Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10 - Vibhuti Yoga - Sloka 6

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita , published by Ramakrishna Mission

Iswara the source of everything -1-6

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 10 - Vibhuti Yoga - Sloka 6

Maha rushayah sapta purve chatvarah manavah tatha I

Madbhavah manasa jata yesham loka imah prajah II sloka 6

महा ऋषयः सप्त पूर्वे चत्वारः मनवः तथा I 

मद्भावा मानसा जाता येषां लोक इमाः प्रजाः II श्लोक 6

The seven great rishis and the four ancient Manus, endowed with my power, were born of my mind; and from them have come forth all the creatures of the world.

The seven great rishis are Bhrigu, Marichi, Atri, Pulah, Pulastya, Kratu, and Angiras. The four ancient Manus are Svarochisha, Swayambhu, Raivata and Uttama. These potentates are not of human origin. They are all born of the mind of Brahma, the Creator. In other words, they are all personifications of the several phases of the cosmic reality. The seven great rishis represent the seven planes of consciousness. They are therefore said to be the originators of beings at all levels of existence and all grades of evolution. Naught exists beyond the pale of their domains. While the seven rishis represent the created beings in their entirety, the four ancient manus function as the orderly admisitrators of the entire creation.  The precision and regularity evinced by nature are all due to the efficient regime of the manus.

What is the benefit that the sadhaka derives by knowing this structure of the cosmos and of its orderly functioning? The answer comes in the next sloka