In Hindu mythology, Vaivasvata Manu is the 7th Manu of Humanity who is the progenitor of present mankind. The Secret Doctrine states that Vaivasvata is the Root-Manu of the fourth ROUND. At the end of the round, his role will be taken over by Savarna Manu, the SEED-MANU who will oversee the remaining life-seeds during the dormant period of the globes.

The Satapatha Brahmana and the Mahabharata recount the legend of how Vaivasvata Manu was saved from the deluge. Once when he was washing his hands in the water, he caught a fish which asked him to take care of it and he would be preserved from a flood that was going to sweep away all living things. The fish grew larger and larger, and a ship was built upon the instruction of the fish. He was instructed to bring aboard it a male and female of every species. When the deluge came, he tied the bowline of the ship to the horn of the fish, which steered the ship through the waters until they receded, whereupon the pairs of creatures repopulated the earth. A woman was created for him, with whom he begat human offspring. In the Mahabharata version of the story, Vaivasvata boarded the ship with seven Rishis.

The Secret Doctrine (II:139-141) states that this legend (which obviously has similarities with the story of Noah and the ark in the Bible) should be understood on several levels. On the cosmic level, it refers to the First Cosmic Flood, primordial creation, or the formation of the heaven and earth. The ship symbolizes the female generative principle, fructified by Visnu, the male principle. On the level of human evolution, it refers to the saving of mankind from utter destruction at the end of the Third Root Race when a mortal woman was made the receptacle of the human seed. The story also relates the historical submersion of Atlantis.

In the writings of Charles W. Leadbeater, the name Vaivasvata Manu is also applied to one of the members of the Adept Hierarchy. He is said to be a seventh initiate on the level of the Maha-Chohan and the Lord Maitreya.

See Manus; Deluge.

V.H.C.

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