Chapter 333

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This is corroborated by a learned Brahman. In his most excellent Lectures on the Bhagavad Gîtâ (Theosophist, April, 1887, p. 444) the lecturer says:

“There is a peculiarity to which I must call your attention. He [Krishna] speaks here of four Manus. Why does he speak of four? We are now in the seventh Manvantara—that of Vaivasvata. If he is speaking of the past Manus, he ought to speak of six, but he only mentions four. In some commentaries an attempt has been made to interpret this in a peculiar manner.

“The word ’Chatvârah’ is separated from the word ’Manavah,’ and is made to refer to Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumâra, and Sanatsujâta, who were also included among the mind-born sons of Prajâpati.

“But this interpretation will lead to a most absurd conclusion, and make the sentence contradict itself. The persons alluded to in the text have a qualifying clause in the sentence. It is well known that Sanaka and the other three refused to create, though the other sons had consented to do so: therefore, in speaking of those persons from whom humanity has sprung into existence, it would be absurd to include these four also in the list. The passage must be interpreted without splitting the compound into two nouns. The number of Manus will then be four, and the statement would then contradict the Paurânic account, though it would be in harmony with the Occult theory. You will recollect that it is stated [in Occultism] that we are now in the Fifth Root-Race. Each Root-Race is considered as the Santati of a particular Manu. Now, the Fourth Race has passed, or, in other words, there have been four past Manus.”