Manasaputra

[ Manasaputra ] [ Maharishi Manu | Manu | Rishi Mani | Solar Pitri | Twilight Pitri ]

Manasaputra

Manasaputra	Purpose	CR
Maharishi Manu	Spiritual development of Crystal Spheres over epochs	16
Manu	Enlightenment of a whole race or ancestry	12
Rishi Manu	Enlightenment of an entire world	14
Solar Pitri	Guiding development of life over eons	22, MR 8
Twilight Pitri	Pursuing perfection of their personal enlightenment	18

Sons and Daughters of Mind | LG | Rare | Holy | Manasaputra | Outsider | Vitality

The manasaputras are incorporeal beings of raw Cosmic Fire, forged from the fusion of unborn souls and the accumulated wisdom of mortals who’ve achieved perfection through countless cycles of reincarnation. When they choose to manifest physically, manasaputras adopt the most resplendent, idealised humanoid forms—multiple arms, brilliant glowing third eyes or other striking features that mark them as much more than mortal. Benevolent and compassionate, they follow strict practices of contemplation, introspection, and meditation. The patience of the manasaputras is legendary, and their actions often seem like inaction to mortals, for they evaluate even the slightest adjustment to their beliefs over the course of hundreds or even thousands of years.

Manasaputra society is organised in a characteristically complex hierarchy, led by the Seven Kumaras. These bloods are enigmatic entities said to dwell at the centre of the Cosmic Fire and commune with the Logos—their name for the multiversal consciousness (which may or may not be the same one that aeons call the Monad). The manasaputras mentor one another in master-apprentice relationships, will occasionally deign to guide particularly impressive mortals toward enlightenment, and will intervene in events only when ignorance and chaos threaten the multiverse’s balance. Outside of Creation’s Forge, they’re most likely to spend decades drifting through the Astral Plane in search of wisdom. They have been known to form alliances with aeons and inevitables when their cosmic agendas align, and share a close kinship with devas. Manasaputra remain distant from most of the other good-aligned outsiders however, unable to share the passions of eladrin or the zeal of archons. Their greatest rivals are the sahkils of the Ethereal Plane, who seek to set back mortal development with fear and shame.

The names of the Seven Kumaras are thought to be:

• Ameuritati, the First Immortal
• Ashavashitra, the Righteous Truth
• Asoshu Mana, the True Purpose
• Auramiti, the Holy Devotion
• Hourvetat, the Circle of Ages
• Ksathras, the Dominion
• Sraosha, the Cleansing Wings

Maharishi Manu

LG | Rare | Medium | Elemental | Holy | Manasaputra | Temporal | Vitality | CR 16

The maharishi manu takes the form of an elderly, serene cutter with heavy-lidded eyes, and contemplative expression. They seem to radiate an aura of timelessness, as if they somehow exist outside the flow of time itself. They sit—cross-legged—at the pinnacle of the manu caste of manasaputras, governing the spiritual development of societies over vast epochs. They leading and mentor lesser manus to guide entire Crystal Spheres toward perfect enlightenment. A single maharishi is able to send telepathic messages phrased as riddles across a whole plane, that can be heard when a cutter learns the right way to quieten their minds and listen. These messages grow increasingly meaningful as the listeners overcome struggles and mature in their philosophy. Maharishi manus think on a cosmic scale, forming a spiritual bond with all the inhabitants of the worlds that are under their care. They are able to age living creatures in an instant, wearing their bodies down with the weight of epochs. They are themselves unaffected by manipulations of the passage of time, able to act during a time stop spell to confront would-be chronomancers. They are unimaginably ancient, seeing the rise and fall or not just civilisations, but even entire epochs. Maharishi manus follow the directions of the Kumaras and the Logos at the heart of Creation’s Forge, and act as living bridges between the Cosmic Fire and the mortal realms. While they speak and act rarely, when they do, they beget momentous events that shape the destiny of entire worlds.

Stats: [ PF 1e ] Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p164

Manu

LG | Uncommon | Medium | Elemental | Holy | Manasaputra | Vitality | CR 12

While incorporeal in their native form, manu manasaputras are more commonly encountered as perfectly formed, regal and athletic humanoids, who radiate an aura of many shifting colours and murmuring voices that seem strangely familiar. Despite their great power, manu are nevertheless the lowest caste of manasaputra. Each manu has dedicated themselves to elevating a single race or type of creature to enlightenment, across the ages. They do this by forming a sacred and mystical bond their particular ancestry—often the race to which they belonged in their most meaningful mortal incarnation, effectively making them a member of that race themselves, as well as remaining manasaputra. This helps the manu to better understand their charges, inspire them, and educate them. Though they tend to act alone, occasionally several manus will come together to form a group called a round. These bloods coordinate their efforts to shepherd their chosen people from world to world as they migrate among the planes, on a journey of spiritual enlightenment.

Stats: [ PF 1e ] Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p163

Rishi Manu

LG | Rare | Medium | Elemental | Holy | Manasaputra | Vitality | CR 14

Rishi manu cut elegant and majestic humanoid figures, with burnished bronzed skin, lavishly decorated robes and elegant golden jewellery. They could almost pass for mortal, were it not for their glowing purple eyes, and the uncanny grace with which they move. They dress, and act, like maharajas—and they probably have a right to, because each rishi manu acts as a shepherd for an entire world at a time. They watch their over their charges, watching for shifts in the collective consciousness, or threats to the continued enlightenment of local philosophies and religions. When they foresee potential problems they gently nudge powerful individuals towards paths of action designed to ripple outwards and affect countless others. The rishi manu themselves are careful to never reveal their true nature, of course. Once they form their sacred bond with a particular world, they do not count as extraplanar, and are able to plane shift or teleport with perfect precision at will. They can call down cosmic fire to immolate opponents are powerful psychic spellcasters.

Stats: [ PF 1e ] Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p165

Solar Pitri

Agnishvatta | LG | Rare | Large | Elemental | Holy | Manasaputra | Mythic | Vitality | CR 22, MR 8

A solar pitri is a massive, red-skinned entity whose body surges with roiling waves of brilliant fire. Nearly perfect in every action and thought, solar pitris are godlike beings whose soul burns with the radiance of creation and their countless reincarnations. Also known as agnishvattas, they sit at the pinnacle of the manasaputra hierarchy, as the final expressions of enlightenment. Each solar pitri is the embodiment of a soul that has lived thousands or millions of incarnations, across multiverses that existed before the current creation. They guide the development of all life across countless eons, overseeing the progression of the entire multiverse and all its creatures—some claim even the powers themselves—steering events down a descending spiral toward another cycle of reincarnation at the eventual end of the current multiverse. Most solar pitris rest in silent meditation at the heart of the Positive Energy Plane. Their contemplation is so intense that some occult scholars credit it as the underlying fuel for the rebirth and progression of souls, the expansion of space, and the flow of time itself. Chief among the solar pitris are the Seven Kumaras, each one exemplifying a facet of the multiverse. These bloods are the only solar pitris known to interact with mortals, occasionally acting as personal messengers or spirit guides for cutters with profound psychic gifts.

Stats: [ PF 1e ] Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p166–167

Twilight Pitri

LG | Rare | Large | Elemental | Holy | Manasaputra | Vitality | CR 18

The twilight pitri is a towering, pale blue, four-armed figure wreathed in cerulean light. This vibrant corona of blue shines from their eyes and is said to be a reflection from another multiverse. Like solar pitris, twilight pitris are manasaputras whose souls originated in a reality before this present one, but unlike their higher-caste kin, twilight pitris began their path to enlightenment in the immediately preceding multiverse. Chant goes they ascended from the ranks of manasaputra manu to this higher form, only to find themselves exiled from the Cosmic Fire. This twilight state bars them from entering the heart of the Positive Energy Plane, and cuts them off from the spiritual incorporeality that allows other manasaputras to commune directly with the flame. Twilight pitris are therefore forced to pursue enlightenment through inner reflection and self-sufficiency alone, without the ability to commune with the Logos. Though vast, even they will admit their wisdom is imperfect. In the previous epoch of the multiverse, their attempts to shepherd fledgling races led to unintended consequences—mortals driven only by reason and logic, lacking the compassion necessary for true ascension. This was apparently a mistake the Kumaras had to intercede to correct. Because of this, many twilight pitris have become contemplative and intuitive, while others throw themselves into active guidance, seeking ways to aid mortals and manus alike. Their counsel is often viewed with suspicion though—especially by samsarans, who blame them for nearly damning their entire race to a path outside of reincarnation.

Stats: [ PF 1e ] Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p168–169

Source: Jon Winter-Holt. The manasaputra are described in Bestiary 5 [PF1e] p162-169