According to Hinduism Manu is a title given to the progenitor of humankind. Manu was the first king to rule the mother earth and saved the mankind from the universal deluge. Manu is very honest and thus entitled to the name `Satyavrata` or `oath of truth`.

Mahabharata depicts Manu as the person who was endowed with great wisdom and always dedicated to virtue. Manu was progenitor of a line. The entire human race is originated from Manu and thus known as Manavas. Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and other casts have been descended from Manu. Brahamanas devoted themselves for the study of Vedas. The ten children of Manu are Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, Ila (the eighth, a daughter), Prishadhru (the ninth), and Nabhagarishta (the tenth). These ten offsprings of Manu practised the rules of Kshatriyas. Beside this, Manu had fifty other sons also but they all deceased quarrelling with one another.

Each manu rules during an eon called Manvantara and Fourteen Manvantara make up a Kalpa. In Purana, each Manvantara is ascribed to one Indra and one Vishnu Avatara. The Kalpa is a period that corresponds to one day of Brahma. The name of fourteen Manus are- Svayambhuva Manu, Svarocisa Manu, Uttam Manu, Tamasa Manu , Raivata Manu, Caksusa Manu, Sraddhadeva Manu (son of Vaivasvata), Savarni Manu, Daksa Savarni Manu, Brahma Savarni Manu, Dharma Savarni Manu, Rudra Savarni Manu, Deva Savarni Manu, Indra Savarni Manu.

Currently the world is in seventh Manvantara which is ruled by Sraddhadeva Manu.

There is a story in Puranas which connects Manu with the deluge. It is believed that the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Matsya Avatara appeared before the the first Manu, whose original name was King Satyavrata, while he was washing his hands in the river. The fish was small in size and asked king Manu to save it but kept growing larger and larger. The fish informed the king about the huge flood that would occur soon. Manu built a huge boat, which housed his family, nine types of seeds and animals to repopulate the earth when the deluge ended.

Manu is also the name of the author of famous Hindu `Shastra` Manusmriti. Some Hindus consider that smriti contains the laws that should be followed by all Hindus.