SwŒyambhuva* Manu had ÝatarµupŒ as wife; of them was born this human race, peerless in God’s creation. The piety and conduct of the pair were excellent; the standard of morality set up by them is sung by the Vedas even to this day. Their son that the Creator divided himself into two halves, one of which was a male and the other a female. The former was known by the name of SwŒyambhuva and the other as ÝatarµupŒ. He was the first of the fourteen Manus who rule over God’s creation in succession, each holding office for 71.1/2 Caturyugas or repetitions of the four Yugas. 146 * ÝR” RMACARITAMNASA* was king UttŒnapŒda, who begot the celebrated devotee of Ýr¶ Hari, Dhruva. Manu’s younger son was known as Priyavrata, who is mentioned with praise by the Vedas and the PurŒ˜as. They had a daughter too, Devahµuti by name, who was the favourite consort of the sage Kardama, and who bore in her womb the all-powerful and benevolent Lord Kapila the primal divinity, who is compassionate to the humble and who openly expounded the philosophy of SŒ˘khya, an adept as He was in the enquiry after the ultimate principles. The said Manu ruled for a long period and followed the Lord’s commandments (in the form of the scriptural ordinance) in everyway. (1—4)