Puranas From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Goddess Ambika or Durga Leading the Eight Matrikas in Battle Against the Demon Raktabija, Folio from Devi Mahatmya, Markandeya Purana. An article related to Hinduism

Hindu History Deities[show] Scriptures[show] Practices[show] Philosophers[show] Other topics[show] Hinduism portal Hindu Mythology portal vte For other meanings, see Purana (disambiguation). The Puranas (Sanskrit: pura, "of ancient times") are ancient Hindu texts eulogizing various deities, primarily the divine Trimurti God in Hinduism through divine stories. Puranas may also be described as a genre of mportant Hindu religious texts alongside some Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.[1] Hindu Puranas have been classified in accordance with the three gunas or qualities as Sattva (Truth and Purity), Rajas (Dimness and Passion) and Tamas (Darkness and Ignorance), or according the three aspects of the divine Trimurti as Vaishnava, Brahma and Shaiva Puranas.[2] Puranas usually give prominence to a particular deity, employing an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts. They are usually written in the form of stories

related by one person to another. The Puranas are available in vernacular translations and are disseminated by Brahmin scholars, who read from them and tell their stories, usually in Katha sessions (in which a traveling Brahmin settles for a few weeks in a temple and narrates parts of a Purana, usually with a Bhakti perspective).[citation needed] Contents [hide] 1 Origins 2 Content 3 Texts 3.1 Mahapuranas 3.2 Classification 3.3 Upapuranas 3.4 Sthala Puranas 3.5 Kula Puranas 3.6 Jain and Buddhist Puranas 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links 7.1 Texts 7.2 Translations 7.3 Synopses [edit]Origins

An illustration of Varaha avatar based on the Bhagavata Purana

Vyasa, the narrator of the Mahabharata, is traditionally considered the compiler of the Puranas.[3] However, the earliest written versions date from the time of the Gupta Empire (third-fifth century CE) and much material may be dated, through historical references and other means, to this period and the succeeding centuries. The texts were probably written all over India.[citation needed] The date of the production of the written texts does not define the date of origin of the Puranas.[4] On one hand, they existed in some oral form before being written[4] while at the same time, they have been incrementally modified well into the 16th century.[4][5] An early reference is found in the Chandogya Upanishad (7.1.2). (circa 500 BCE). The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad refers to purana as the "fifth Veda",[6] itihsapura pacama vedn, reflecting the early religious importance of these myths, presumably then in purely oral form. Importantly, the most famous form of itihsapura is the Mahabharata. The term also appears in the Atharvaveda 11.7.24.[7][8] According to Pargiter,[7] the "original Purana" may date to the time of the final redaction of the Vedas. Gavin Flood connects the rise of the written Purana historically with the rise of devotional cults centring upon a particular deity in the Gupta era: the Puranic corpus is a complex body of materials that advance the views of various competing cults.[9] Wendy Doniger, based on her study of indologists, assigns approximate dates to the various Puranas. She dates Markandeya Purana to c. 250 CE (with one portion dated to c. 550 CE), Matsya Purana to c. 250500 CE, Vayu Purana to c. 350 CE, Harivamsa and Vishnu Purana to c. 450 CE, Brahmanda Purana to c. 350950 CE, Vamana Purana to c. 450900 CE, Kurma Purana to c. 550850 CE, and Linga Purana to c. 6001000 CE.[10] Common ideas are found throughout the corpus but it is not possible to trace the lines of influence of one Purana upon another so the corpus is best viewed as a synchronous whole.[9] The All India Kashiraj Trust, formed under Vibhuti Narayan Singh, the Maharaja of Kashi, dedicated itself to publishing editions of the Puranas.[11] [edit]Content

Part of a series on Hindu scriptures

Vedas[show]

Vedangas[show] Upanishads[show] Puranas[show] Hindu astrology[show] Itihasa[show] Other scriptures[show] Scripture classification[show] Timeline[show] vte According to Matysa Purana,[12] they are said to narrate five subjects, called Pancha Lakshana pacalakaa ("five distinguishing marks", though some scholars have suggested that these are shared by other traditional religious scriptures):[13] [14] Sarga: the creation of the universe. Pratisarga: secondary creations, mostly recreations after dissolution. Vama: genealogy of the gods and sages. Manvatara: the creation of the human race and the first human beings. The epoch of the Manus' rule, 71 celestial Yugas or 308,448,000 years. Vamnucaritam: the histories of the patriarchs of the lunar and solar dynasties. The Puranas also lay emphasis on keeping a record of genealogies, as the Vayu Purana says, "to preserve the genealogies of gods, sages and glorious kings and the traditions of great men."[15] The Puranic genealogies indicate, for example, that Sraddhadeva Manu lived 95 generations before the Bharata war.[16] In Arrian's Indica, Megasthenes is quoted as stating that the Indians counted from "Dionysos" (Shiva) to "Sandracottus" (Chandragupta Maurya) "a hundred and fifty-three kings over six thousand and forty-three years."[17] The list of kings in Kalhana's Rajatarangini goes back to the 19th century BCE.[18] [edit]Texts

[edit]Mahapuranas

Of the many texts designated 'Puranas' the most important are the Mahpuras. These are always said to be eighteen in number, divided into three groups of six, though in fact they are not always counted in the same way. Combining the various lists Cornelia Dimmitt and J. A. B. van Buitenen have collated twenty names, totalling 429,000 verses:[19] Purana name Agni Verses number Comments

15,400 verses

Contains details of Vastu Shastra and Gemology.

Bhagavata 18,000 verses Indologist Ludo Rocher considers it to be the most celebrated and popular of the Puranas,[20][21] telling of Vishnu's ten Avatars. Its tenth and longest canto narrates the deeds of Krishna, introducing his childhood exploits, a theme later elaborated by many Bhakti movements.[22] Bhavishya 14,500 verses Contains a record of prophecies. Portions of the extant text are drawn from the law book of Manu.[23] Brahma 10,000 verses shortest of the Puranas. Brahmanda 12,000 verses recite as prayer. Brahmavaivarta and Ganesha. Garuda Harivamsa Kurma Describes the Godavari and its tributaries. It is Includes Lalita Sahasranamam, a text some Hindus Describes ways to worship Devis, Krishna

17,000 verses

19,000 verses 16,000 verses 17,000 verses

Describes death and its aftermaths. Is considered to be itihsa (epic poetry).

Linga 11,000 verses Describes the magnificence of Lingam, symbol of Shiva, and origin of the universe. It also contains many stories of Lingam one of which entails how Agni Lingam solved dispute between Vishnu and Brahma. Markandeya 09,000 verses Shaktas, is embedded in it. The Devi Mahatmya, an important text for the

Matsya 14,000 verses Narrates the story of Matsya, the first of ten major Avatars of Vishnu. It also contains genealogical details of various dynasties.[24] Narada 25,000 verses Describes the greatness of Vedas and Vedangas.

Padma 55,000 verses Describes the greatness of Bhagavad Gita. Hence, it is also known as gtmhtmya (lit. the majesty of Gita).

Shiva 24,000 verses Describes the greatness of Shiva, greatness in worshiping Shiva and other stories about him. Skanda 81,100 verses Describes the birth of Skanda (or Karthikeya), second son of Shiva. The longest Purana, it is an extraordinarily meticulous pilgrimage guide, containing geographical locations of pilgrimage centers in India, with related legends, parables, hymns and stories. Many untraced quotes are attributed to this text.[25] Vamana 10,000 verses Describes areas around Kurukshetra in North India.

Varaha 24,000 verses Describes various forms prayer and devotional observances to Vishnu. Many illustrations also involve Shiva and Durga.[26] Vayu 24,000 verses Another name of Shiva Purana Describes the many deeds of Vishnu and various

Vishnu 23,000 verses ways to worship him.[27] [edit]Classification

Puranas are classified according to qualification of persons who can understand them: "Puras are supplementary explanations of the Vedas intended for different types of men. All men are not equal. There are men who are conducted by the mode of goodness, others who are under the mode of passion and others who are under the mode of ignorance. The Puras are so divided that any class of men can take advantage of them and gradually regain their lost position and get out of the hard struggle for existence."[28] The Mahapuranas are frequently classified according the three aspects of the divine Trimurti:[29] Vaiava Puranas: Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Nradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana, Vmana Purana, Krma Purana, Matsya Purana, Kalki Purana Brhma Puranas: Brahma Purana, Brahmnda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Mrkandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, aiva Puranas: Purana [30] According to the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (236.18-21),[31] the texts have been classified in accordance with the three gunas or qualities; truth, passion, and indifference: Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana, Vyu

Sattva ("truth; purity") Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Naradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana Rajas ("dimness; passion") Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana Tamas ("darkness; ignorance") Matsya Purana, Kurma purana, Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana [edit]Upapuranas Main article: Upapurana The Upapuranas are lesser or ancillary texts: these are sometimes also said to be eighteen in number, with still less agreement as to the canonical titles. They include among many: Sanat-kumara, Narasimha, Brihan-naradiya, Siva-rahasya, Durvasa, Kapila, Vamana, Bhargava, Varuna, Kalika, Samba, Nandi, Surya, Parasara, Vasishtha, Devi-Bhagavata, Ganesha, Mudgala, and Hamsa, with only a few having been critically edited.[32] [33] The Ganesha and Mudgala Puranas are devoted to Ganesha.[34][35] The DeviBhagavata Purana, which extols the goddess Durga, has become (along with the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana) a basic text for Devi worshipers.[36] [edit]Sthala Puranas This corpus of texts tells of the origins and traditions of particular Tamil Shiva temples or shrines. There are numerous Sthala Puranas, most written in vernaculars, some with Sanskrit versions as well. The 275 Shiva Sthalams of the continent have puranas for each, famously glorified in the Tamil literature Tevaram. Some appear in Sanskrit versions in the Mahapuranas or Upapuranas. Some Tamil Sthala Puranas have been researched by David Dean Shulman.[37] [edit]Kula Puranas These Puranas deal with a caste's origin myth, stories, and legends (the word kula means "family" or "tribe" in Sanskrit). They are important sources for caste identity though usually contested by rival castes. This subgenre is usually in the vernacular and may at times remain oral.[38] These have been little researched, though they are documented in the caste section of the British Census of India Report and the various Gazetteers.[39] [edit]Jain and Buddhist Puranas Jain Puranas deal with Jain myths, history and legends and form a major part of early Kannada literature.[40] [41] The best known is the Mahapurana of Acharya Jinasena. The Buddhist scriptures have no mention of puranas. But the Tibetan and Nepalese Buddhist revere nine works as puranas which are styled as Navadharmas

(nine dharmas). The so called nine dharmas are no canon of any sect, but a series of books which have been composed at different periods and belong to different persuasions. These nine works are: Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita, Gandavyuha, Samadhiraja, Lankavatara, Tathagataguhyaka, Saddharmapundarika, Lalitavistara, Suvarnaprabhasa and Dashabhumishvara. All these scriptures are also designated Vaipulyasutras. Among other works, Swayambhu Purana narrates the mythological history of Nepal and describes Buddhist pilgrimage sites inside the Kathmandu Valley.