Markandeya Purana (Study)
by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words
This page relates 鈥榃orship and Mythology of Brahma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.
2. Worship and Mythology of 叠谤补丑尘腻
In the vedic literature, 叠谤补丑尘腻 is acknowledged as the Supreme god who is not only trusted to be the creator god but also the preserver of the entire universe. 叠谤补丑尘腻 has a very distinguishable place among the gods mentioned in the ancient literature, viz. the Pur膩峁噄c literature, 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 literature etc. In the post-Vedic periods, 叠谤补丑尘腻 became more famous as 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 and was worshipped as such.
In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also 叠谤补丑尘腻 is found to be mentioned as 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈[1] which signifies the protector of the creatures. According to the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, the word 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 means productiveness.[2] The 骋辞辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 also explains the term 辫谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 as the creator and the protector of the progeny.[3] The word 辫谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 is also found in the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and 碍奴谤尘补辫耻谤腻峁嘺.[4] The 痴腻测耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also explains the term as the protector of the creatures.[5] The word 产谤补丑尘腻 has been derived from the root 鈥榖峁涐箖岣モ��, which means 鈥榯o multiply鈥� or 鈥榯o crease鈥�.[6] It is used in both masculine and neuter gender, 叠谤补丑尘腻 is in masculine and Brahman is in neuter gender. 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补, in his 搁补驳丑耻惫补峁兣沘尘, explains that 叠谤补丑尘腻 is the deity of brahma-saras, which is equivalent to avyakta sarovara of biddhi.[7]
In the 93rd chapter of 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, there is a story of worship of Lord 叠谤补丑尘腻.According to the story, sage Ruci worshipped lord 叠谤补丑尘腻 to fulfil his desire. The forefathers of Ruci told and advised him to marry a maiden. He wandered the whole world for a maiden. Failing to obtain a maiden he fell into deep thought. He then became greatly agitated in mind. Many questions came to his mind and he was doubtful about his duty which would affect his forefathers鈥� advancement. Finally Ruci decided to propitiate lotus born 叠谤补丑尘腻 with austerities. Thus, to gain his desire, Ruci performed austerities to lord 叠谤补丑尘腻 for a hundred celestial years. Lord 叠谤补丑尘腻 got pleased with his worship and told Ruci to declare his earnest desire.[8] Then Ruci told about the desire of his forefathers. After hearing his wish 叠谤补丑尘腻 spoke that he (Ruci) would be 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈. He would create human folk. After that getting sons and performing ceremonies, he found a wife and performed worship to the 辫颈迟峁� and these 辫颈迟峁泂 bestowed on him the desire of wife and sons.[9]
叠谤补丑尘腻 is generally identified as the great father of the world. He is the all in all in the world. 叠谤补丑尘腻, is also called as Svyambh奴[10] , 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈[11] , Pitamaha[12] and 尝辞办补辫颈迟腻尘补丑补[13] .At first 叠谤补丑尘腻 was considered as the creator, the preserver and the destroyer, later on this function has been appropriated by the other gods. He is the only one to perform these three fold functions.[14] 叠谤补丑尘腻 manifested himself as 叠谤补丑尘腻, Vi峁ａ箛 and 艢颈惫补 performing the creating, preserving and destroying the world accordingly.[15]
According to 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 叠谤补丑尘腻 created the whole universe. He accomplishes the process of creation with the help of five elements viz. earth, air, water, ether and fire.[16] His supreme position is acknowledged and he is called the self existent god i.e. 厂惫补测补尘产丑奴.[17] As a creator, He creates the whole universe (lokak峁泃), and all that moves and does not move.[18] He is only called the lord of the universe. So he is called by various names which are related with the world created by him.
Some of such names are:
- Jagadyoni (42.27),
- Lokatantrin,
- 贬颈谤补峁噛补驳补谤产丑补 (42.29),
- Jagad膩di (43.8),
- Jagatpati (43.9),
- Jagatp奴rva (43.20),
- Jagatogati岣� (93.7),
- Jagats奴tikara (98.10).
叠谤补丑尘腻 is the cause, who itself is eternal. He is also call first male (膧诲颈-辫耻谤耻峁) and unborn (Aja).[19] This 辫耻谤腻峁嘺 describes 叠谤补丑尘腻s own birth from the mundane egg or from the lotus so that he is call 厂惫补测补尘产丑奴.[20] He is also known as Bh奴padmakar峁噄k膩sa峁僺tha (43.21), Kamalodbhava (101.2), padmayoni (42.19), pa峁卥ajajanman (47.97). 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 mentions about the birth of 叠谤补丑尘腻 out of his (vi峁ａ箛u鈥檚) novel-lotus.[21] At that time when lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, stretching se峁 out, wooed the sleep of contemplation at the end of the kalpa, two terrible demons i.e. Madhu and Kaitabha springing from the root of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻鈥檚 ear and came to destroy 叠谤补丑尘腻. 叠谤补丑尘腻 was saved by 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 from destruction at the hands of the demons.[22]
The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 has described briefly on the birth of 叠谤补丑尘腻 in the chapter 43. This 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 also shows the creation of world at the beginning, there were 辫谤补办峁泃颈 and 辫耻谤耻峁 and both of them were standstill. After that, 辫补谤补尘别艣惫补谤补 entered them and then the creation started by owing to vibration in 辫谤补办峁泃颈. As a result, there are three types of creation developed i.e. the 辫谤腻办峁泃补 underwent three changes i.e. the Brahmasarga, the 叠丑奴迟补蝉补谤驳补 and the Indriyasarga. From the Brahmasarga, lord Brahma took his birth. The genealogy of 叠谤补丑尘腻 could be understood from the following table.
In the 16th chapter of this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺, we have found the birth of 叠谤补丑尘腻 in the incarnation of Soma, which has been already mentioned in the heading of Dattatreya鈥檚 birth.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
yath膩 sasarja vai 产谤补丑尘腻 bhagav膩n膩dik峁泃辫谤补箩腻岣�/
辫谤补箩腻辫补迟颈岣� patirdevastanme vistarato vada // 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 44.1
[2]:
辫谤补箩补苍补苍补峁� 辫谤补箩腻辫补迟颈岣� / 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, 5.1.3.10
[3]:
tadyadabrav墨t praj膩pate 辫谤补箩腻岣� s峁涐梗峁� p膩layasveti tasm膩t 辫谤补箩腻辫补迟颈rabhavat tatpraj膩pate岣� 辫谤补箩腻辫补迟颈tvam / 骋辞辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, 1.1.4
[4]:
[6]:
b峁沨attv膩db峁涐箖ha峁嘺tv膩cca bh膩v膩n膩峁� salil膩艣ray膩t /
yasm膩db峁涐箖hyate bh膩v膩n 产谤补丑尘腻 tena nirucyate // Ibid. , 1.4.29
[8]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 93.1-6
[9]:
Ibid., 93,8-10
[10]:
Ibid., 43.17
[11]:
Ibid., 44.1
[12]:
Ibid., 43.8
[13]:
Ibid., 47.40
[14]:
[15]:
Ibid., 43.13
[16]:
Ibid., 45.46
[17]:
[19]:
Ibid., 42.29
[20]:
vi峁ａ箛utve c膩pyud膩s墨nastisro鈥檝asth膩岣� svayambh奴va岣� / Ibid., 43.17
[21]:
Ibid., 78.51
[22]:
Ibid., 78.48-50