The esoteric secret of Śiva - Verse 28
Linga Purana (GRETIL / Wisdomlib) · 1 · Verse 7.28
Sanskrit Original
स्वरात्मानः समाख्याताश चान्तरेशाः समासतः। वैवस्वत ऋकारस्तु मनुः कृष्णः सुरेश्वरः।।
svarātmānaḥ samākhyātāś cāntareśāḥ samāsataḥ| vaivasvata ṛkārastu manuḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sureśvaraḥ||
Sūta said: The first Manu was (1) Svāyambhuva son of Brahmā. Then, O brahmins, was the Manu (2) Svārociṣa. The subsequent Manus were: (3) Uttama, (4) Tāmasa, (5) Raivata, (6) Cākṣuṣa, (7) Vaivasvata, (8) Sāvarṇi, (9) Dharma, (10) Sāvarṇika, (11) Piśaṅga, (12) Apiśaṅgābha, (13) Śabala, and (14) Varṇaka. The Manus are also designated according to the vowels beginning with ‘a’ and ending with ‘au’. O excellent brahmins, they are also classified according to their colours as (1) śveta (white), (2) pāṇḍu (grey), (3) rakta (reddish), (4) tāmra (copper-hued), (5) pīta (yellow), (6) kapila (tawny), (7) kṛṣṇa (black), (8) śyāma (dark), (9) dhūmra (light-smoke-coloured), (10) sudhūmra (deep smoke-coloured), (11) apiśaṅga (non-tawny) (12) piśaṅga (tawny), (13) trivarṇaśabala (three-coloured) and (14) kālandhura (extreme black). Thus all the holy Manus have been mentioned by (1) name, (2) letters, and (3) colour. Those identical with the vowels are, in brief, mentioned as the leaders of the manvantaras. Among them, the seventh Manu is Vaivasvata represented by the vowel ‘ṛ’ and colour black. This seventh Manu is also a leader among devas. I shall mention the yogins in this repeated cycle of yugas in the kalpas that have passed by and those that are yet to come.