The Vayu Purana: The table of contents

God Brahma said:

1. О Brahmana, listen; I shall describe the Vayaviya Purana1 on hearing which one attains the abode of Rudra,2 the Supreme Soul

2. This Purana is reputed to comprise of twentyfour thousand3 verses. In the context of Svetakalpa, holy rites (dharmas) have been described herein by the wind-god.

3-6. This Vayaviya Purana has two sections. (In the first section) the characteristics of creation etc. are mentioned in details. Kings and their dynasties in different Manvantaras have been recounted. The killing of the demon Gaya4 is describ­ed in detail. The importance and glory of (different months and of) the month of Magha in yielding (religious) merits is men­tioned. The merit accruing from charitable gifts and the duties of the kings have been described in detail. The precise description of the beings wandering over the Earth, nether worlds, quarters and the firmament is made therein and all the holy vows and observances etc. are mentioned. Thus the first Section has been stated in brief.

1. This is called Vayu as god Vayu is the chief interlocutor. The Mt. P. (ch. 53) declares that herein Vayu proclaimed dharmas pertaining to Sveta-Kalpa. This Purana is published by Venkatesvara Press Bombay, Asiatic Society Calcutta, Anandasram Poona and Guru Mandal Grathmala Calcutta (to mention a few).

2. This Purana belongs to the 6a iva group and is characterised by the glory of Rudra as Mt. P. puts it. The elucidation of Pasupata Yoga and the emphasis on Shiva Mahatmya made NP declare the attainment of Rudra’s abode as the fruit of listening to this Purana.

3. Though Vayu, Mt. P., Bh. P and NP declare 24000 as the total number of verses in the Vayu, AP gives the 14000 as the number of verses, while according to the DeviBhagavata it is 24,600 verses.

Actually the Anandasrama edition contains 10,991 verses. It appears that sections like Reva Mahatmya and other Mahatmyas which were originally in the Vayu P. when the NP wrote this chapter, later got separated as independent works (Pusalkar — Studies in Epics and Puranas (SEP). — P. 7a). Pusalkar opines that the Vayu is a Mahapurana while the Shiva Parana is an ира-Ритйца (ibid 77).

4. Kane (HD. vii p 906) and other scholars regard this Gayd Maha­tmya as a later addition to counter-balance the Saiva bias dn such chapters as 20.31-35, 24.91-165 (Sarva Stotra), 101.215. 33 etc.

7-9. In the latter section, there is the description of the holy river Narmada.1 О leading sage, Shiva’s Samhita (com­pendium) is mentioned in detail. The eternal Deity who is ins­crutable to all the Devas stays perpetually on the banks of Narmada wholeheartedly. The waters of Narmada are identi­cal with Brahma, Hari, himself, the great Нага, the formless Brahman and the Kaivalya (salvation) itself.

10. Verily Reva, (this Narmada) is a certain Shakti in the form of a river which has been brought forth from his own body by Shiva for the benefit of the worlds.

11. Those who live on its northern bank are the followers of Rudra. Those who reside on the Southern bank go to the world of Vishnu.

12. Beginning with Omkaresvara and ending with the Western ocean, there are thirtyfive confluences with other rivers that destroy sins.

13. There are eleven confluences on the Northern bank (the northern side) and twentythree in the Southern bank (from the south) and the confluence of Reva with the ocean is the thirtyfifth.

14. Together on both the banks of Reva, there are four hundred famous holy centres inclusive of the confluences.

1. VV 7-15: The Printed Texts (both Anandairama and Guru Mandal (GM) editions) do not give the chapters pertaining to the Revi Mahatmya which might have been there when the NP was written. In stead of the division Purvdrdha and Uttardrdha as given in the NP (of the Vayu- Purana) the Vayu itself (in ch. 103.44) states that it has four sections (Pddas) viz. (1) Prakriyd (2) Anufanga (3) Upodghdta and (4) Upasamhara and it calls the Purana as ‘Four-tooted Purana narrated by Vayu in the next verse (ibid 103.45)

The Anandasrama edition gives the following division of chapters:

1. Prakriyd (chs 1-6) (2) Anusahga (chs. 7-64) 3. Upodghata (chs. 65-99) (Upasaihhara (chs. 100-112)

The contents given in the NP are to a great extent different from those in the Printed editions of the Vdyu P.

15. О leading sage, there are sixty crores and sixty thousand holy centres at every step on both the banks of the Reva.

16. This Samhita (compendium) of Shiva the great Atman, is very meritorious. In this the story of the river Narmada has been detailed by Vayu.

17-18a. He who writes this Purana and gives the manus­cript with great devotion to a Brahmana householder on the full moon day in the month of Sravana alongwith jaggery and a cow, lives in the world of Rudra as long as fourteen Indras rule over the Heaven.

18b-20. The man who narrates this Vayavlya Purana or listens to this, regularly, restricting his diet to cooked rice con­secrated with ghee, is undoubtedly Rudra Himself. He who listens to or reads this index (or the contents of this Purana) shall obtain the benefit of listening to the entire Purana.

CHAPTER NINETYSIX

Shrimad Bhagavata: Contents

God Brahma said:

1. О Marici, listen. I shall tell you (the story of) the Purana, Srlmad Bhagavata that has been composed by Veda- Vyasa and which is on a par with the Vedas.

2. It consists of eighteen thousand1 verses. It is glorified as destructive of sins. This is a veritable wish-yielding celestial tree with twelve branches (Skandhas — sections of the Bhagavata).

3-4. О leading Brahmana therein in the first Skandha, when Suta and the sages meet together, the Lord is mentioned as embodying the whole of the Universe. The holy life of Vyasa as well as that of the Pantfavas (is recounted). Then the epi­sode of Pariksit. This is cited as the first Skandha.

1. According to the Va. P., A.P., N.P., Br. V. a Dcvibhagavata and the Bh. P. itself, the Bh. P. consists of 18000 verses. But actually the Gita Press edition of the Bh. P. contains 14,579 verses.

5-6. In the course of dialogue between Pariksit and Shuka there is the review of the two types of creation. In the course of dialogue between Brahma and Narada there is a nectarlike story of the Devas, the characteristics of the Purana and the cause and origin of the creation. This second Skandha is thus composed by the intelligent Vyasa.

7-8a. The anecdote of Vidura, his meeting with Maitreya: The Prakarana (section) of creation from Brahman, the Supreme Soul; the Sankhya doctrine propounded by Kapila: Thus the third Skandha is summarised.

8b-9. The story of Sati at the outset and that of Dhruva thereafter: There the holy story of Pfthu as well as that of Praclnabarhis: Thus the excellent fourth Skandha is told, while narrating the gross creation (Visarga).1

10-1 la. The meritorious story ofPriyavrata and the anec­dote of the members of his family; thereafter, the description of the worlds included in the Cosmic egg. The condition of hells. This is considered (as the summary of) the fifth Skandha which is technically called Samsthana or Sthiti.2

11b-12. The story of Ajamila and the review of the crea­tion byDaksa. The narrative of Vrtra and thereafter, the meritorious nativity of the Maruts. This is the sixth Skandha com­posed by Vyasa in the course of the section known as Pariposhana (or Protection and welfare of all by the Lord).»

13. The holy story of Prahlada, the review of the castes and stages of life. О dear one, thus the seventh Skandha is men­tioned in the course of the narration of the desire for action as directed by past Karman. (It is technically called Uti).

14-15a. In the course of the narration of the part known as Manvantara comes the narration of the elephant-king, the churning of the ocean and the check on the prosperity of Bali. The story of the incarnation as Fish. This is the eighth Skandha. (It comes under Manvantara).

15b. The narration of the Solar dynasty as well as the review of the lunar race. О highly intelligent one, the ninth Skandha is mentioned in the course of the narration of the dynasties.

16-17. The story of the childhood of Krishna and his boy­hood; his stay in thv, Vraja; his early youth and the stay in Mathura; his later youth and stay in Dvaraka and the removal of the burden on the Earth. This is the tenth Skandha in the course of narrating the characteristic section called Nirodha or control.

18-19a. The dialogue between Narada and Vasudeva, the meeting of Yadu with Dattatreya and that of Uddhava with Shri Krishna. The mutual fight and the annihilation of the Yadavas. This is the eleventh Skandha which is designated as Mukti (liberation).

1. The NP. upholds the view advocated by the Bh. P. 11.90.1 that instead of the traditional five characteristics of a Purana, the Bh. P. redefines a Purana as possessing the following ten characteristics.

(1) Subtle creation (Sarga); (2) Gross creation (Visarga) (3) law and order ensured by God (Sthdna); (4) Protection — welfare of all (Ро?ара);(5) material lust for Karmas (Oti) (6) the periods of Manus and history of that epoch (Manvantard)) (7) accounts of the deeds of the Lord (Isdnukathd) (8) physical annihilation (Nirodha) (9) Liberation (MuAti); (10) the last resort of the Universe or the Ultimate reality (Ajraya).

These characteristics occur with some variations in the Bh. P. XI 1.7.9- 10 but as Shridhara points out the terms Vftti and Raksha stand for Sthdna and Роshара. Vamianucarita is used for lsanukatha, Samsthd includes Nirodha and Mukti; and hetu is substituted for Oti, Apdiraya for Airaya.

2. Despite the efforts of Bopadeva in Harilildmrta (and his able com­mentator Madhusudana Sarasvati) to show how the contents of Skandha V demonstrate the characteristics of Sthanat a modern reader wonders how the legends of Priyavrata to Bharata (chs 1 to 15) followed by the mythological geography, ancient (mythical) astronomy and description of hells form an organic whole to be included under the characteristic Stkiti, Sarhsthana or Vrtti. Such doubts naturally arise when the text of the Bh. P. is stretched on the Daia Lakshapa bed of Procrustes.

It appears that the NP. accepts the traditional SharuJha-wise distribution of the topics or the ten Ритйяа lakshapas of the Bh. P. as folows: 'Name of the characteristic topic. No. of Skandha illustrating it.

1. Sarga III

2. Vifarga IV

3. Samsthdna or Sthiti V

4. Pofasha yi

19b-21. The future Kali is prophesied; the liberation of Pariksit; the composition of the branches of the Vedas; the per­formance of penance by Markandeya. The Vibhiiti (elegance, glory) of Sura (Sun-god) and thereafter, that of the Satt- vatas. The narration of the number of verses in the Purana. This is the twelfth Skandha which is also called ASraya (sup­port). Thus the whole of Srlmad Bhagavata has been narrated to you, О dear one.

22. It is the bestower of devotion, worldly pleasures and salvation on the narrator, listener, instructor, supporter and the person who renders assistance.

23. The manuscript of this book is to be given with pleasure to a Brahmana devotee of the Lord alongwith a replica of a lion in gold, on the full-moon day in the month of Bhadrapada.

24. If anyone desires for the devotion of the Lord, (he must give it) after duly worshipping him (the Brahmana) with clothes, gold etc.

That person too who reads or who listens to this index, attains the excellent benefit of listening to the entire Purana.

This distribution is supported by later eminent writers like Bopadeva in Harililamxta; Shridhara, Vira-raghava, Vijayadhvaja, Vallabha and others.

As I have presented this traditional scheme and criticised it in details in my Introduction to the Bh.P. pp, xxii-xxxiv (AITM series vol. VII), I may briefly state that the claim of the Bh. P. as a MahdPurana with ten characteris­tics is tolerably justifiable within the limits of the Bh. P. as an epic of growth.

This traditional presentation of the contents of the Bh. P in the NP. shows that the major portion of the BH.P. belongs to the pre-NP. era.

CHAPTER NINETYSEVEN

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