purANAs

By. C. Raghavendra Rao in Madhwa Siddhanta Sabha Journal

The word purana means old. Puranas contain the old tradition and history of our Bharata varsha. Amarakosha, the sanskrit lexicon states that purana means, that work, which has five charecterstics. (Pancha laxanas).

sargashca prAti - sargashca vaMshE manvaMtarANi ca |

vaMshAnucaritaM caiva purANaM paMcalakShaNaM ||

(1) sarga - primary creation (2) Prathi Sarga - Secondary creation. (3) Vamsa - genealogy of Devas,Asuras, human beings etc. (4) Manvantara - period of time and (5) Vamsanucharitam - history of solar and lunar dynasties.

Apart from extolling the glories of God, puranas give in detail the sacrifice, Valour, greatness, compassion etc., of ancient kings,Rishis and great men. They are very old compositions as Matsya purana states:-

purANaM sarvashAstrANAM prathamaM brahmaNA syUtaM ....

Puranas contained hundres crores of granthas in one volume in previous kalpas. They were condensed into 4 lakh granthas by Lord Sri Vedavyasa and divided into 18, for easy understanding by all.

purANamekamEvAsIt tadAkalpAmtare kila |

trivarga sAdhanaM puNyaM shatakOTi pravistaram ||

tallakShaNaM idaM prOktaM vyAsEnAdbhuta karmaNA |

aShTAdasha purANAni kRutvA satyavatI sutaH ||

- padmapurana - shrishti Kanda

Padmapurana - srishti Khanda an ancient poem gives an easy way of remembering the names of Eighteen puranas.

'ma' dvayaM,'bha' dvayaM caiva bhra trayaM va catuShTyam |

a,na,pa,liM,ga,kU,skA-ni purANAni pRuthak pRuthal ||

Two puranas with "ma" as first letter - 1.Matsya

2.Markandeya

Two puranas with "bha" as first letter - 3.Bagavata

4.Bhavishya

Three with "bra" as first letter - 5.Brahma

6.Brahmanda

7.Brahma Vaivartha

Four with "va" as first letter - 8.Vamana

9.Vayu

10.Vishnu

11.Varaha

One with "a" as first letter - 12. Agni

one with "na" as first letter - 13. Narada

one with "pa" as first letter - 14.Padma

one wiht "lim" as first letter - 15. LiMga

One with "ga" as first letter - 16. Garuda

One with "kU" as first letter - 17. kUrma

One with "ska" as first letter - 18. Skanda

Of these Brahma and Padma puranas were first made available by Brihaspati, Padma Purana states

"brAhmaM purANaM prathamaM dwiteeyaM pAdma-mucyatE"

The puranas are classified into Satvika Rajasa and Thamasa puranas. THose that extol the glory of Lord Vishnu and uphold Vishnu Sarvothamatva are sathvika puranas. The classification can be seen from Padma purana which states Brahma, Padmaa,vishnu purana are Sathvika puranas.

Apart from these there are eighteen upa-puranas.

sanatkumara, nArasiMha, skAnda, shivadhrama, daurvAsa, kApila, mAnava, aushanasa, vAruNa, kAlika,sAMba,naMdikRuta,saura,parAshara,Aditya,mahEshwara,vAsishTa and mArica

Ofcourse there are variations in the names of upa-puranas as listed in Devi Bhagavatham and as in Smriti Muktavali.

Some Scholars aare of opinion that those compiled bu Lord vedavyasa are called by the names of puranas and those bu other rishis are upapuranas.

Of the Eighteen major Puranas Vishnu purana is an important on as can be seen from the following authorities.

1. Parasara purana, one of the upapurana states.

sAtvikAni purANAni shrEyAMsi niKilAnyapi |

tatra bhAgavataM shrEShTaM tatO vaishNavamuttamam ||

All the satvika puranas are conducive to eternal welfare. Of them Bhagavata purana is the best. But there is better one than this and it is "Vishnu Purana"

purANaM Etat sadRushaM na hi anyadupapadhyate |

Adau madhye tathA&nte ca gIyatEtra harirbhuhuH ||

There is no other purana equal to it, since the supreme Lord Sri Hari forms its subject matter throughout; in the beginning middle and at the end.

ShaDakShara svarUpAste ye ShaDAshAH prakIrtitAH |

ShaDa~gayOga-duShprApAM prayacChAMti gatiM nRuNAM ||

The six amsas (contos) narrated there are expositions of the six letters of "shadakshara Mantra" (Om Vishnave Namaha) andlead to bliss which even the six angas of the vedas fail to secure.

2. It is said in garuda purana :-

vEdEShu pauruShaM sUktaM dharma shAstrEShu mAnavam |

bhAratE bhagavadgItA purANEShu ca vaiShNavam ||

Of the Vedas, Purusha Suktha, of dharma shastras Manu smriti, Bhagavadgita od Mahabaratha and Vishnupurana of all the puranas contains the essence.

3.The Linga purana extols Vishnu Purana as Sarvavedartena Samyutham, places Vishnu Purana in the same Level as Vedas.

4. Founders of the three school of vedantha quote from it in their Bhasyas.

5. The Naradiya purana in the course of dialogue between Brahma and Marichi says

brahMovAca -

ShRuNu vatsa pravakShyAmi purANaM vaiShNavaM mahUt |

trayO viMshati sAhasraM sarva - pAtaka nAshanam ||

Brahma says - Listen to me my son, the great Vishnu Purana given out in 23,000 verses is the purifier of all the sins.

It is found that Sridhara and Vishnugarbha have written commentaries on this purana with reference to Advaita and Vishnuchitta with reference to vishishtadwaita schools of thought.

There is very old commentary written by one Sri Dattatreyacharya with reference to Dwaita School of thought and it is known as Subhodhini . he offers his prayers to Lord Munkunda in the beginning and others afterwards :

ShriyaH patiM pUrNaguNaika sAraM bhaktEShTadaM bhaktabhavApahaM prabhum |

ajAdi saMsEvita pAdapallavaM vande mukuMdaM marudaMshavallabham ||

On Madhwacharya

sadAgamAMbhOruha kOrakANAM yaduktayO bhAnukarA vikAsE |

taM pUrNAbOdhaM bhuvanaikabhandhuM vandE guruM buddhi vikAsanAya ||

On Jayateertha

advaita siddhAMta gajapramAthI madhwArya siddhAnta mahIndhravAsI |

vEdAnta nirNIta guNAnuvAda siMhadhwaniH pAtu jayArya siNhaH ||

ramA-ramaNa-mAnamya pUrNabOdhAn gurUnapi vyAKyA viShNupurANasya yathAmati karOmyaham |

yadi vidhyAt caturvEdAn sA~gOpaniShadAn dwijaH |

na cEtpurANaM saMvidhyA naiva sa syAt vicakShaNaH ||

Should a brahmin master the four vedas, Vedangas and upanishads without a sound knowledge of puranas, he cannot be considered a wise man.

itihAsapurANAbhyAM vEdaM samupabRuMhayEt ...

One should expund vedas with the help of Itihasas and puranas.

Mathsya purana says :

aShTAdasha purANAnAM nAmadhEyAni yaH paThEt |

trisandhyaM jayate nityam sO&shvamEdha phalam labhEt ||

One who repeats the name of Eighteen puranas, three times in a day, reaps the result of Ashwamedha sacrifice. Importance of the study of puranas needs no further emphasis.

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