of Pralaya. These Bhrgu etc., and the Manus, derive their mental condition from Me. Their disposition is My disposition - they subsist on My disposition. The meaning is they follow My will. Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji Not having mentioned that intelligence, knowledge and non-bewilderment cannot give real knowledge of the Lord, the Lord in this verse states that these things cannot give true knowledge of the Lord. The seven great sages beginning with Marici, the four Kumaras such as Sanaka, and the fourteen Manus beginning with Svayambhuva, take birth from me in the form of Hiranyagarbha (Brahma). They arose from my mind. The brahmanas and others exist as the offspring, sons and grandsons, or students, and students of students of the seven sages, the four Kumaras and the Manus. Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Furthermore Lord Krishna explains that in the Puranas which are ancient Vedic literatures are many proofs concerning the great sage Bhrgu, the seven sages who are Marici, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasistha and others such as the four Kumaras and the Svayambhuva Manu; all who are endowed by the Supreme Lords essence and in whom He has placed a portion of His power and potency. This very power is being illustrated as all of these great beings were manifested from the mind of the Supreme Lord as a mere desire of His and all of them are the factual grandsires of all progeny on Earth multiplying and multiplying in the worlds as sons, grandsons and great grandsons as well as disciples grand disciples and great grand disciples and so forth and so on as the case may be. Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The seven great sages of an earlier age are Marici, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasisitha of magnificent splendour. It is found in the Moksa Dharma abd throughout the Puranas. Among the Manus the first was Svayambhu and the others were Sarochisa, Raivata and Uttama of a previous age and from them came all humans and not from Bhrgu and others who came after and are from our present age. The words imah prajah spoken by Lord Krishna denotes the descending lineage of the four orders being brahmins, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras and does not refer to any beings born in the future. So these four Manus headed by Svayambhu are the primary ones and the otherss coming after are subsequent ones. Even in the Gautama text it has been mentioned: Those who are connected to Svayambhu, Svarochita, Raivata and Uttama have very good progeny. Even though Tapasama is senior to Svarochita, his name is not mentioned here because he is one of the descendants of the Supreme Lord and so it would be incongruous with the words manasa jata referring to the mentally expanded forms from Brahma. This is recorded in the Bhagavat Purana where descriptions of the Manus have been enumerated, that Brahma created the Manus from his mind and it also states that without relinquishing the body given to them by Brahma it was possible for them to be born as Priyavratas sons. Both interpretations are capable to be accepted. This is proven by Lord Krishna using the word purve meaning their predecessors. The use of the word mad-bhava meaning from His energy confirms that even though they were created from the mind of Brahma, they are integrally endowed with Lord Krishnas potency. Now begins the summation. The Brahma Purana states that Marici, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vashistha of great splendour were earlier known as the seven sages Because of exceptional intelligence Brahma and other demigods were sometimes known as Manus. Even though the demigods were numerous they were sometimes referred to as Manus because of the divisions of the four orders. Because of weakness some of the demigods were known as dina or weak while other demigods such as Brahma and Rudra were known as strong. The demigods for whose favour worship was done not to propitiate Lord Krishna but instead to acquire some material benefits were known as dina. The worship and propitiation directed towards Lord Krishna was performed only by those demigods who were known as Manu and they did not direct their worship to any other source than Him. The Maha Vishnu Purana states: The progeny of Marici and others were known as manavas or human beings. Their sons and grandsons and great grandsons gradually populated part of the material creation of the Supreme Lord Krishna. Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The word purve meaning predecessor establishes a link to the past. This past is the previous manvantara or age of Manu. From the mind of Brahma the seven great sages Marici, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasistha were all born to inaugurate the day arising of Brahma. Although Bhrgu was also born from the mind of Brahma and a great sage, he was subsequent to the others. The four Manus named Savarnikas are Brahma, Rudra, Dharma and Daksa and they are responsible for overseeing the maintenance of creation. The fourteen Manus named Manvantaras are headed by Syambhuva Manu and are appointed to administrate the creation for their allotted time span. All the human beings in creation are descendants from these aforementioned. They materially create and materially sustain their descendants which includes the whole human population in creation every moment throughout time until the commencement of the cosmic dissolution. Lord Krishna states the words mad-bhava meaning of His nature, this confirms that Brahma, Rudra, the Manus, the seven sages, etc. are all endowed with His nature and imbued with a spark of His potency and are followers of His divine plan in all situations and circumstances. Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary The word purve meaning predecessor establishes a link to the past. This past is the previous manvantara or age of Manu. From the mind of Brahma the seven great sages Marici, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasistha were all born to inaugurate the day arising of Brahma. Although Bhrgu was also born from the mind of Brahma and a great sage, he was subsequent to the others. The four Manus named Savarnikas are Brahma, Rudra, Dharma and Daksa and they are responsible for overseeing the maintenance of creation. The fourteen Manus named Manvantaras are headed by Syambhuva Manu and are appointed to administrate the creation for their allotted time span. All the human beings in creation are descendants from these aforementioned. They materially create and materially sustain their descendants which includes the whole human population in creation every moment throughout time until the commencement of the cosmic dissolution. Lord Krishna states the words mad-bhava meaning of His nature, this confirms that Brahma, Rudra, the Manus, the seven sages, etc. are all endowed with His nature and imbued with a spark of His potency and are followers of His divine plan in all situations and circumstances. Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 10.6Maharshayah sapta poorve chatwaaro manavastathaa; Madbhaavaa maanasaa jaataa yeshaam loka imaah prajaah. Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 10.6mahā-ṛiṣhayaḥ—the great Sages; sapta—seven; pūrve—before; chatvāraḥ—four; manavaḥ—Manus; tathā—also; mat bhāvāḥ—are born from me; mānasāḥ—mind; jātāḥ—born; yeṣhām—from them; loke—in the world; imāḥ—all these; prajāḥ—people