Markandeya Purana (Study)
by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words
This page relates ‘Date of the Markandeya-purana� of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.
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1.10: Date of the 첹ṇḍⲹ-ܰṇa
In the whole Purāṇic literature the 첹ṇḍⲹ-ܰṇa is one of the oldest work.[1] This is probably one of the few ʳܰṇa which has retained much of the more ancient materials composed probably around 300 A.D. H. H. Wilson, F. E. Pargiter, R. C. Hazra and others consider that the 첹ṇḍⲹ-ܰṇa is of 7th century A.D. or even earlier to that. According to H. H. Wilson this ʳܰṇa is later than the Ѳٲ but it is anterior to the Brahmaܰṇa, Padmaܰṇa and Nāradīyaܰṇa and conjectures that it may be placed in the 9th or 10th century A.D.[2] But F.E.Pargiter assigned three different periods to three layers of the 첹ṇḍⲹ-ܰṇa and also challenged the date of H.H.Wilson. According to him the latest part of the 첹ṇḍⲹܰṇa, which contains chapters 78th to 90th, was certainly completed in the 9th century and very probably in the 5th or 6th century A.D. The third and fifth parts which contain chapters 42nd to 77th and chapters 91st to 133rd accordingly are considered to be of 3 rd century A.D. and even earlier to that. These two parts are considered to be the original ʳܰṇa. The first part containing chapters 1st to 9th and the second part bearing chapters 10th to 42nd, as Pargitar opines, are composed between these two periods.[3]
Dr. R. C. Hazra remarkably agrees with F. E. Pargiter as he assigns chapters 12th to 15th and 25th to 32nd, except chapter 30th is of 3 rd century A.D. and chapter 30th to the latter half of the fifth century A.D. or even earlier.[4] According to J.N.Farquer, the chapters 42nd to 77th; 91 st to 133 rd and 78th to 90th are between 200 A.D. to 500 A.D.[5] M. A. Mahendale and Durgas hankar Shastri assign its date to be earlier than 7th century A.D.[6] Accordingly, Dr. P.V. Kane also places the 첹ṇḍⲹ-ܰṇa in between 300 A.D. and 600 A.D.[7] D. R. Bhandarkar also places the 첹ṇḍⲹ-ܰṇa long before 608 A.D.[8] Again D. Debroy and B.Debroy fix the date of this ʳܰṇa as closer to 400 A.D. than to 1000 A.D. and even earlier date i.e. 300 A.D.[9] Form the concept of Vyuha in the Viṣṇuܰṇa and the ٲٳٰⲹ-worship which are datable to the 2nd century B.C. and not later than the 1 st century of the Christian Era respectively. The date of this ʳܰṇa may be placed in the beginning century.[10]
Haraprasad Sastri found a copy of the ٱīٳⲹ part in the royal library in Nepal which is dated 998 A.D. Here it may be safely inferred that this portion must have been composed before the 10th century A.D. Since it is the last part of the ʳܰṇa, so, the earlier part must have been composed earlier.[11]
From all these considerations it seems fair to draw the following conclusion. The last part of this ʳܰṇa i.e. ٱīٳⲹ was generally completed in the 9th century A.D. or earlier than that. The 3 rd and 5th part, which constitute the original part of the ʳܰṇa, were found probably in the 3 rd century or even earlier. The 1 st and 2nd part mostly composed between the 3rd to 9th centuries. From the above brief survey of the date of the 첹ṇḍⲹܰṇa can be placed at the period of 7th century A.D. or even earlier in spite of the minor individual differences about the probable dates of the three different layers of the 첹ṇḍⲹ-ܰṇa.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
M. Winternitz, A History of Indian Literature, Vol.I, p.559
[2]:
F. E. Pargiter, The 첹ṇḍⲹܰṇa, Preface, p. XI
[3]:
Ibid., Introduction, p. XX
[6]:
R. C. Majumdar, A. D. Pusalkar, (ed.), The Classical Age, p. 299
[8]:
D.R. Bhandarkar, article on “The date of the 첹ṇḍⲹܰṇa�, JBBRAS, Vol.XXIII, p.73
[9]:
Bibek Debroy, The 첹ṇḍⲹܰṇa, p.5