Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana
by Chaitali Kadia | 2021 | 91,183 words
This page relates ‘Name of the Puranas� of the study on the historical elements of the Matsya-purana: one of the eighteen Mahapuranas which are Sanskrit texts that have preserved the cultural heritage, philosophy, religion, geography, etc of ancient India. This Matsyapurana was originally written in 20,000 verses and deals with topics such as architecture, ancient history, polity, religion and philosophy.
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Name of the ʳܰṇa
The number of ʳܰṇa has been considered eighteen since ancient times. The names of these �Aṣṭādaśa ʳܰṇa � (eighteen ʳܰṇa ) are usually available in each ʳܰṇa.
ٱī 岵ٲ (Skanda 1, chapter 3, śǰ첹 21) has written the instruction of the eighteen ʳܰṇa in this miniature Anuṣṭupa with the instruction of the primitive alphabets.
屹ⲹ� 屹ⲹ� caiva bratraya� vacanuṣṭayam |
貹ṅg-ku-skāni purāṇāni pṛthaka-pṛthaka ||
By �ma � (Ma) two ʳܰṇa �Matsya and 첹ṇḍⲹ , by �bha � (Bha) two ʳܰṇa �岵ٲ and ṣy , by �bra (Bra) three ʳܰṇa �Brahma, Brahmavaivarta and ṇḍ , by �va � (Va) four ʳܰṇa �峾Բ, վṣṇ , and ղ , by �a � (A)�Agni ʳܰṇa , by �na � (Na)�Nārada ʳܰṇa , by �pad � (Pad)�Padma ʳܰṇa , by �li � (Li)�ṅg ʳܰṇa , by �ga � (Ga)�Garuda ʳܰṇa , by �ku � (Ku)�ū ʳܰṇa and by �ska � (Ska)�Skanda ʳܰṇa.
The direction of these ʳܰṇa in the վṣṇ ʳܰṇa (3/6/20�24) and 岵ٲ (12/13/3�8) etc. are according to a specific sequence and the same sequence and name are also available in other ʳܰṇa�
- Brahma,
- Padma,
- վṣṇ,
- Ś,
- 岵ٲ,
- īⲹ,
- 첹ṇḍⲹ,
- Agni,
- ṣy,
- Brahmavaivarta,
- ṅg,
- ղ,
- Skanda,
- 峾Բ,
- ū,
- Matsya,
- Garuda,
- ṇḍ.
According to the Ѳṣi ղ𱹲�
� 峾� ṣṇñ ś� 岵ٲ� tathā |
tathānyannāradīya� ca mārkaṇḍeya� ca saptamam ||
āgneyamaṣṭama� caiva bhaviṣya� navama� tathā |
daśama� brahmarvaivarta� laiṅgamekādaśa� smṛtam ||
vārāha� dvādaśa� caiva skānda� cātra trayodaśam |
caturdaśa� vāmanaka� kaurma pañcadaśa� tathā ||
mātsya ca garuḍa� caiva brahmāṇḍañca tata� param |
mahāpurāṇānyetāni hyaṣṭādaśa mahāmune ||
վṣṇ ʳܰṇa (3/6/21�24).
These names also are in the same sequence in the 岵ٲ ʳܰṇa (Ch-12/7/23�25). In other ʳܰṇa there are a few variations. In the list, the ū ʳܰṇa omits the Agni and exchanges with .[1] The Agni ʳܰṇa exchanges the Ś ʳܰṇa with the leaves out the Garuda and ṇḍ and substitutes the and ṃh . Like վṣṇ and 岵ٲ ʳܰṇa , the 첹ṇḍⲹ ʳܰṇa omits the . The Matsya ʳܰṇa also omits the Ś ʳܰṇa as Agni ʳܰṇa . All the aforesaid ʳṇa are considered as the Ѳ ʳܰṇa or Major ʳܰṇa . And from Ѳ 31
ʳܰṇa the eighteen Upa-ʳܰṇa or Minor ʳܰṇa are originated.
According to the Matsya ʳܰṇa�
aṣṭādaśabhyastu pṛthakapurāṇa� yat pradiyate |
vijānīdhva� dvijaśreṣṭhāstadetebhyovinirgatam ||
Matsya ʳܰṇa (53/68)
There are also eighteen 貹ܰṇa . We get the sequence of 貹ܰṇa in many ʳܰṇa .
According to the ū-ʳܰṇa�
ⲹ� sanatkumārokta� nārasiṃhamabhāparam |
tṛtīya� skandamuddiṣṭa� kumāreṇa ca bhāṣitam ||
caturtha� śivadharmāravya� sākṣāntandīśabhāṣitam |
durvāsasoktamāścarya nāradīyama� param ||
kapila vāmana� caiva tathaivośanaseritam |
ṇḍ� ṇa� cātha kālikāhvayameva ca ||
māheśvara� tathā śamva� saura� sarvārthasacayam |
parāśaroktamapara� mārīca� bhāskarāhvayam |
So the names of Upa-ʳܰṇa are according the above śǰ첹�Ā徱, Բٰܳ, ṃh, Skanda, Ś, ٳܰ, īⲹ, Kapila, 峾Բ, śԲ, ṇḍ, ղṇa, , ś, Śāmva, Saura, ś, ī and 첹 . This name sequence is also in the ٱī 岵ٲ , Skanda, Matsya, Garuda ʳܰṇa . But on the other side there are another sequence of name in the ṛhٱ첹 . The sequence is�Բٰܳ, īⲹ, Vṛhannāradīya, Ā徱ٲⲹ, ūⲹ, Nāndikeśvara, Kourma, 岵ٲ , ղṣṭ, , Mudgala, Kalki, ٱī, Ѳbhāgavam, Vṛhaddharma, ʲԲԻ岹, Vanhi, Ჹṃśa.
In Sanskrit literature, the number eighteen is considered very sacred, comprehensive and glorious. The number of episodes of the Ѳbhārata are eighteen, the number of chapters of the Śī岵ٲī are eighteen and the number of verses of Śī岵ٲ are eighteen thousand. Similarly, the number of ʳܰṇa are also unanimously eighteen. Scholars believe that these numbers of ʳܰṇa are not unhelpful but are tolerable and to show this intention, many scholars have shown many causes in their texts.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Matsya ʳܰṇa�53/67, 68