Sāvarṇi Manu
Sāvarṇi Manu, “the Manu born of the one of like form”
Sāvarṇi Manu is a son of Bhagavān Sūrya and Chāyā, and the eighth Manu. The Bhavishya Purāṇa tells of his birth in the Brahma Parva, and of his fight with Bhagavān Sūrya in the Pratisarga Parva. To this day he stays at the foot of Meru performing divine tapas.
Per the Brahma Parva
Sumantu Muni tells King Śatānīka that Tapatī, Śani and Sāvarṇi are the children of Chāyā. In a later chapter of his account, Nārada tells Sāmba how Chāyā took Saṃjñā‘s form by Saṃjñā’s word and came to Sūrya. Thinking her to be Saṃjñā, Sūrya Deva begot on her two sons and one beautiful daughter. The two sons, Śrutaśravas and Śrutakarman, were equal to Manu. Śrutaśravas was to become the Manu called Sāvarṇi, and Śrutakarman is the graha Śanaiścara. Sāvarṇi won fame as the eighth Manu.
The Brahma Parva also names Sāvarṇa among the Manus of the future, with Raucya and Dautya.
Per the Pratisarga Parva
Bṛhaspati tells Devendra that Sāvarṇi Manu, Śani and Tapatī were born of Chāyā. Sāvarṇi Manu and Śani grew angry with Sūrya and began to fight him, and they began to be burned to ash by him. The two came to the Himālaya and performed supreme tapas. After three years Mahākālī, who loves her bhaktas, was pleased and granted them a vara. With the vara they came again to fight Bhagavān Sūrya, and Sūrya left that place.
Later the Aśvinīkumāras, the sons of the mare, defeated Sāvarṇi and Śani, bound them and brought them to their father. Bhagavān Sūrya struck them with an iron rod, by which they became lame.
Bhagavān Sūrya told the Aśvinīkumāras that Sāvarṇi standing in the second place from a person’s rāśi (sign) causes delusion, and that ārādhanā of Piṅgalāpati then gives śānti (peace). Sāvarṇi and Śani became Rāhu and Ketu by their other aṃśas.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 2, 47, 79; Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 18
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 2, 47, 79; Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 18