73 - End of the Auttama Manv-antara. 

Markandeya names the gods of the Auttama Manv-antara and their lord, and mentions the kings and rishis. 

Markandeya spoke:

1 Listen while I speak of the gods, the Indra, the rishis, the kings in this third manv-antara of the Praja-pati Auttama.

2 Thus the first group of gods was the Sva-dhamans, †† who acted according to their name; and another also, the second

††” Deities who reside in their own dwellings.” 

 3 group of the thirty gods, was the Satyakhyas. § Now the gods in the third group were the Sh'ivakhyas, || O best of munis” now they were auspicious by nature; they are declared

§” Named after truth,'' or” named as true.” 

|| “Named as auspicious.” 

 4 to have destroyed sin. And the fourth group of the gods therein was the Pratardanakhyas, ¶ O best of munis,

¶ “Named Pratardanas.” 

5 in the period of Auttama Mann. And the gods in the fifth group therein were the Vasha-vartins,** O brahman; now all of them indeed had natures corresponding to their 

**” Those who are obedient to another's will.” This half line has a syllable too much.

6 names, great muni. And these five groups of gods are reported to have fed of the sacrifices. All the groups were twelve in the manv-antara which appertained to that best 

7 of Manns. Their lord* was illustrious; may he become the spiritual preceptor in the three worlds! Having offered a

* Indro. 

 8 hundred sacrifices, he was verily named Su-shanti.†  Now a song, which is embellished with the words composing his name in order to avert portents emanating from him, is

† “Sweetly serene.” 

 9 sung by men on the earth even to this day, —” Sweetly serene is the kindly ruler of the gods, he bestows sweet serenity.” He is attended by the Sh'ivas and Satyas †† and other groups of

†† See verses 2 and 3 above. 

10 gods and also by the Vasha-vartins. § Without birth || was he, absolutely pure, supernatural. 

§ For vasha-vartinah read vasha-vartinaih? 

|| Aja; or “a leader,” 

Very powerful and valiant were that Manu's sons, renowned, 

11 like unto the thirty gods. The descendants of his sons ruled over the earth as kings during the manv-antara of that 

12 Mann of supreme splendour. Of his four ages were reckoned in truth seventy-one and a half, of the ages called Krita, Treta and so on, which I have declared in the account of 

13 the Age. By the innate splendour of the austerities of that most excellent high-souled Manu his seven sons became the seven rishis in that period. 

14 This third manv-antara I have declared to thee. Now the

15 fourth is called the period of Manu Tamasa, who born of an animal's womb illuminated the world with his fame; hearken 

16 to the birth of that Manu, as I tell thee, O brahman. And the exploits of all those ¶ Manus transcend the cognizance of the senses; and the birth of the high-souled Manus is to be known as such, and their majesty also. 

¶ For amunam read amisham?