170 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 8
bhavata khalah sa upasamhrtah prabho
karavama te kim anusadhi kinkaran

$ri-manavah iicuh—all the Manus offered their respectful obeisances
by saying; manavah—the leaders of the universal affairs (especially in
connection with giving knowledge to humanity about how to live law-
fully under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead);
vayam—we; tava—of Your Lordship; nidesa-karinah—the carriers of
the orders; diti-jena—by Hiranyakasipu, the son of Diti; deva—O Lord;
paribhiita—disregarded; setavah—whose laws of morality concerning
the varndsrama system in human society; bhavata—by Your Lordship;
khalah—the most envious rascal; sah—he; upasamhrtah—killed;
prabho—O Lord; karavama—shall we do; te—Your; kim—what;
anusadhi—please direct; kirikardn—Your eternal servants.

TRANSLATION

All the Manus offered their prayers as follows: As Your order
carriers, O Lord, we, the Manus, are the law-givers for human
society, but because of the temporary supremacy of this great
demon, HiranyakaSipu, our laws for maintaining varnasrama-
dharma were destroyed. O Lord, now that You have killed this
great demon, we are in our normal condition. Kindly order us,
Your eternal servants, what to do now.

PURPORT

In many places in Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Lord, Krsna, refers to
the varnasrama-dharma of four varnas and four asramas. He teaches
people about this varndsrama-dharma so that all of human society can
live peacefully by observing the principles for the four social divisions
and four spiritual divisions (varna and asrama) and thus make ad-
vancement in spiritual knowledge. The Manus compiled the Manu-
samhita, The word samhita means Vedic knowledge, and manu indicates
that this knowledge is given by Manu. The Manus are sometimes incar-
nations of the Supreme Lord and sometimes empowered living entities.
Formerly, many long years ago, Lord Krsna instructed the sun-god. The
Manus are generally sons of the sun-god. Therefore, while speaking to
Arjuna about the importance of Bhagavad-gita, Krsna said, imam vivas-
