Sūta said:
1. O intelligent one, wonderful are the secrets which you have truthfully spoken for blessing the worlds.
2. There I have a doubt regarding the incarnations of the trident-bearing lord. What is the reason that the great God (Mahādeva) avoids the previous Yugas and takes incarnation in the terrible Kali age (only)?
3. I wish to know how the lord took up incarnation in this Vaivasvata Manvantara.
4. There is nothing unknown to you in this or in the other world. O intelligent lord, if I deserve to hear that great account please tell me. I ask you humbly for the instruction of the devotees.
1. This esoteric exposition of Om, tracing to it the creation of vowels (and consonants also) and connecting 14 Manus with the 14 vowels, shows how Purăņic thinkers tried to emphasize the importance of Om as the source of everything.
Lomašha said:
5. Thus asked, Lord Väyu of great brilliance honoured by the people and engaged in their welfare said:
6. “O son of Gadhi, what you have asked me is a great secret in the world. I shall explain everything. Please listen as I narrate this to you.
7. Formerly, when a thousand divine years had elapsed in the vast ocean of water, Brahma, desiring to create the subjects was distressed and he began to contemplate.
8. While he was contemplating, a boy manifested himself. His body was emitting divine fragrance. He was reciting nectar like divine Vedas.
9. He was repeating the Vedic lore that had neither sound, nor touch, nor colour nor smell nor taste and which the four faced lord (Brahma) had secured.
10. Then he became engrossed in meditation. After performing terrible penance, he thought within himself thrice, “Who is this?”
11. While he was contemplating thus, an eternal (imperishable) syllable manifested itself. It was devoid of any sound, touch, form, taste or smell.
12. Then he saw his own form, the most excellent one in the worlds. Meditating upon the lord, he saw it again.
13. He saw that it was white, red, yellow and black. He looked into the colour. It was neither a woman nor a eunuch.
14. After knowing it, he contemplated over the syllable for a pretty long time. While meditating thus, the syllable came out of his throat.
15. It consisted of one single mátra. Its sound was very loud. It was white in colour and very pure. That Omkāra would be the Veda. The syllable was verily Maheśhvara himself.1
1. The identification of Om, Brahman or Vedas and Shiva enhances Shiva’s greatness in the minds of listeners.
16. While the self-born Brahma was contemplating, the red colour manifested itself. That is known as the first Veda [Deva in A].
17. The Rugveda is the first Veda that begins with the (words) “agnimile purohitam” (RV1.1.1). On perceiving this Ruk, Brahmă the creator of worlds and of great splendour thought, “What is this?”
18. While he was contemplating, the Lord, due to his power of Lordship, turned it into a syllable of two māträs.
19. Then he thought of the Akshara as consisting of two Mātrās. It manifested itself as red. The Yajur-veda was born out of it.
20. The Yajur mantra begins işhetvā urjetvā vāyavastha devo vah savita punah’ (TS 1.1.1 and 1.1.15). The Rugveda is declared to be consisting) of a single mätrā and the Yajurveda of two mātrās.
21. On perceiving the Veda and the Akshara of two Mätrās, lord Brahma contemplated over the Akshara of two Mātrās.
22. While he was contemplating Omkära appeared. Then Brahmă thought over the Akshara Omkāra.
23. Then he observed the yellow Ruk that rose up, beginning with the words “agna ayāhi vitaye grunano havya dātaye”. (RV VI. 16. 10, also Samaveda I.I
24-26. He, the lord of great brilliance, saw the Vedas present. He contemplated over the Akshara thrice during the three junctions (dawn, mid-day, and dusk). The Akshara which is called Brahman the Omkāra, assumes three colours during the three Savana periods. Due to the contact with the three, that Akşhara had three colours. It was perceivable, imperceivable and manifest. It was triple, symbolizing the three heavens. It had three Mātrās, three worlds and three Yogas. It was eternal. Since Lord Brahma contemplated upon that Akshara, it was Brahma.
27. It had the form of the self-born (deity). It saw the lord of fourteen faces of shining splendour. After creating Omkāra at the outset, the self-born deity Brahmă became visible.
28. Then, out of the four mouths of the four-faced god came out fourteen letters various letters and vowels. That is the refulgent initial letter. From it sixty-three letters have the letter A at the beginning, .
29. Hence for serving a common purpose for all letters, the self-born Brahma stood in the form of “A” at the outset. It was the first vowel.
30. Then from those vowels, fourteen Manus of big faces were born. They are the divine sounds in the Manvantara.
31. The letter “A” which has fourteen faces and which is known as Brahma and which is equal to him is called Prajāpati It exists in all letters.1
1. The purāņa linguistics believes in the existence of vowel “A” in letters.
32. From the first face, Svayambhuva Manu was born. He is known as the letter “A” of the self-born Brahmä. Its colour is white.2
2. Verses 32-49 show a crude attempt to connect the 14 Manus to the vowels as follows:
Sr. No. of Letter of Name of the Colour
Brahman’s face alphabet Manu associated
1st Face A Svayambhuva White
2nd A Svårocişha Yellowish white
3rd* I The Sun (?)-Yajurveda
I Kşhattriya Red
*No Manu named for I & I
4th U Tamasa Copper -coloured
5th U Charishnava Yellow
6th Om (Vijaya?) Tawny
7th R Vaivasvata Dark
8th R(long) Savarņi Dark blue
9th L Dhūmra Smoky
10th L Sävarnika Similar as above
11th E Pishanga Manu Reddish brown 12th Ai Also Pishanga Manu Reddish brown with the lustre of Bhasma
13th O Not named Five colours
14th AU Săvarni Variegated
This tabular statement shows that
(i) The list of Manus is different from the usual list.
(ii) Names of some Manus are repeated.
(iii) Some letters e.g., I, I, O, Om have no presiding Manus. (iv) The Purăņa author has foisted long L on the alphabet though no grammarian accepts it.
*Pāņini does not recognize long L
33. From his second face the letter “A” was born. He is known as the Svārochişha Manu. His colour is yellowish white.
34. From his third face was born the letter “I” the most excellent of the Yajus. The sun consists of Yajus from which the Yajurveda manifested itself.
35. That Manu is known as the letter “I”. He is valorous and of red colour. The Kşhattras (the warrior caste) function from it. Hence a Kşhattriya is red.
36. From his fourth face was born the vowel “U”. It is copper-coloured. It is known as Tāmasa Manu.
37. From his fifth face the letter “Ū” was born. It is yellow in colour. It is known as Charişhnava Manu.
38.. Then from his sixth face, Omkāra was born. It was tawny in colour. From the sixth was born the superior-most Vijaya (Victory) of great penance.
39. From his seventh face was born the vowel “R”. It is known as Vaivasvata Manu. It is dark in colour.
40. From his eighth face emerged the (long) “R”. Due to its dark blue colour and due to its being similar (in sibilant pronunciation?) in Shya-ma, it is called Sävarņi.
41. From his ninth face was born the ninth letter “L”. It has the colour of the smoke and the Manu?) is known as “Dhūmra”.
42. From his tenth face was born the letter (long) “L”. It is similar to the lord and has a similar colour. Hence it is known as Săvarņika Manu.
43. From his eleventh face was born the letter “E”. It is called ‘Manu’. It is reddish brown in colour. It is known as Pishanga (reddish brown) Manu.
44. From his twelfth face was born the letter “Ai”. It is reddish brown with the lustre of Bhasma (ashes). It is also known as Pishanga Manu.
45. The letter that was born from his thirteenth face was called the letter “O”, which consisting of five colours, excels all.
46. The letter born from his fourteenth face was called the letter “AU”. It is of variegated colours. It is known as Savarni Manu.
47. Thus the Manus, letters and colours shall be known precisely in regard to Kalpa, accent and letters.
48. The vowels are of similar colour. They are assigned to Varnas due to their similarity in colour. Their logical connection or natural sequence is stated.
49. Since born in the same Kalpa, they are of the same colour, the junctions (combinations, transitions) of the Kalpas or letters occur in respect of similar entities.
50. The groups of letters are formed by their places of utterance (sthanas) as the distributions of castes by their professional equity. This is the practice in regard to the junctions of vowels and the transition of Kalpas.