Mānasaputra

Mānasaputra is a Sanskrit term derived from two root words viz. 'manasa' and 'putra'. 'Manasa' means stemming from the mind or from the heart, and 'putra' means the 'son' and 'putri' means the 'daughter'. Manasaputra therefore refers to a son or a daughter mentally accepted as one's own son or daughter; it is like mentally accepting and adopting someone as one's own son or daughter based on extreme merits, and thus they stand "willingly accepted as an own son" or "equivalent to pan son". There is a great tradition in India wherein great spiritual Masters or Rishis or Gurus or Avatars have willingly accepted their great disciples as their own son and thus such sons are known as 'Manasaputras'. This term is used only in spiritual lines or parambara, mostly based on extreme levels of dedication, devotion and merits displayed by such beings. In ordinary wordly sense, this word would not mean 'adoption', since 'manasaputra' denotes much higher forms of adoption and acceptance, more on spiritual plane, through wilful declaration. Simply put, manasaputras are someone's sons / daughters but accepted willingly as one's own son/daughter by some other persons - mostly by gurus. In Hinduism, the god Brahma is believed to have created 16 sons and 1 daughter from his mind. Such rishis, or sages were also known as prajapati. These children are not born through natural process. Instead, they are created or came into existence through the will of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati was therefore not really Brahma's daughter. She was said to be born from the mind of Lord Brahma and thus can be said to be one of his creations. According to the Bhagavata Purana, their names are: Angiras (sage), Atri, Pulastya, Marichi, Pulaha, Jambavan, Bhrigu, Vashistha, Daksha, Narada, Chitragupta, The Four Kumaras, Himalaya and Shatarupa.[1]