puranas - the source of ancient indian history

1

Puranas — The source of ancient Indian history

V SUNDARAM | Fri, 23 May, 2008 , 07:43 PM

The real history of a country is not the history of wars and battles, invasions and

conquests, not even the record of the rise and fall of dynasties, but it is the history of

the evolution of its inner national life in all its dimensions and aspects. In studying the

History of Bharatvarsha, more particularly the history of ancient Bharatvarsha, most of

the historians and scholars more often than not, fail to find out the real soul of India.

Our present knowledge and history of ancient Bharatvarsha is derived from and mostly

based on the work and writings of western historians and indologists during the last 300

years. Most of these western scholars, armed with passages from Hindu and Buddhist

Scriptures, often taken out of their context and whose symbolic significance they

could not understand (much less appreciate!), have helped to propagate the fallacy

that the history of ancient Bharatvarsha is lost in the mists of unknown and

unknowable antiquity and that it is very difficult to reconstruct the history of ancient

India on the basis of our Vedas, ancient epics like the Ramayana and the

Mahabharatha and the eighteen (18) Puranas.

Increasingly the World of Science is taking recourse to the language of metaphysics and

philosophy. Eminent Scientists all over the World seem to be of the view that they are

not yet in contact with Ultimate Reality. Giants in the World of Quantum Physics, have

written essays with titles like `The Mysterious Vision' [Sir James Jeans(1877-1946)] and

`The Mystic Vision' [Erwin Schrodinger (1887-1961)]. For example, Sir James Jeans has

said: "The stream of knowledge is heading towards a non-mechanical reality; the

universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a machine. Mind no longer

appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter...we ought rather hail it

as the creator and governor of the realm of matter.......Everything that has been said,

and every conclusion that has been tentatively put forward, is quite frankly

speculative and uncertain. We have tried to discuss whether present-day science has

anything to say on certain difficult questions, which are perhaps set for ever beyond

the reach of human understanding. We cannot claim to have discerned more than a

very faint glimmer of light at the best; perhaps it was wholly illusory, for certainly we

had to strain our eyes very hard to see anything at all. So that our main contention can

hardly be that the science of to-day has a pronouncement to make, perhaps it ought

rather to be that science should leave off making pronouncements: the river of

knowledge has too often turned back on itself. (the closing sentences in page 188 of

The Mysterious Universe, 1938 Pelican Books reprint of 1931 Second Edition).

The same view was also expressed by Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996) in his path breaking

book `The Structure of Scientific Revolutions': "Scientists cannot make any further

headway, even given adequate resources. I am of the view that reality is ultimately

unknowable and that any attempt to describe it obscures as much as it illuminates."

PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com

http://www.docudesk.com

2

Today, human beings have to quietly accept the fact that we have reached a dead end in

our quest to discover the ultimate reality of our existence. We have reached a stalemate

because the vast potential for discerning profound truths hidden in the forgotten

labyrinth of wisdom tradition of ancient Bharatvarsha History has remained untapped.

These include enquiries into the mysteries of nature and the processes and forces that

create, sustain and ultimately subsume us. These secrets were unravelled and some of

the eternal laws of nature discovered several thousands of years ago by our Vedic Seers

and Sages and handed down to us generation after generation for the well-being of all.

Great minds in ancient Bharatvarsha devoted themselves to the pursuit of knowledge,

particularly in regard to fundamental questions about the origin of the Universe and the

Laws and Forces governing it. They were honoured as `Seers' because their vision and

discernment enabled them to `See' the reality of the workings of the cosmos. These

Seer-Scientists bequeathed to posterity an invaluable heritage of knowledge and

insights, blending theory with carefully devised practices. This precious legacy was

unfortunately later lost to us.

It is painful to observe that no organised and coordinated effort has been made to

present the ancient history of Bharatvarsha against the background of authentic and

trustworthy references and records made available by our Vedas, the Agamas, the Epics

and the Puranas, Ancient Bharatvarsha Literature in Sanskrit and several other

languages, Tamil Sangam Literature, Shilpa Shastras and other related treatises. No

scientific methodology has so far been evolved by Indian Historians to analyze, interpret

and present ancient history of Bharatvarsha in the light of detailed examinations, study,

correlation, collation and interpretation of the records and resources made available by

our Vedic Heritage going back to the dawn of history.

Purana (Sanskrit: purana), meaning "belonging to ancient or olden times", is the name

of an ancient Indian genre (or a group of related genres) of Hindu or Jain literature (as

distinct from oral tradition). They primarily are post-Vedic texts containing a narrative of

the history of the Universe, from creation to destruction, genealogies of the kings,

heroes and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy and geography.

Puranas are called the Friendly Treatises or Suhrit-Sammitas, and are usually written in

the form of stories related by one person to another. Vyasa Rishi is considered to be the

compiler of the Puranas. As Dr Radhakrishnan beautifully puts it `The Spiritual motive

dominates life in India. Indian Philosophy has its interest in the haunts of the men, and

not in supra-lunar solitudes. It takes its origin in life, and enters back into life after

passing through the schools. The Gita and the Upanishads are not remote from

popular belief. They are the great literature of the country, and at the same time

vehicles of great systems of thought. THE PURANAS CONTAIN THE TRUTH DRESSED UP

IN MYTHS AND STORIES, TO SUIT THE WEAK UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAJORITY. THE

HARD TASK OF INTERESTING THE MULTITUDE IN METAPHYSICS IS ACHIEVED IN India'.

The shortcomings, deficiencies, inaccuracies and the deliberate distortions in the

approaches to the investigations and study of our timeless heritage by western


3

scholars have been clearly explained and brought out by several Indian Scholars of

great erudition such as Shri V.G.Ramachandran, Professor K. Srinivasaraghavan and

Shri G.S.Sampath Ayyangar in their great book titled Àncient India' published by the

International Society for the Investigation of Ancient Civilization in 1998.

The continued negligence of the study of 18-Puranas simply on the wrong ground that

they are dealing only with mythical events and unbelievable stories, and not the

historical events should by all means be completely avoided. The systematic study of

these Puranas should be encouraged and supported by all the Indian Universities.

Dr. Mahalingam, Chairman Sakthi Group of Companies, in a brilliant article titled

`Puranas-A Source of Information for Historical Research', published in 1997 said that

the Puranas hold an eminent rank in the religion and literature of ancient Bharatvarsha.

Like the Vedas, they too possess the credit of divine origin and are no less important

than the Vedas in terms of either their sanctity or moral or practical influence upon

ancient Indian Society. He concluded Ì have a feeling that the narratives recorded in

the Puranas can be easily well sifted out and authentic and credible facts can be

collected from them. That is why at various Conferences and Seminars on ancient

history of Bharatvarsha, I have been emphasising the need for considering our

Puranas as important sources of information on Bharatvarsha's historic past. It is

necessary for the History Departments of our Universities to concentrate on searches

and researches into our Puranas. When that is done, much light will be thrown on the

Island Continent of Kumari'.

F.E.Pargiter (1852-1947) was an ICS Officer of British India. He was one of the pioneers

who categorically said that our knowledge of the most ancient times in Bharatvarsha

rests mainly on tradition. He was able to obtain correct and lasting results from a very

detailed and critical examination of Puranic and Epic traditions as well as of the Rig Veda

and Vedic Literature. He published his findings based on his detailed study of the 18-

Puranas and the great Epics in his landmark book titled Àncient Indian Historical

Tradition' in March 1922. In his preface to this book, Pargiter stated `Nothing herein

has been the outcome of preconceived ideas, speculation or haste. It began with a

study of the Epics and Puranas for geographical information about ancient India 30

years ago, during the translation of the `Markandeya Purana', in order to study its

geographical chapters. Geography included political divisions, and led to an

examination of ancient kingdoms and so on to their dynastic genealogies and

traditions—subjects that were generally regarded as of little or no historical value and

were practically neglected'.

In his remarkable and primordial source book on ancient Indian historical tradition, in

the very first Chapter relating to a general survey of that glorious tradition, F E Pargiter

quotes the following verse in Sanskrit which occurs in Vayu Purana,Padma Purana, Siva

Purana, and Mahabharatha:


4

Yo vidyaaccaturo vedaansaangopanishado dvijah nacetpuraanam sevidyaatvaiva sa

syaadvicakshanah itihaasapuraanaabhyaam vedam samupavruhayet

bibhetvalpas’rutaadvedo maamavam praharishyati

The above Sanskrit verse gives this message: ‘The Brahmin, who may not know the four

Vedas with the Angas and Upanishads, should not really be regarded as having

attained proficiency, if he should not (does not) thoroughly know the PURANA. He

should reinforce the VEDA with the ITHIHASA and PURANA. The Veda is afraid of him

who is deficient in tradition, (thinking) ‘he will do me hurt’.

Most pseudo-secular Marxist and anti-Hindu (and of course anti-national) historians

from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Aligarh University takes special delight in running

down the sources of ancient historical tradition of Bharatvarsha. For them Karl Marx,

Lenin, Stalin and Mao Tse Tung are the real sons of the Indian soil; Swami Vivekananda,

Sri Aurobindo, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajput Rai and other great nationalist leaders who

pleaded for time-honoured Hinduism Sanatana Dharma do not belong to India. No

wonder the traitors of the Communist Party of India fully cooperate with the repressive

British Government in India during the stirring days of Quit India Movement in August

1942. In any other civilised country, such traitors would have been executed without

much ado soon after Independence. Lenin, Stalin and Mao Tse Tung are no longer

relevant in their respective countries. But to the Communist traitors of India today, they

continue to be their working Gods!

Pargiter clearly states that our knowledge of the most ancient times in India rests mainly

on tradition. Let me sum up his views in this regard as follows: The Puranas, the

Mahabharatha and in a minor degree the Ramayana profess to give accounts from

tradition about earliest occurrences. The Vedas, the Brahmanas and other Brahmanic

Literature supply detailed and exact information also. The oldest of these, the Rig Veda,

contains historic allusions, of which some record contemporary events, but more refer

to bygone times and persons and are wholly based on inherited tradition. Almost all the

information about ancient India therefore comes from tradition. Statements of an

historical kind in the Vedic Literature become serviceable, if they can be linked up with

other statements from elsewhere, and that can be only from tradition. It is tradition

that gives many of them a chronological position; hence the soundness and force of the

Counsel given in the verse to above are manifest.

To quote the beautiful words of F.E.Pargiter ‘Tradition therefore becomes all

important. It is the only source, since historical works are wanting, and is not an

unworthy guide. In ancient times men knew perfectly well the difference between

truth and falsehood, as abundant proverbs and sayings show. It was natural therefore

that they should discriminate what was true and preserve it; and Indian historical

tradition must be considered in this light’.


5

In ancient Bharatvarsha political supremacy fostered religious ascendancy, and Rishis

and Munis, protected and favoured by royal power and prestige, spread and propagated

their doctrines and observances, not only in the countries conquered, but also in the

regions beyond their actual sway. Kings and Rishis therefore were the prominent

figures, and it is mainly with them that ancient traditions deal.

Though historical works about ancient India are wanting, yet tradition has handed down

fairly copious genealogies of the ancient dynasties. The Puranas consist largely of the

Royal Genealogies and Kshtriyas Ballads and Tales. Dynastic accounts and heroic tales

were the principal subjects of the Kshtriya record. These state the succession of Kings,

and in that way are historical. According to Pargiter, they are almost the only historical

data found in Sanskrit books as regards ancient political development; and the list of

teachers in professed chronological order set out in some brahmanical books supply

evidence as regards brahmanical succession. The genealogies form the basis by which

the investigation of tradition for historical ends in ancient Bharatvarsha may be tested.

To quote Pargiter once again: ‘They supply the best chronological clue’.

F.E.Pargiter gives a general survey of the genealogies in the Puranas and comes to many

meaningful conclusions relating to the politics, culture, religion and society of ancient

Bharatvarsha. Famous Kings in the Epics and Puranas were Mandhatr, Harishchandra,

Sagara, Bhageeratha, Dasaratha and Rama of Ayodhya; Sasabindhu and Arjuna

Karthavirya among Yadavas; Dushyanta, Bharatha, Ajamidha, Kuru and Santanu

among Pauravas; Jahnu and Gadhi of Kanyakubja; Divodasa and Pratardana of Kasi;

Vasu Caidya of Cedi and Magadha; Marutta Aviksita and Trnabindu of the Vaisala

Kingdom; Usinara and Sibi of the Panjab Anavas. All were great monarchs, some of

them were great conquerors, and many it is said were great sacrificers. All these great

Kings had the moral and spiritual support and benediction of great Rishis of ancient

Bharatvarsha. Let me give a few examples in this context. The Vasishtas were

hereditary priests of Ayodhya, and various members of their family are mentioned in

close connection with Harishchandra, Sagara and Dasaratha. Arjuna Karthavirya was

favoured by Rishi Datta Atreya. Marutta Aviksita had Samvarta Angirasa for his priest.

The Vayu Purana, Bramanda Purana and Vishnu Purana give an account of how the

original Purana came into existence. These three Puranas say that Krishna Dvaipayana

divided the single Veda into four and arranged them, and so came to be called VYASA.

He entrusted them to his four disciples, one to each, namely Paila, Vaisampayana,

Jaimini and Sumantu. Then with tales, anectodes, songs and lore that had come down

from the ages he compiled a Purana and taught it and the Itihasa to his fifth disciple,

the Suta Romaharsana or Lomaharsana. After that SAGE VYASA composed the

Mahabharatha. The Epic itself implies that the Purana preceded it. It says that Vyasa,

just after he had composed it, declared that he had already made the Itihasas and

Puranas manifest.


6

Pargiter makes this simple point clear. The Sutas had from remote times preserved the

genealogies of Gods, Rishis and Kings, and traditions and Ballads about celebrated men,

that is, exactly the material—tales, songs and ancient lore – out of which the Purana

was constructed. Whether or not Vyasa composed the original Purana or

superintended its completion, is immaterial for the purpose of understanding of ancient

Bharatvarsha. What is important to note is that there was abundant tradition of various

kinds, which could and would naturally have been used for its construction, and of the

very kinds that went into its construction. The ancient tales were topics of real interest

to Kings, people and Rishis, as both the Epics and Puranas by their very structure

proclaim, and they were also matters to which men of intelligence gave their attention.

Allusions in the Veda itself show the same. Therefore it is quite natural that, after the

religious hymns were formed into the Veda, the ancient secular tales and lore should

have been collected in a Purana.

Apart from producing his seminal work ‘Ancient Indian Historical Tradition’, Pargiter

also translated the MARKANDEYA PURANA into English with detailed notes. This is a

remarkable work on the society and geography of ancient Bharatvarsha. This Purana has

a character different from that of the others. It is nothing of sectarial spirit. It deals little

in precepts, ceremonial or moral. Its leading feature is narrative; and it presents and

uninterrupted succession of legends. With regard to the question of the place of its

origin, this Purana seems to have emanated from Western India, especially from the

region near the mouths of the Rivers Narmada and Tapti. Markandeya says positively

that Cyavana was the Rishi who first declared it. Cyavana obtained it from Bhrgu and

declared it to all the Rishis and they in turn repeated it to Daksha and Markandeya

learnt it from Daksha. The most important part of this Purana relates to Devi

Mahatmya (popularly known as Durga Saptasathi), in which the real speaker is a Rishi

named Medhas, and which is only repeated by Markandeya.

Pargiter says in his introduction that the geographical chapters in the Markandeya

Purana are comprehensive with enumeration of several countries, races and tribes till

then known, whether ancient or mediaeval.

Pargiter has suggested the considerations that should guide us about the way in which

the Historical tradition of ancient Bharatvarsha should be treated. He says that we

should not put it aside as wholly unworthy of our attention, nor should we try to explain

them in a summary manner by prima facie comments. As he puts it succinctly ‘The

former course is not criticism but is mere pre-judging the matter, and the latter is

superficial observation.... All human testimony is liable to error, and tradition is

human testimony concerning the long past: hence it is not to be discarded simply

because it contains discrepancies. Ancient Indian Historical tradition must be

examined and weighed with the aid of all information available and of experience and

common sense.’

The most important source book for getting a total aerial view of all the Puranas is

PURANIC ENCYCLOPAEDIA, A comprehensive Work with special reference to the Epic


7

and Puranic Literature, by VETTAM MANI a great Puranic Scholar from Kerala. This

work in English was first published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited,

Delhi in 1975. Ever since then it has run into several editions and has become a popular

reference book. This encyclopaedia was a English translation of the original work of

Vettam Mani in Malayalam.

Vettam Mani wrote this great work first in Malayalam under the title Puranic Nighantu.

The first volume was published in February 1964 at Kottayam. Vettam Mani started this

work in Malayalam on 1st of January 1955 and it took him 9 years before he could

release the first volume in February 1964. The remaining four parts of Puranic Nighantu

in Malayalam were published between 1964 and 1966. The second edition of this work

in Malayalam was brought out in May 1967 under the original title of Puranic Nighantu.

When the third edition of this work in Malayalam was printed in 1971, the name was

changed to PURANIC ENCYLOPAEDIA. This very work was translated into English and

published by Motilal Banarsidas, the internationally famous indological publishers in

1975.

In the preface to the English edition of this work, Vettam Mani rightly observed:

`The Puranas along with the Great Epics—the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, have

for centuries, profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture. The well-known definition

of a Purana as a work having five characteristic features—puranam pancalaksanam—

namely, primary creation, secondary creation, the genealogies, the ages of Manu, and

the dynastic account hardly does justice to the full significance of these works. They

are much more than that. While their genealogies and the dynastic account form the

bed-rock of the political history of ancient India, they throw a flood of light on all

aspects of Indian Culture—its religion, social practices, art, literature and sciences.

They serve as the key to the proper understanding of the various aspects of Hinduism-

—its beliefs, its modes of worship, its mythology, its festivals, feasts, and fasts, its

sacred shrines and places of pilgrimage, its philosophy and ethics and its theogony.

Truly it has been said that a Brahmin was not really wise if he did not know the

Puranas. The study of ancient Indian history, and culture—particularly religion-—is

impossible without a proper knowledge of the Puranas. As a matter of fact, it is

virtually impossible to understand not only ancient Indian culture and life, but also the

literature in modern Indian languages, as it largely draws upon the ideas and

ideologies as embodied in the contents of the Puranas and the epics.'

Vettam Mani has clearly explained what inspired him to undertake this gigantic task of

preparing a Puranic Encyclopaedia. The literary writings in all Indian languages are

indebted to the Epics and the Puranas in more than one way—their form, content,

ideas and ideologies are all influenced to a greater or lesser extent by these ancient

works. Direct and indirect allusions to Puranic episodes, characters, events, are

frequently to be met with in the literary writings of all Indian languages. Teachers

engaged in imparting instruction in literature in modern Indian languages must


8

therefore be conversant with the contents of the Puranas and Epics in order to be able

to explain these allusions wherever they occur in the writings in modern Indian

languages. However, it is well nigh impossible for an average teacher to go through

the whole of this vast Puranic Literature. Viewed in this light, the paramount public

need for a handy work of reference like the present Encyclopaedia should become

abundantly clear.

The word Purana is derived from pura which means `formerly' or `from ancient times'

and na meaning `to breathe' or `live'. Purana therefore means that which lives the past

or which breathes ancient times. The Puranas are regarded as Ithihas (history). Puranas

are referred to as far back as the Athrva Veda, the Satapatha Brahmanas, and the

ancient Upanishads. It is clear that the Puranas had attained a state of sacredness like

the Vedas and were associated with Ithihas (history) even in those times the probable

dates of these Puranas are between 100 A.D. and 600 A.D. We know however, from the

references made to them that other Puranas were in existence at the time of Bana

(early 7th century), sabara (between A.D.200 and 400), Kumarilla (7th century) and

Shankaracharya (between A.D.650 and 800). We also know that their contents were

similar to those in the extant Puranas as we know them today.

According to tradition, there are 18 Mahapuranas and 18 Upapuranas. Each

Mahapurana lists eighteen canonical Puranas, but the contents of each list vary

reflecting differences in time and place. The eighteen extant Mahapuranas are :

1. Agni Purana (15,400 verses)

2. Bhagavata Purana (18,000 verses). The most celebrated and popular of the Puranas.

It is concerned with Vishnu Bhakti, telling of the exploits and deeds of Vishnu's

Avataras. Its tenth canto (its longest) narrates the deeds of Krishna and, probably for

the first time in Sanskrit, tells of his exploits as a child, a theme later elaborated by

many Bhakti movements.

3. Bhavishya Purana (14,500 verses)

4. Brahma Purana (24,000 verses)

5. Brahmanda Purana (12,000 verses; includes Lalita Sahasranamam, a text millions of

Hindus recite as prayer)

6. Brahmavaivarta Purana (18,000 verses)

7. Garuda Purana (19,000 verses)

8. Kurma Purana (17,000 verses)


9

9. Linga Purana (11,000 verses)

10. Markandeya Purana (9,000 verses; includes Devi Mahatmyam, an important text

for Shaktas)

11. Matsya Purana (14,000 verses)

12. Narada Purana (25,000 verses)

13. Padma Purana (55,000 verses)

14. Skanda Purana (81,100 verses), probably the longest of all, containing parables,

legends and stories, with multiple versions and rescensions. Many untraced quotes from

a Purana are conveniently attributed to this Purana.[10]

15. Vamana Purana (10,000 verses)

16. Varaha Purana (10,000 verses)

17. Vayu Purana (24,000 verses)

18. Vishnu Purana (23,000 verses)

In addition to the above 18 Puranas, we also have the Harivamsa Purana (16000

verses) and Shiva Purana (24000 verses).

There is also another traditional approach to the classification of Puranas. They have

been classified with reference to the three aspects of Trimurti _ creation, preservation

and destruction. Based on this approach, Mahapuranas can be classified as follows:

Brahma Puranas: Brahma Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana,

Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana,

Vishnu Puranas: Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Naradeya Purana, Garuda

Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana,Vamana Purana,Kurma Purana, Matsya

Purana, Kalki Purana

Shiva Puranas: Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana, Vayu Purana

Puranas have also been classified based on the gunas (qualities) of satvik(goodness),

rajhasic (passion) and thamasic (ignorance). According to the Padma Purana, the 18

Puranas can be classified based on gunas in the following manner:


10

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

Traditionally, the Puranas are said to have been composed by the Sage Veda Vyasa,

the narrator of the Mahabharata epic. Vyasa in Sanskrit means `Divider,' and some

scholars therefore take this simply as a term meaning `Editor'.

The Puranas also lay emphasis on keeping a record of genealogies. Thus the Vayu

Purana says: `As seen by good people in the ancient times the suta's duty was to

preserve the genealogies of gods, rishis and glorious kings and the traditions of great

men.'

Apart from the 18 Mahapuranas, there are also 18 Upapuranas. They are:Sanat-

kumara Purana, Narasimha Purana, Brihan-naradiya Purana, Siva-rahasya Purana,

Durvasa Purana, Kapila Purana, Vamana Purana, Bhargava Purana, Varuna Purana,

Kalika Purana, Samba Purana, Nandi Purana, Surya Purana, Parasara Purana,

Vasishtha Purana, Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Ganesha Purana, Mudgala Purana, and

Hamsa Purana. Most of these Upapuranas have not been critically edited yet and are

available mostly through devotional publications, in multiple versions and recensions.

The Devi-Bhagavata Purana extols the virtues of the goddess Durga as the supreme

being. It has become (along with the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana) a

basic text for Devi worshipers.

Apart from Mahapuranas and Upapuranas, we also have Sthala Puranas and Kula

Puranas.

The corpus of Sthala Puranas narrates the virtues and stories connected with a certain

temple or shrine (the word `Sthala' means `Place' in Sanskrit). There are numerous

Sthala Puranas, most written in vernaculars, some with Sanskrit versions as well. Most

claim to have a Sanskrit origin, and some of the Sanskrit versions also appear in a

Mahapurana or an Upapurana. Some Tamil Sthala Puranas have been researched by

David Dean Shulman. Kula Puranas are mostly caste-focussed Puranas (the word `Kula'

means `Family' or `Tribe' in Sanskrit). They deal with a caste's origin myth, stories and

legends.

There are many Jain Puranas, dealing with Jain myths, history and legends. Studies

and English translations of this particular genre are meagre. The best known of them is

the Mahapurana of Acharya Jinasena. The Jain Puranas form a major part of the early


11

Kannada literature. Swayambhu Purana, a Buddhist Purana, is major source of the

history of the Kathmandu valley. Arguably, some Buddhist Mahayana Sutras seem to

have some characteristics of Puranas.

According to Hindu tradition, the Puranas were composed by Vyasa at the end of

Dvapara Yuga. An early reference to Purana in its present sense can be traced to the

Chandogya Upanishad (7.1.2), in which the sage Narada refers to itihâsapurânam

panchamam vedânâm. Thus the Chandogya Upanishad ascribes to the Puranas,

together with Itihas, the status of a fifth Veda, or Panchama Veda.

In the opinion of Gavin Flood, the Puranic corpus is a complex body of materials that

advance the views of various competing cults. Although the puranic texts are related to

each other, and material in one is found in another, they nevertheless each present a

view of ordering of the world from a particular perspective. They must not be seen as

random collections of old tales, but as highly selective and crafted expositions and

presentations of worldviews compiled by particular groups of Brahmins to propagate a

particular vision, whether it be focused on Vishnu, Shiva, or Devî, or, indeed, any

number of deities.

According to Matsya Purana, the puranas are said to narrate five subjects, called

Pancha Lakshana (pañchalakshana – ‘five distinguishing marks’):

1. Sarga - The creation of the universe.

2. Pratisarga - Secondary creations, mostly re-creations after dissolution.

3. Vamœa - Genealogy of gods and sages.

4. Manvañtara - The creation of the human race and the first human beings.

5. Vamúâanu charitam - Dynastic histories.

The Buddhist scholar Amarasimha (between the 6th and 8th centuries), who wrote

that admirable lexicon the Amara-Kosa, also defined the notion of a Purana along the

above lines. He said a true Purana should treat of five subjects: the creation of the

world, its periodic destruction and recreation, the pedigree of the Gods and mythical

sages, the periods of the life of the world, over each of which a new Manu or First

Man, presides and the pedigrees of the Kings of the lines of the Sun and of the Moon.

Most Mahapuranas and Upapuranas deal with these subject matters, although the bulk

of their text consists of historical and religious narratives. Some scholars have suggested

that these ‘distinguishing marks’ are shared by other traditional religious scriptures of

the world (e.g. the Bible). A Purana usually gives prominence to a certain deity (Shiva,

Vishnu, Krishna or Durga) and depicts the other gods as subservient. Most use an


12

abundance of religious and philosophical concepts in their narration, from Bhakti to

Samkhya.

Among the Puranas, the Vishnu Purana comes closest to the definition of a Purana

with regard to its contents. Most Puranas devote themselves to one God in whom is

personalized the concept of the One Para Brahmma. The Vishnu Purana invokes the

God Vishnu. Beginning with an invocation to Vishnu, the Vishnu Purana is in the form

of questions and answers between the Sage Parasara and his disciple Maitreya.

In a conversation between Satanika and Sumanta, in the Vishnu Purana, Sumanta says

that the Dharma Sastras consisting of the 18 Puranas, the Ramayana and the

Mahabharatha are meant for the education and enlightenment of the common people

and are for all the four Varnas.

The Puranas gave the people of ancient India a world-view, a sense of identity and a

moral foundation. Though they may not appear to be history as we know it today, yet it

cannot be disputed that they teach something more than mere history. The

philosophical concepts were told in a manner that even the uneducated could

understand.

The Vishnu Purana declares that he who is wise, balanced and kind, goes to worlds

which are eternal sources of happiness. He who is intelligent, modest, devout, who

respects wisdom, his superiors and the aged goes to heaven. Let me quote the words of

Vishnu Purana ‘The Earth is upheld by the virtuous who have subdued their passions,

behaved righteously, uncontaminated by desire, greed or wrath. A wise man should

always seek to be pleasant and speak the truth. Where the truth is likely to be painful

he should not speak. However, he must not utter that which may be pleasant and

acceptable but is detrimental, because if so, then it is better to speak the truth, even if

it were to give great offence. A considerate man will always cultivate an act, thought

and speech that which is good for all living beings in the world and the next’.

These personal and social obligations of the Hindus given as above in the Vishnu

Purana conform with the Institutes of Manu and many passages in the Vishnu Purana

follow Manu word for word.

The Puranas are invaluable sources of religious, social and cultural history of ancient

India. In his magnificent work on the history of Dharmasastras, P.V.Kane has observed

‘Puranas sound modern when they put social service and removal of suffering and

distress as the highest Dharma. They at the same time also lay stress on the heart

being more important than works’.

Apart from Vettam Mani’s Puranic Encyclopaedia, another equally important work on

the Puranas is Encyclopaedia of Puranic Beliefs and Practices by Dr. Sadashiv A Dange,

formerly R.G.Bhandarkar Professor and Head of the Department of Sanskrit in


13

Bombay University. Dr.Dange’s work was published in five volumes in 1989. Dr. Dange

in his preface has indicated that Vettam Mani’s Puranic Encyclopaedia is just a

collection of all sorts of information and thus it cannot be strictly called as Puranic

Encyclopaedia. According to Dr. Dange, Vettam Mani’s work lacks methodology in as

much as the references given do not have a set system. Likewise, the earlier work

Purana Index by Dr. V.R.R.Dikshithar does not deal with all the 18 Mahapuranas. Thus,

in both the works of Dr.V.R.R. Dikshithar and Vettam Mani, the stress is more on

personalities rather than on objects or the society. Dr.Dange’s work has tried to

present information from the cultural, social and mythological angle. In Dr.Dange’s work

wherever individual names do occur, they are mentioned only when they have some

belief attached to them or when there is some custom, or practice associated with

them. Mere dynastic or personal details are discarded by Dr.Dange.

Dr.Dange’s work is an invaluable reference work on all the 18 Mahapuranas and 18

Upapuranas. What is significant is that original passages in the Sanskrit have been

presented at the end of each entry.

To quote the appropriate words of Dr.Dange ‘Purana is described as the fifth Veda, in

addition to the four namely, Rig, Yajus, Sama and Atharva (Puranam panchamo

Vedah). The reason is that in the Purana, the popular rituals are documented,

according to which the general mass of people behave. As such, the Puranic tradition

is a blend of the Vedic ritualistic and popular mythical traditions. The Purana is not

inferior to the Veda. According to Skanda Purana, Purana is as steady as the Veda.

Not only this, all the Vedas are firmly rooted in the Purana. It says that, whatever is

not seen in the Smritis or the Veda, is seen in the Purana’.

In his great work Ancient India and Indian Civilization, Paul Masson-Oursel has

brillently concluded ‘India was predestined by its geographical structure to be one of

the great breeding-grounds of humanity.… It is the land of great asceticism, which

seeks to enrich spiritual life by detaching the individual from his surroundings, and it

owes its complex originality to its separation from the rest of our planet…. Life

breaks out from rules, and does not cease to proliferate in capricious growths, just as

it perpetuates ancient types, long obsolete, among other types, more highly

developed. .. Theories full of fantastic conceptions, but these are classified under

headings governed by analogy. Often richness is accepted as beauty and abundance

as truth…. Yet India puts things together and co-ordinates them without artificially

assimilating them. That is why its civilization preserves barbaric elements more than

it transforms them, and mingles them with others far more refined. It loves art

passionately, without ever opposing it to nature, doubtless because nature in that

country is like art in its creative exuberance. Religious belief and philosophic

reflection partake of the nature of art, because they claim, not to treat of a real,

independent of thought, but to establish modes of existence by means of the

autonomous activity of the mind….Dives and Lazarus rub shoulders, zeal for fullness


14

and passion for emptiness stand face to face for ever. Let us make our choice without

blaming India for the lack of measure in its spirit – which, indeed as I have pointed

out, proceeds according to cannons of right conduct. In Greece, Ontology has its

limits, those drawn by definition. But India dedicates itself to the unknown and the

unlimited because it always operates, even when it seeks to know. When it succeeds

in avoiding anarchy, it is because it has found, in its very action, principles of order

and guarantees of objectivity’.

This is indeed eternal India of the ages—this india of geography, of history and

tradition, of our minds and heart——which nothing in the world can ever change, now

and forever.

(The writer is a retired IAS officer)

e-mail the writer at

[email protected]

http://newstodaynet.com/printer.php?id=7732


puranas - the source of ancient indian history

Documents