The Brahmapurana: Contents and merit accrued

1. On hearing these words of Sanatkumara joyously, the delighted Narada who was desirous of knowing the excellent thing that is conducive to welfare, said again.

2. Well done, О blessed one, Well done. The great sacred (Tantra) text, that is the most excellent among the (Tantric) scriptural texts has been narrated by you. It renders great benefit to all the worlds.

3. Now I wish to hear the excellent narration of Puranas. О sage, tell me whatever (i.e. all legendary episodes) is narrated in each of the different Puranas, since you arc considered to be omniscient.

4. О Brahmana, on hearing those auspicious words of Narad i, his enquiry regarding the stories in the Puranas, Sanatkumara replied. 1

1 This section is historically very important as it lecords the detailed contents of each MahaPurana as they stood before the final redaction of the present NP. As the notes below will show, the NP does nut cover all the contents of all the Puranas and the information regarding interlocutors etc, is at variance with the published editions of these Purapas. But that does not mean that whatever is not recorded in the NP. is spurious. Critical editions based on all-India Mss. of the Puranas will be more reliable in this matter.

5. О Brahmana, the stories extant in the Puranas are miraculous and very detailed. They have originated in the different Kalpas1 and they include different stories and anecdotes.

6. This sage Sanatana is the most excellent among the knowers of many Kalpas. Ask him about this. No one else knows as much as he does.

7. On hearing these words of the noble-souled Sanat- kumara, Narada bowed to Sanatana with great humility and submitted:

8-9. О Brahmana, the most excellent one among the knowers of the Puranas, interested in the discussion of the perfect knowledge, kindly recount to me the classification of the Puranas in their entirety, on hearing which everything becomes heard, on knowing which everything is known. It is by following the injunctions therein that everything meritorious is done.

10-11. The duties of the different castes and stages of life are clearly understood from it. How many are the Puranas? What is the magnitude (extent) of each? What are the stories that they contain? О holy Lord, tell me. So also recount to me the different stories based on the four castes of people, as well as the details of the different holy observances.

12. Please reveal clearly the stories of the different races and dynasties in the order of their creation. О Holy Lord, there is no one superior to you in the knowledge of the stories contained in the Puranas.

13a. Hence tell me the story (i.e. the content of the Puranas) that dispels all doubts.

13b-14a. О Brahmanas, on hearing the speech (request) ofNarada, Sanatana, the most excellent one among the knowers, meditated on Narayana for a short while and said:

1, This is a convenient plea to reconcile different versions of the same story in different Purd^cis.

14b-16a. Very well! О excellent sage, very nice! Since your steady inclination is diverted towards the knowledge of the stories in the Puranas. This is conducive to the help of all the worlds. I shall tell you what had been narrated by Brahma formerly. Urged by filial affection, he narrated to Marici and other sages

16b-18. Brahma’s son named Marici is well known as one richly endowed with Vedic learning. He is the master of the Vedas and the Vedangas (lores ancillary to Vedas). Once he approached his father Brahma, the creator of the worlds. О leading sage! О bestower of honour! He devoutly bowed to him and asked him the same question regarding the holy narrative of the Puranas as you do now.

19. О Lord, Lord of the chiefs of the Devas, the Creator and the annihilator of the worlds, О omniscient one, О presiding deity over all, obeisance be to you, who are gracious to all.

20. О father, I am desirous of hearing. Kindly tell me the core of the Puranas, their definition, their authority, the narrator and the inquirer.

21. Listen, О dear child, I shall tell you the collective account of the Puranas. On knowing it, all the extant literature among the mobile and the immobile beings becomes known

22. О bestower of honour, in all the Kalpas, there was only one Purana1 that was the very seed of the fourfold aims of life.- It extended to a hundred crores of verses.

1. With due respect to P.V. Kane (H.D. V. ii.P. 829), I believe that originally there was a single text of literature called the Purana> on account of the following reasons:

23-24. It was from the Purana that all other sacred literature and sciences were evolved. As days passed by, people, could not grasp this Purana properly. On realising it, Hari the highly intelligent deity, incarnated himself as Vyaszf in every age. In the course of every Dvapara age, he reduced it to four hundred-thousand verses.

(1) Not only the NP here but various other Puranas record the tradition that originally there was one Рита^а, vide Brahmdnda (BdP) 1.1. 40- 41., LP I. 2.3., Mt. P 53. 3-11, Pd. P V. 145-52, Va. P. I. 60-61. And They have a number of common verses. For example compare, NP 1.92.22-25 (our text) with the following from Mt. P. 53. 4-11.:

Tad oj fadaJ ad ha krtvd bhiir-loke'smin prakaJyate f Adyapi deva-lokesmin Sata-kofi-pravistaram //

(2) All Puranas conform in general to a uniform structure known as Pafica-lakshasha br claim to have the following five characteristic topics viz., the creation of the Universe (Sarga) after destruction or Pralaya (Pratisarga)

(3) Genealogy of Sages and Kings (Vamto) (4) the great periods, called ManvantaraSy (5) history of dynasties both Solar and Lunar races, etc.

(4) Not only verses but long passages of verses are found common to a number of Puranas.

Thus each Purana tries to follow the proto-type of that ancient text called the Purana.

(5) The Atharva Veda (AV. XI. 7. 24 and XV. 6. 10-11) mentions Purana which shows that there was no proliferation of Purana upto the final redaction of the AV.

It was by the time of the Dharma-Sutras of Apastamba and Gautama that Puranas yrith different names came into existence “approaching in the contents to some extent at least of some of the extant Puranas (HD. V. ii. 318). Writers from the 2nd to the eighth cent A.D. from Sahara to Sankara show that the Purana texts before those authors exhibit the same contents and characteristics as many of the extant Рига pas.

The later proliferation does not disprove the existence of one single work called Purapa.

25. He divides Purana into eighteen books and hands it over to the people of the Earth. Even today, original in the region of the Devas, the Purana extends to a hundred crores of verses.

26-28. Of course, there is a condensed version in which the essence is described briefly in four hundred thousand verses.1 The following are the three times six (eighteen) books viz — Brahma, Padma, Vaishnava, Vayaviya, Bhagavata, Naradiya Markandeya, Agneya, Bhavisya, Brahma Vaivarta, Lingaka, Varaha, Skanda, Vamana, Kurma, Matsya, Garuda and Brahmanda.2 3

29. The single narrative is called the thread that binds the narrator and the listener. I shall recount briefly. Listen with great concentration.

30. It was the Brahma Purana that was narrated at the outset2 by the noble-souled Vyasa, the Vedic scholar, for the benefit of the whole world.

31. Indeed, it is the foremost among all the Puranas. It bestows virtue, love, wealth and liberation from Samsara. It is rich with various narratives and historical anecdotes. It consists of ten thousand verses.4

1. The total number of verses in the extant Ригйхии as enumerated in Mt. P. a Va.P. comes to 400600 which is approximately the same as ‘‘Four hundred thousand" as mentioned here and in other Puranas.

2. The list of Puranas given here is the same as in the Bh. P XII. 13. 4-8, VP III. 6.21.23, Mt. P. 53.11 ff Va. P. 104. 2-10, etc. But there is some difference in the serial order. For example, NP. records the Vdyu P as the 4th in the list, while a number of others substitute the shaioa as the 4th instead of Vdyu. A.D. Pusalkar has however, convincingly shown that the Vdyu is entided to be a Mahapurana and Not the Shiva Purana (Studios in the Epics a Purdftas of India (SEP. Ch. 2 pp. 31-41) that the VP contains this list shows that these Рига gas existed in the Gupta Age.

3. Like the NP most Purdshas give the Brahma the first place in their lists. But the Vdyu 104,3 and the DtviBhagaoata (13.3) put the Matsya as the first in their list, while the Skanda-PraBhasa Khan4a 2. 8-9 gives that honour to the Brahmdfl4a.

4. The Bh. P. XII. 13.4 agrees with the NP about the number of verses (viz 10000) in the Brahma P but AP. 272.1 credits it with 25000 verses while Mi. P. states 13000 as the total No. of verses therein. Actually the Anandasrama Edt. of this Purana contains 13,761 verses. In the Brahma P, Gautami-Mahatmya is given in 106 chapters but the NP. does not record it — a big omission.

32. О leading sage, in it is described the origin of the Devas, Suras and Daksa and other Prajapatis.

33. Then, there is the holy narration of the race of the Sun, the Supreme Atman, the lord of the worlds. The narrative is destructive of great sins.

34. In the course of that narrative, the incarnation of the glorious Ramacandra1 has been recounted, Ramacandra of blissful form incarnating in four manifestations (vyuhas).2

35. Thereafter, the lunar race is described. There is the story of Krishna, the Lord of the Universe, that is destructive of sins.

36. There is the description of all the continents and sub-continents without omitting anything. The description of the nether-worlds and the heavens is also seen (given therein).

37. There is the enumeration of the Narakas (hells). There is a hymn and a narrative of the Sun. Parvati’s birth and marriage are described.

38. Then there is the narrative of Daksa. There is the description of the holy centre of ‘Ekamra’3 (Bhuvanesvara in Orissa). О Narada, the first part of this Purana has thus been narrated.

39. In its second part, there is the description of Puru- sottama.4 It is explained in detail along with the injunctions as to how a pilgrimage (of Jagannatha Puri) is to be conducted.

1. This story of Rama though included in the list of contents of the Brahma by the NP. is not found in the printed editions (both Anandasrama Poona and Gurumandal (GM) Calcutta.)

2. Obviously the Pafcardtra doctrine of “Four Manifestations” is implied here as Rama is an incarnation of Vi?ou (Vasudeva.)

3. This is in Ch. 41 of the Bd. P. (GM. Edt). Ekamra is Bhuvanesh- vbr on the river Gandhavati in Orissa — Dc 59.

4. The description of Puru?ottama Ksetra and how king Indradyumna of Avanti carved out three wooden images (of Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra) is found in Ghs. 44-51 of the Bd. P. 'This Purusottama Kshetra is Puri of Jagannatha Puri or shrl K?etra in Orissa. Puri is the ancient Buddhist Dantapura which got its name from the shrine of Buddha’s left canine tooth. The three images represent Buddha, Dharma and Sahgha and there were car festivals of these when Fa Hian and Hiuen Tsiang visited this place — De, pp 162-163.

40. It is here itself that the story of Krishna1 is explained in detail. There is the description of the region of Yama and the procedure of the Sraddhas of the Pitrs (manes).

41. The duties of the different castes and stages of life have been described in detail. There is the narration of Vishnu- Dharma and the Yugas as well as the Pralaya (dissolution of the world).

42. There is the narration of the Yogas and the Sankhyas. There is the description of Brahmavada (Philosophy of the Brahman) and the eulogy of the Purana.

43. Thus the Brahma Purana that consists of two parts has been described. It is destructive of all sins. It bestows all happiness.

44-46a. He who, after getting copied this Purana consisting of the dialogue of Siita and Saunaka that yields worldly pleasure (here) and release from Sariisara (hereafter), donates devoutly that manuscript on the full moon day in the month of Vaisakha, to a Brahmana well-versed in Puranas, alongwith gold, water and a cow, after propitiating him with garments, sweet dishes and ornaments, — (such a person) stays in the region of god Brahma as long as the sun, the moon and the stars shine.

46b-47a. He who reads or listens to this index (table of contents) to the Brahma Purana, О Brahmana, shall attain the benefit of the reciter and listener of the entire Purana.

1. VV 40-42 give some of the main items in the Bd. P. such as the story of Krspa (Chs. 180-211), description of the region of Yama (Chs. 214-216), Pitr-traddha (219-220), Variiasramadharma (Ch. 222), discussion of Yoga (Chs. 234, 238),Sankhya (Chs. 235, 239) and eulogy of Puranas (Ch. 235). But a number of chapters on sacred places and other important episodes which find a place in every Purana and as such cannot be branded as ‘spurious', are not mentioned in the contents of the Bd. P. as summarised in the NP.

47b-48a. He who restricts his diet to rice soaked in ghee and subdues his sense-organs through (religious) observances and listens to the whole of Brahmapurana, shall attain the region of Brahma.

48b-c. О dear one, What more needs be said? By reciting this Purana a man obtains whatever he desires.

1. О son, listen. I shall tell you the story of Padma Purana1 It bestows great merit on those men who joyously read and listen to it.

2. Just as a man becomes complete with his five sense organs, so also is this Purana with its five sections. It is destructive of sins.

1. This Vaishnava Purana is regarded as the heart of the Cosmic Hari (Pd. Svarga 62.22). There are variations in the nomenclatures of the different Sections (Khandas) and the total number of verses in this Purana. The NP. gives Srsfi, Bhumi, Svarga, Patala and Uttara as the names of its Khandas and this is borne out by the Bengal Mss of the Padma P — another evidence to show that the author of the NP was an East Indian. The No. of verses is 55,000 according to the NP., Bh. P., Mt. P., VaP. but the Brahma Vaivarta credits it with 59000 verses. The Anandasrama edition (Poona) mentions six Khafud^ viz. Adi, Bhumi, Brahma, Patala, Srjfi and Uttara a contains 48,425 verses. The Guru Mandal edition (Calcutta) of the Pd. P. has seven Khanka viz. Srffi, Bhumi, Svarga, Brahma, Patdla, Uttara and Kriyd-yoga-sdra and they tally with the statement of the Pd, P. Svarga-Khapda 1.23-25 and the no. of verses is 55000. It is noteworthy that a number of topics in the published Padma Ригйра such as the characteristic of heretics (Pakhandas)» condemnation of the Maya-Vada, stories regarding wearing special Vai?pava marks like urdhva-Pushdra, greatness of Dvaitism, etc. do not form a part of Pd. P. as describad in the NP:

3. О Brahmana, the details of religious duties are narrated in it alongwith the accounts of various incidents, anecdotes, etc. by Pulastya to Bhlsma with the orderly account of creation of the universe, etc.

4. The greatness of Puskara1 is glorified in detail. The procedure of the Yajfia of Brahman and the characteristics of the study of the Vedas (are described).

5. Various kinds of (charitable and religious) gifts and holy observances are severally glorified. The marriage of Parvatl is mentioned. There is the long narrative ofTaraka.

6. The greatness of cows etc. that bestows all merits has been mentioned. The killing of Kalakeyas and other Daityas has been described separately.

7. О excellent Brahmana, the mode of worship of the planets and the rite of Dana (religious gift) have been laid down. All these have been mentioned by the noble-souled Vyasa in the first part of Srstikhanda (Section on creation).

8. In the context of the worthiness of mother, father and others of being worshipped, there is the story of Shivasarman2 at first and then that of Suvrata.3 Vrtra’s4 death is described afterwards.

The special feature of the Pd P is that it was used by Kalidasa for the plot of the Sakuntala and the Raghuvamla. There is one special TIrtha Mahatmya in the Pd. P. which is not mentioned by the NP and is ignored by complacent editors of the Pd. P. at Bombay (The Verikatesvara Press edition) and Poona (The Anandasrama Edt.) and that is the Karavira Mahatmya of 7300 verses MSS evidence of which is unanimous in claiming it to be a part of the Pd. P. It is being edited by the present editor in the Sk-Pkt. scries of the Shivaji University Kolhapur.

1. As in the case of the Br. P. in the case of the Pd. P, the NP mentions only a few topics practically as tokens in each Khajida and passes to the next Purana (Viz. the Vishnu)

Thus the greatness of Puskara mentioned in this verse (No. 4) forms Chs. 111-117 and god Brahma’s sacrifice is in Chs. 124-131 and the Vrata topic mentioned in the next verse (No. 5) is found in Chs. 200-258 of the Pd. P.

Hence non-mention of a topic in the NP. is not a proof that the particular topic in the Pd. P is spurious.

9. There are the stories of Prthu, son of Vena1 of Sunl- tha2 and of Shukala.3 There is Dharmakhyana (narration of Virtue) afterwards.

10. There is the narrative of service rendered to the parents. There is the story of Nahusa. Yayati’s4 5 story is narrated. Gurutirtha6 (Holy centre) is reviewed.

11. There is the dialogue between the king and Jaimini in which there is a very wonderful story. The story of Asoka- Sundari6 is mentioned alongwith the death of Daitya Hun^a.

12. The narrative of Kamoda7 alongwith the death of Vihunda and the dialogue of Kunjala8 with Cyavana. the noble- souled (sage).

13. Then there is the narration of the Siddhas.9 The benefit of (listening and recounting) this section is narrated. Then there is the dialogue between Suta and Saunaka. This is remembered as Bhumikhanda.

14. The origin of the Cosmic Egg is narrated by Sauti to the sages. The situation of all the worlds including the Earth is described. Thereafter, the holy centres are enumerated.

15. Then there is the narration of the origin of Narmada. The stories of various holy centres in it are severally mentioned. The holy account of the holy centres like Kuru- ksetra etc. has been described.

16. The narration of the merit of the Kalindl, the description of the greatness of Kasi and Gaya, and the merit- giving glory of Prayaga.

The above correspondence of topics in NP. verses 8-13 in this chapter and the various chapters in the BhQmi Khanka of the Pd. P? is enough to show the nature of the Anukramaniika Var^aham (The description of the Index or table of contents) of the Pd. P. and NP.

17. The review of the path of activity (Karmayoga) in accordance with the castes and stages of life. The dialogue between Vyasa and Jaimini is comprised of holy rites and stories.

18. The story of churning the ocean, thereafter, the enumeration of holy vows. The greatness of Orjapaficaha and the hymn that dispels all guilts.

О Brahmana, this is the section called Svarga Khanda. It is destructive of all sins.

19-21. The description of Rama’s horse sacrifice, Rama’s coronation at the outset, the arrival of Agastya and others, the narration of the family of Paulastya. The instruction regarding horse sacrifice. Then the description of rites regarding the sacrificial horse. The holy stories of many kings. The description of god Jagannatha (the Lord of the Universe) of Puri, the greatness of Vrndavana; it is destructive of all sins.

22. The narration of the perpetual sports of the incarnation of Krishna, the greatness of the ablution in the month of Vaisakha, the benefit of ablution, gifts and worship.

23. The dialogue between the Earth and Divine Boar (Vishnu-Varaha), the story of Yama and the Brahmana, the dialogue of the messengers of the king, review of the Hymn of Krishna.

24. The meeting of Shiva and Sambhu (?), then the story of Dadhica, the incomparable greatness of the Bhasma, the excellent greatness of Shiva.

25. The story of the son of Devarata, the praise of the knower of the Puranas, the narrative of Gautama, then the Shiva-Gita.

26-27a. The story of Rama in another Kalpa, the stay in the hermitage of Bharadvaja. This is the Patalakhan^a (The section on Patala). It is destructive of all the sins of those who listen and recite. It bestows all desired benefits.

Some topics mentioned in the NP are foun d in the extant Pd. Purana e.g. greatness of Bhasma (chs 105-108), Praise of the knower of Puranas (chs 114-115), The story of Gautama (ch. 114) — Vide Pd. P. Pdtdla (G. M. edition)

27b-28. The story of Parvata originally recounted to Gauri by Shiva; then the story of Jalandhara, the narration of Shri-Saila etc.; thereafter, the meritorious story of Sagara is narrated.

29. The merit of Ganga, Prayaga, Kashi and the special merit of Gaya, the greatness (in efficacy) of the gift of cooked rice etc, the holy rite of MahaDvadashi (12th Tithi of Bhadrapada (Suddha) with Sravana Naksatra.)

30. The greatness of twentyfour Ekadasls (eleventh day) in each fortnight is described severally, the narration of Vishnu- dharma, the thousand names ofVishnu.

31. The greatness of Karttikavrata, the benefit of ablution in the month of Magha. The greatness of the holy centres of the continent Jambudvipa, which destroys sins.

32. The greatness of Sabhramatl, the description of the origin of Nrsimha, the narration of the story of Devasarma and others, the description of the greatness of Gita.

33. The description of devotion and the greatness of Shrimad Bhagavata, the greatness of Indraprastha with the stories of many holy centres.

34. The mentioning of Mantraratna, the description of Tripadbhiiti; thereafter, the holy stories of the incarnation of Matsya (fish) etc.

35-37. The hundred divine names of Rama, О Brah- mana; thereafter, its greatness is described; then the testing of the greatness of Shri Vishnu by Bhrigu. This is the holy fifth section called Uttarakhanda. The excellent man who listens to the Padma Purana comprising of five Khandas attains the abode of Vishnu after enjoying all pleasures here that he desires. This Purana contains fiftyfive thousand verses. It is called Padma Ригала.

38. This must be written in full and handed over to a Brahmana well versed in the Puranas after honouring him suitably on the full moon day in the month of Jycstha along with a gold lotus. He who does so is bowed to by all the Devas. He goes to the abode of Vishnu. He who reads this index to Padma Purana or listens to it attains the merit of listening to the whole of Padmapurana.

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