The first king and progenitor of humankind, ancestor of Rama's dynasty.
Accounts of this vary across texts and traditions. This entry primarily follows Puranic tradition, with other tellings (Valmiki Ramayana (Bala Kanda genealogy), Kalidasa's Raghuvamsha) noted where relevant.
Introduction
Manu, called Vaivasvata Manu, is the ancestor of humankind in Indian tradition and the founder of Rama's dynasty. He is a son of Vivasvan, the sun, which is why the family is called the solar dynasty.
Family
The founder of Ayodhya
According to the Bala Kanda, Ayodhya was built by Manu, and his son Ikshvaku was the first king of the dynasty.
The flood
In the Shatapatha Brahmana, Manu is saved from a great flood by a fish, and repopulates the world.
This entry is independently written for myVamsam using the sources listed above.
Where traditions differ, this entry identifies the relevant tradition rather than presenting one account as universally established fact.