Manu

Nationality/Culture

Hindu

Pronunciation

MAN-oo

Alternate Names

Satyavrata

Appears In

The Mahabharata

Lineage

Created from Brahma

Character Overview

In Hindu mythology, Brahma (pronounced BRAH-muh) split himself in two to create Manu, the first man, and Shatarupa (pronounced shuh-TAH-roo-puh), the first woman. Manu and Shatarupa gave life to all humans. According to legend, Manu was the earth's first king and the ancestor of all the kings of India.

The most famous tale involving Manu tells of a great flood that destroyed everything on earth. One day Manu was washing his hands in a bowl of water when he saw a tiny fish there. The fish pleaded with Manu to be placed in a larger vessel of water to survive. In return, the fish promised to save Manu from a great flood that was to come and carry away all living beings. Manu put the fish in a bigger bowl, but the fish grew so rapidly that he had to transfer it to an even larger tank. The fish continued to grow until Manu eventually threw it into the sea. At that point, the fish—who was actually a form of the god Vishnu (pronounced VISH-noo)—told Manu that he should build a great ship to save himself from the coming flood. He also instructed Manu to take into the ship two of each animal on the earth as well as seeds from every kind of plant.

When the flood came, Manu used a rope to tie his boat to a large horn growing out of the fish. Pulling the ship through the rough waters, the fish came to the Himalaya mountains. There it told Manu to tie the ship to one of the mountains and wait until the waters receded. After the flood, Manu became lonely because only he and the animals aboard the ship had survived. He offered a sacrifice and was rewarded with a wife, with whom he began to repopulate the earth.

Manu in Context

As the first man, Manu is also credited as the inventor of many of the basic rules of social and religious conduct. In this way, Manu served as ultimate authority on proper behavior among ancient Hindus. The traditions credited to Manu reflect the culture in which they were written, and many are noted by modern scholars as attempts to restrict the freedom of women.

Key Themes and Symbols

One of the main themes of the myth of Manu is destruction and renewal. All living things on earth, with the exception of those taken aboard by Manu, are killed in the flood. Manu must then repopulate the earth with the living things he saved. In Hindu mythology, Manu represents truth, wisdom, and virtue. Manu also serves as a father figure for all humankind.

Manu in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

Although Manu was the father of mankind, he is not featured heavily in Hindu art, literature, or worship. He is believed to be the author of the ancient book called the Manusmriti (pronounced mah-noo-SMRIT-ee). This book contains basic codes of behavior for all Hindus to follow.

Read, Write, Think, Discuss

One of the main themes of the myth of Manu is destruction and renewal, or death and birth. As a major concern among humans everywhere, this theme is central to most world religions. Hinduism and Christianity have very different views of life and death, and of life after death. Using your library, the Internet, or other available resources, research how issues of life and death are depicted in Hinduism and Christianity. What are the similarities and contrasts? Do you think that what people believe about the afterlife influences the way they live their lives?

SEE ALSO Adam and Eve; Floods; Hinduism and Mythology; Noah