Markandeya Purana (Study)
by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words
This page relates 鈥榃ine (alcoholic drinks)鈥� 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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Wine (alcoholic drinks)
Wine is a kind of juice used as a drink, which is being used from ancient times. It was also popular among the gods. Specially god Indra is fond of wine (soma) because of which he is called 蝉辞尘补辫腻. In the present times also wine is found to be used regularly or irregularly by a section of people. Besides these, the discussions about several juices, the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 includes various types of alcoholic (wine) drinks which are known by various names, viz.
膧蝉补惫补鈥�
It is one kind of alcohol, made by the 罢腻濒补 tree.[1] In the 搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 it is stated that women of 尝补峁卥腻 took 腻蝉补惫补 along with sugar[2] . 膧蝉补惫补 is referred to in the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 in the context of describing the result of stealing some thing. Here it is stated that stealing a save the sinner becomes a Tittiri bird.[3]
惭补诲测补鈥�
In the 16 th chapter of the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 sage Dattatreya drank wine (madya) with his living partner Kam墨n墨 to show the other sages.[4] Sage 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补 himself said that he drank strong wine (madya).[5] In the episode of 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补, king Arjuna, K峁泃avarya鈥檚 son worshiped 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补 by offering the preparations of rice i.e. madya.[6] In the same episode it is quoted that whoever worshiped 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补 with laxmi with strong drink (madya), then 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补 will give blessings to the person.[7] Again in the story of Kuvalay膩艣a, 惭补诲腻濒补蝉补 was giving knowledge to Alarka about rajadharma [谤腻箩补诲丑补谤尘补?] that madya is recognized as the enemy of the rajadharma[8] and madya is the reason for ruins for a king.[9] In the story of killing the demon Mahi峁Ｅ玸ura, goddess 颁补峁囜笉颈办腻 is seen to drink madya when she was angry.[10] We find references of madya in some other works also like the 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, the 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 etc.[11]
笔腻苍补鈥�
In the second chapter of 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, demon Vidyutr奴pa took 辫腻苍补 (wine) with his wife.[12] In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, after drinking 辫腻苍补 (wine) 叠补濒补谤腻尘补 held the beautiful 补辫蝉补谤腻 搁别惫补迟墨 by her hand and went to the prosperous garden of Raivata.[13]
厂耻谤腻鈥�
It is a kind of spirituous liquor. 厂奴谤补 is condemned in the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 texts. According to the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, soma is truth, prosperity and light. On the other hand, 蝉耻谤腻 is untruth, misery and darkness.[14] The 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 also mentioned 蝉耻谤腻 drink.[15] In the 搁腻尘腻测补苍补, 厂墨迟腻 offers thousand pots of 蝉耻谤腻 to the goddess Ganga.[16] In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, Sage 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补 thought that other sages would not look at him if he drank wine (蝉耻谤腻) with a lady.[17] The sages discussed that just like the wind residing in the house of an outcaste, sage 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补 is not impure after drinking wine (蝉耻谤腻).[18] In the same chapter, sage 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补 drank liquor (蝉耻谤腻) with his wife laxmi.[19] In the chapter of Devimahatmya, Kuvera gave the goddess a drinking cup, which was full of 蝉耻谤腻.[20] In the chapter 112, Sudeva, admits that he drank 蝉耻谤腻[21] and in the conversation between Kripavati and sage Agasty鈥檚 brother, sage Agasty鈥檚 brother told that 蝉耻谤腻 was an impure drink.[22]
Soma鈥�
This is a kind of wine which is mostly found in ancient Indian literature. In the 峁欢惫别诲补, the hymns of praising soma for the purification of soma are found.[23] In the 峁歡vedic age soma was known as sacrificial drink. The 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 explained about the soma drink where king Dharmartha drunk the soma,[24] where it is also mentioned that on the occasion of 艣谤腻诲诲丑补 ceremony the soma drink is used.[25] In the 7th chapter of 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, the gods i.e. Ganesha, 厂奴谤测补, 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 and 艢颈惫补 and goddess Durga discussed about the soma juice.[26] In the shatrajit鈥檚 sacrifice ceremony, lord Indra became satisfied after drinking soma juice.[27] Also in the story of Marutta鈥檚 lord Indra was intoxicated with soma juice.[28]
痴腻谤耻峁噄鈥�[29]
It is one kind of alcohol[30] The 搁腻尘腻测补苍补 mentions 惫腻谤耻峁噄 drink.[31] According to 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, when the ocean was churned by the gods and the demons, 惫腻谤耻苍颈 came out from the milky ocean in the form of a lady.[32] In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, sages did not give up sage Dattatreya even though he drank varuni with a woman.[33]
In the sixth chapter of the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 Baladeva drank wine before resorting to pilgrimage.[34] In the puranic time, the kings and queens were patronised to drink the alcohol carefully. For example, king Uttama, offered the best wine to his queen.[35] The use of wine is also seen amongst the Nagas and certain divinities. For example, king 峁歵补诲丑惫补箩补, a 狈腻驳补 king 础艣惫补迟补谤补 and his two sons also enjoying wine.[36] The use of alcoholic drink in worship is also found to be expressed through different myths of gods and goddesses. The drinking of alcohol is frequently mentioned with lord 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补[37] , who is referred to have indulged in wine in order to test the loyalty of young sages. In the context of 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补 worship, the offering of madya is also described.[38] At the time of fighting with demon 惭补丑颈峁, the Devi also drank 辫腻苍补 (wine).[39] It is also stated that a Brahmin dealing in soma is not to be invited at the 艣谤腻诲诲丑补 dinner.[40]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
.....蝉耻谤腻峁� 腻蝉补惫补帽ca t膩l膩dimadya峁� / 艢r墨dhara Sv膩m墨
[2]:
搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺, Sundarak膩峁囜笉a, 9.56; 11.22; 碍耻尘腻谤补蝉补尘产丑补惫补, 4.12
[4]:
Ibid., 16.114
[5]:
Ibid., 16.149
[6]:
Ibid., 17.2
[7]:
Ibid., 17.11
[8]:
Ibid., 24.14
[9]:
Ibid., 24.16
[10]:
Ibid., 80.36
[11]:
惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, 10.88; 11.94; 11.147; 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补. 22
[12]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 2.5; 2.14
[13]:
Ibid., 6.6; 6.7
[15]:
惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, 膩艣vamedhikaparva, 58.12
[16]:
[17]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 16.114
[18]:
Ibid., 16.117
[19]:
Ibid., 16.142,151
[20]:
Ibid., 79.29
[21]:
Ibid., 112.5
[22]:
Ibid., 112.18
[23]:
峁欢惫别诲补, cha.9
[24]:
惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 48.93
[26]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 7.63
[27]:
Ibid, 18.1
[28]:
Ibid, 126.16
[29]:
Ibid, 18.15
[31]:
搁腻尘腻测补苍补, 惫腻濒补办补峁囜笉补, 45.36-37
[32]:
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 8.8.30
[33]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 16.116
[34]:
Ibid., 6.6
[35]:
Var腻蝉补惫补, Ibid., 66.11
[36]:
sametyatair膩tmaja bh奴panandanairmahorag膩峁嚹乵adhipa岣� sa 蝉补迟测补惫腻办 /
mudo yuto鈥檔n膩ni madh奴ni c膩tmav膩n yathopajo峁峁� bubhuje sa bhogabh膩k // Ibid., 21.118
[37]:
Ibid., 16.114
[38]:
Ibid., 17.11
[39]:
Ibid., 80.37
[40]:
Ibid., 28.28