What
are Puranas?
The Puranas are
ancient texts- Smritis, ‘that which is remembered or understood from what
has been heard-(Shrutis, Vedas)’. Puranas are rooted in Vedas and are illustrated
commentaries on Vedas. Purana means ‘of ancient times’ alternatively pura-nava
(old-new) ‘things that have existed since ancient times but are as good and relevant
as new’ also interpreted as ‘new in the city’. Puranas
belong to the class of Suhrit-Samhitas, or the Friendly Treatises (while
the Vedas are called the Prabhu-Samhitas or the Commanding Treatises
with great authority and Kanta Samhita, like Raghuvansha, etc has least
authority).
The aim of the Puranas is to
explain, illustrate and impress on the minds of the masses the religion, teachings,
principals, philosophy and knowledge of the Vedas, Upanishadas, Shastras and
Darshanas, to generate in them devotion to God, to lead them on the path of
spiritual evolution, through concrete examples. For the purpose they use myths,
stories, legends, lives of saints, kings and great men, allegories and
chronicles of great historical events, traditions, prayers, hymns,
philosophical dialogues, etc. Knowledge
about rites, rituals and customs were added to them later. They underscore
Vedic foundations of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Saura, Ganapatya,
Kaumara, etc, praising various deities, religious texts, sacred places and
festivals. They are very interesting to read and are full of information of ancient
culture. They also give narratives of the history of the universe from creation
to destruction, genealogies (of kings, heroes, sages, and devatas), philosophy,
geography, description of the unknown regions of the universe, history of
different eons and locations, chronology, etc.
The Puranas were meant for the
ordinary people who could not understand high philosophy and who could not
study the Vedas. The Darshanas (philosophy) are very difficult, understood by a
learned few. The Puranas are meant for the masses. Religion and Spirituality
are taught in a very easy and interesting way through the Puranas. They
ascertain the Absolute Truth, which is greater than everything else.
The spiritual knowledge contained in the Upanishads, is
transformed into fiction and metaphors in Puranas. Most of them
are in the form of conversations between deities or sages and disciples.
A Puran should have 5
characteristics; “panchalakshana” (Matsya Purana).
“Sargascha pratisargascha I
Vamso Manvantarani cha
vamsaanucharitam chaiva I
puranam panchalakshanam”
A puran should have
Sarga: creation of the
universe (and properly structured in chapters)
Pratisarga: secondary
creations- recreations after dissolution (sub-chapters)
Vamsa : the great
Vamshas (Genealogy) of the Rishis, andDevatas.
Manvatara: the Manvantara’s (celestial
yuga’s).
Vamasanucharita : the
dynasties of Kings (SuryaVamsh and Chandra Vamsh)
They are usually written in
the form of stories related by one person to another
18 Maha Puranas are
“Madwayam Badwayam chaiva
I Bratrayam Vachatustayam
ANAPALINGA KUSkani I
puranani prudhak prudhak”||
Ma dwayam -Matsya, Markandeya
Ba dwayam- Bhagavat, Bhavishya
Bratrayam- Brahmanda, Brahma
Vaivrata, Brahma
Va Chatustayam- Vamana, Varaha,
Vishnu, Vayu
ANAPALINGA KUSkani- Agni,
Narada, Padma, Linga, Garuda, Skanda,
Kurma
There is variation in the
list, Kurma Purana omits Agni for Vayu, Agni and Matsya omits Shiva for Vayu,
Varaha omits Brahmanda and Garuda for Vayu and Nrisinha, Markandeya, Bhagavat and
Vishnu omits Vayu. Some scholars opines that Bhagavat means Devi Bhagavata and
Bhagavata (Vaishnava) was written by Bopadeva much later.
Upapuranas are ancillary
texts: these are also eighteen in number. They include among many:
Sanat-kumara, Narasimha, Brihan-naradiya, Siva-rahasya, Shiva Dharma, Durvasa, Kapila,
Vamana, Bhargava, Varuna, Kalika, Samba, Nandi, Surya, Parasara,
Vasishtha, Manava, Ausanasa, Maheshwara, Aditya, Devi-Bhagavata, Ganesha, Mudgala,
and Hamsa. Some lists count Mahapuranas
Narada, Shiva, Bhavishya, Brahmanda, Kurma etc as Upapuranas. There are several
Sthala Puranas, Kula Puranas as well.
Because upbringing,
surrounding, life and work of individuals differ, the instructions they receive
should be different. There are satvik people (in the mode of goodness), rajasic
people (in the mode of passion) and tamasic people (ignorant and lazy). The
Puranas can be classified on whom they address for their gradual spiritual development.
Puranas usually give prominence to a particular deity from Bhakti perspective.
Hence they are frequently classified as Vaishnava, Shaiva and Brahma.
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Satvik
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Rajasika
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Tamasik
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Vasihnva
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Vishnu, Naradiya, Bhagavata,
Garuda, Padma, Varaha
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Vamana
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Matsya, Kurma
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Brahma
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Brahma, Brahmavaivarta, Brahmanda,
Bhavishya, Markandeya
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Shiva-Agni
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Shiva, Linga, Skanda, Agni
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Veda-Vyasa (Badarayana,
Krishna-Dvaipayana, Parasharya) compiled Purana Samhita (Single Mula Purana). It
must be as old as Vedas. If the Purana written by Vyasa were still
existing, it would be honoured as a “Shruti”.
It contained Akhyanas (seen by narrator), Upakhyana (heard by narrator),
Gatha (songs about ancestors) and Kalpashuddhi (shraddha ceremonies)- He taught
it to R(L)omaharshana Suta-who in turn passed it on to his disciples Sumati,
Agnivarchas, Savarni (Bhagavat gives first three names as Aruni, Kashyapa,
Harita) San(vai)sapayana, Akritavrata & Maitreya- Last three and Romaharshana
composed further Samhitas (collection or compilation). That is how Eighteen Puranas evolved. Puranas
seems to have been known in the times of Atharva Veda, Shatapath Brahmana,
Taittiriya Aranyaka, Chhandogya Upanishada, Brihadaranya Upanishada, Manu
sanhita, etc. and Itihas-Puranas have been revered as ‘Panchama Veda’. According
to scholars the oldest of the Puranas are Markandeya, Vayu, Brahmanda, Matsya
and Vishnu Purana. Puranas were incrementally modified well into the 16th
century. It is opined that some of the
Puranas had been lost and some other texts replaced them in the list. The All
India Kashiraj Trust, formed under Vibhuti Narayan Singh,
the Maharaja of Kashi, dedicated itself to publishing editions of the
Puranas.
Arrival of printing technology
in nineteenth century and interest shown by western scholars increased
popularity of Puranas. Since Christians firmly believed that world was created
by God around 4000 BC, they couldn’t digest histories of distant past depicted
in Puranas. Also intellectual and spiritual excellence of Vedic people hurt their
egos and with the help of western educated Indians of slavish mentality they
tried to denigrate Puranas. This was
aided by exaggerations and self-serving additions made to Puranas in later
versions and inability to understand their real meaning. Misinterpretations of
the Puranas have done a lot of damage to our society leading to wars between
casts and cults. It is essential to focus on the basic notion, “Ekam sat
Viprah bahudah vadanti” God is one; people call him in different names
while studying various Puranas. It is very difficult to speak about expanse,
period and interlocutors of Puranas because of ambiguities and contradictions
in various sources. Following table can only be a starting point.
|
No
|
Name & Period
|
No of Verses
|
Interlocutors
|
Special
contents
|
|
1
|
Agni
6th
to 11th
|
15,400
|
Agni to Vasistha to Vyasa to Suta
Suta Lomaharshana to Shounaka (Naimisha)
|
Bhagavadgitasara
Yama
Gita
Parashurams
sahasranam
|
|
2
|
Bhagavat
6th to 8th
|
18,000
Maitreya Vidura
|
Vyasa composed on Narada’s advice to Shuka (Badarinarayana-Saraswati?)
Shukamuni to Parikshita (Shukatala on bank of Ganga)
Lomaharshana started but killed, Ugrashrava to Shaunaka
(Naimisha)
|
Rishabaha gita, Kapila gita, Uddhava gita, Hansa gita
Narayana Kavacha
|
|
3
|
Brahma/Adi
10th
|
10,000
|
Brahma to Daksha (or Marichi, Kashyapa?)
Veda Vyasa to L(R)omaharshana to Shounaka (Naimisha)
|
Vyasa
gita
|
|
4
|
Brahmanda/
Uttama
Oldest 4th
|
12,200
|
Brahma
to Sages then long line to Vyasa
Lomaharshana
Sutaji to Shaunakadi (on the bank of Drishadvati /Naimisha?)
|
Adhyatma Ramayana
Lalitaupakhyana
and sahasranam
|
|
5
|
Brahmavaivarata
10th-16th
|
17,000
|
Brahma to Daksha
(or Savarni Manu to Narada)
Romaharshana (Ugrashrava?) to Shaunaka (Naimisha)
|
Vishnu kavacha, Baneshvara kavacha, Radha kavacha
|
|
6
|
Garuda
Suparna
4th
|
19,000
|
Lord Vishnu/Krishna to Garuda to Kashyapa to Vyasa
Suta Romaharshana (Ugrashrava?) to Shaunaka (Naimisha)
|
Vishnu sahasra nam
|
|
7
|
Kurma
6th to 8th
|
17,000
|
Kurma to Gods & Narada & sages to Veda Vyasa
Sutaji Lomaharshana to Shaunaka (Naimisha)
|
Vyasa gita
Ishwara Gita by Veda vyasa to shaunaka
Devi sahasranama
|
|
8
|
Linga
6th to 10th
|
11,000
|
Brahma
first to recite
Lomaharshana to Narada & Shaunaka (Naimisha)
|
Shiva sahasranam
|
|
9
|
Markandeya
3rd to 6th
|
9,000
|
Markandeya to Jaimini thru birds Drona-Pingaksha,
Vibodha, Suputra Sumuka (Vindhyachala)
Sumati(Jada) & father
Rishi Medhas to Suratha and Samadhi
Markandeya repeats
Markandeya to Kraustuki
|
Devi Mahatmyam
|
|
10
|
Matsya
Oldest
3rd to 5th
|
14,000
|
Vishnu-Matsya to Manu
Lomaharshana to Shaunaka (Naimisha)
|
|
|
11
|
Narada
Naradiya
9th to 10th
|
25,000
|
Four Kumaras to Narada
Suta Lomaharshana (OR Ugrashrava?) to Shaunaka (Siddhashrama
Naimisha)
|
|
|
12
|
Padma
Gita Mahatmya
8th to 16th
|
55,000
|
Brahma to Pulatsya to Bhishma
Vasistha to Dilipa, Vyasa to
Jaimini, Shiva to Parvati, Sesha to Vatsayana (part of it)
Lomaharshana to Ugrashrava to Shaunaka (Naimisha)
|
Avadhutagita, Shiva Gita-Shiva to Parvati, Vishnu &
Rama sahasranama,
Ramaraksha
Bhagavata Mahatmya
|
|
13
|
Shiva
9th-10th
|
24,000
|
Vayu
Purana is a part of or complete Shiva Purana
Shiva/Brahma first to recite?
Brahma to Narada
Romaharshana to Shaunaka(Naimisha)
|
|
|
14
|
Skanda
7th
|
81,100
|
Skanda first to recite
Sage Lomesh to Shaunaka (Naimisharanya)
|
Brahnagita, Suta gita, Rudra kavacha
|
|
15
|
Vamana
5th to 10th
|
10,000
|
Brahma was the first to recite
Pulastya to Narada
Lomaharshana to Shaunaka (Naimisha)
|
|
|
16
|
Varaha
12th
|
24,000
|
Narayana/Varaha to Prithvi to Sanatkumar
Brahma to Sanatkumar
Janamejaya to Vaishampayana (part of it)
Lomaharshana Sutaji to Shaunaka (Naimisha)
|
Rudragita,
Agastya gita
|
|
17
|
Vayu
Oldest 4th
|
24,000
|
Is it same as Shiva Purana or Brahmanda Purana??
Brahma to Vayu to Jatukarna to Vyasa to Lomaharshana
Vayu to Sages(Naimisha during rule of Pururava)
Lomaharshana to Sages (during rule of Adhisima Krisna-Janmejaya’s
great grandson, in Kurukshetra on the bank of Drishadvati)
|
Shivasahasra nama
|
|
18
|
Vishnu
Oldest
1st BC to 3rd AD
|
23,000
|
Parashara to Maitreya
|
Garbhagita
|
|
19
|
Harivansha
0 to 3rd AD
|
16,000
|
HParva older VParva, BParva later
It is itihas/kavya, Annexure/Khila to Mahabharata
Vaishampayana to Janamejaya (SarpaSatra)
Ugrashrava to Shaunaka & sages (Naimisha Gomati)
|
|
|
20
|
Bhavishya
3rd-4th continued
|
14,500
Brahma to manu
Sun
|
Veda Vyasa to Suta Goswami to Shaunaka (Naimisha), All
left Naimisha for Badrikashrama-Vishala in Himalaya
|
|
|
20
|
Devi Bhagavata
11th
|
18,000
|
Vedavyasa to Ugrashrava Suta to Shaunaka & sages (Vivaswan
kshetra/Naimisharanya)
|
Devigita-Parvati to Himavat
|
|
21
|
Nrisinha
5th
|
11,000
|
Lomaharshana to Bhardwaja & sages (Prayag)
|
Yamagita
|
|
22
|
Ganesha
11th -13th
|
8,000
|
Suta Goswami to Shaunaka & sages (Naimisha)
|
|
