1. the thinker, the mental being, man. 2. Manu: the father of man. 3. the four Manus (catvaro manavah): the spiritual Fathers of every human mind and body. 4. [one of the fourteen progenitors who preside successively over the fourteen manvantaras; to the first of these is attributed the Mdnava-dharmasdstra; the manu of the present (seventh) manvantara is Vaivasvata].