Brahma Purana (critical study)
by Surabhi H. Trivedi | 1960 | 254,628 words
This is an English study of the Brahmapurana鈥攐ne of the eighteen major Puranas. This text occupies an important place in the Pauranic literature. This study researches the rich an encyclopaedic material for social, religious, philosophical, mythological, political, geographical and literary study found in the Brahma-Purana. It also includes a lingu...
12. Description of Arjuna
When the ancient gods ceased to appeal to the masses of the people in that form in which they were represented in the veda, the same god under a particular aspect became in some cases popular, and was hence regarded as a separate 掳
597. god, demigod, or as a hero connected somehow with the original god. A popular godling, with functions similar to those of an ancient god, grew up as a kind of duplicate of the latter, or if he was not accepted as a god proper, he came, by the anthropomorphic influence of the epic poetry, to be regarded as a hero, whose resemblance to the ancient god was explained by the assumption that he was an incarnation of that deity.252 * Thus, Arjuna is, in the Brahma purana, represented as an incarnation of Indra and Indra personally requests lord krsna to protect Arjuna as he was a part of his own self. He calls Arjuna a very brave personality and asks krsna to take his help in his function of destroying the evil factors. Lord krsna also ensures Arjuna's safety to Indra (188.40-46). 253 According to the Satapatha Brahmana, Arjuna is a mystical name of Indra and he was according to Panini 254 worshipped just as Vasudeva was. But Arjuna is one of the principle heroes of the Mbh. 255 and is intimately connected with Indra. 252 ERE. Vol. II, P.804. 253 II. 1.2.11 254 IV. 3.98. 255 iii. 41 ff.
598 Further, it is related that before lord krsna passed away from the world he had instructed Arjuna to take care of his wives, and to install his grandson Vajranabha on the throne (211.2). On the passing away of lord krsna and Balarama, Arjuna performed the funeral rites and installed Vajranabha on the throne. He then took the widows of lord krsna with him and was passing with them through Pancanada. Here he was confronted by the Abhiras. They fought Arjuna to his great dismay with him and defeated him. found that he had lost his prowess and the skill of using his favourite bow Gandiva. He found himself unable to save the widows of lord krsna whom the Abhiras successfully kidnapp -ed. trissi Deeply desented by the catastrophy, he resorted to Vyasa for consolation (212.1-12, 14-33).