An Introduction to 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 [Part 1]

Matsya Purana (critical study)

by Kushal Kalita | 2018 | 74,766 words | ISBN-13: 9788171103058

This page relates 鈥業ntroduction to Puranas鈥� of the English study on the Matsya-purana: a Sanskrit text preserving ancient Indian traditions and legends written in over 14,000 metrical verses. In this study, the background and content of the Matsyapurana is outlined against the cultural history of ancient India in terms of religion, politics, geography and architectural aspects. It shows how the encyclopedic character causes the text to deal with almost all the aspects of human civilization.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 1 - An Introduction to 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉

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The structure of Indian civilization stands on the footing formed by the Vedas, the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉, the two epics, viz., the 搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 and the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 and the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉. Indian religion, philosophy, literature, culture have achieved their present glorious status only because of such enriched sources.

In The Cultural Heritage of India, it is rightly mentioned,

鈥淭he Vedas, the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉, the 搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 and the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, and the eighteen 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 form the massive basement on which stands the magnificent edifice of Indian religion and thought, culture and literature.鈥�^[1]

Among these, the Vedas were accessible only to three upper classes of the society as they were only permitted to study the Vedas. Even women were deprived from the benefits of enjoying the Vedic rites, mantras etc. On the other hand, the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 were hard nut for common people to crack. They were only accessible by the philosophers and scholars. These religious and spiritual deprivations were compensated by supplying the Vedic material in a simple form in the epics and 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 which would be easily accessible by the 艣奴诲谤补蝉 and others. In such conditions the epics and the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 were regarded as the real Veda for the common people as they were the main sources of knowledge for them.

Hence, the epics and the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 have played a special role in uplifting the Indian civilization up to this stage.

It is rightly said by Nilmadhav Sen in The Cultural Heritage of India,

鈥淚t was the epics and the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 that became the real Vedas for the common masses for the last two thousand years. There is hardly any other work whose influence on all aspects of life in India has been so profound, lasting and continuous as that of the epics and the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉.鈥�^[2]

In his forward note in the book Studies in the Epics and 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉, K.M.Munshi writes:

鈥淭he 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 occupy a unique position in Indian literature, both sacred and secular. After the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 they have been the main source of inspiration in the life of our people for over 1500 years.鈥�^[3]

In the history of religion and literature of India the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 with their antiquity and sacredness occupy a unique place. The 颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测辞辫补苍颈峁诲 termed the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 as the 鈥楩ifth Veda鈥�.^[4] They bear the great value providing plentiful information of all aspects of Hinduism -personal, social and political as also philosophy and religion. From the view point of their contents the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 can be said as an encyclopaedia.

F. E. Pargiter also observes,

鈥�...taken collectively, they may be described as a popular encyclopaedia of ancient and medieval Hinduism, religious, philosophical, historical, personal, social and political.鈥�^[5]

The term 辫耻谤腻峁嘺 basically denotes old narrative or ancient legend.^[6] There had been different explanations regarding the term 辫耻谤腻峁嘺. 驰腻蝉办补 in his Nirukta has explained the word 辫耻谤腻峁嘺 as 辫耻谤腻辫颈苍补惫补峁� bhavati, which means, that which is old at present and will be in new form in future.^[7] The 痴腻测耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 has defined it as 测补蝉尘腻迟辫耻谤腻 丑测补苍补迟墨诲补峁� 辫耻谤腻峁嘺m tena sm峁泃am.^[8] Thus, it is called 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 as it breaths (anati) in the past (辫耻谤腻). In the Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also the term 辫耻谤腻峁嘺 is explained as 辫耻谤腻tanasya kalpasya 辫耻谤腻峁嚹乶i vidurbudh膩岣�.^[9] It means that the text which gives us the substantiation of very old happenings is 笔耻谤腻峁嘺. In the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉, 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 and some other ancient texts, the word 辫耻谤腻峁嘺 is found in connection with 滨迟颈丑腻蝉补.^[10] In the 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 of 碍补耻峁璱濒测补, the term 辫耻谤腻峁嘺 is enumerated as belonging to the contents of 滨迟颈丑腻蝉补.¹¹ In the 厂奴迟谤补 literature the existence of 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 text is clearly mentioned.^[11] In the Gautama 顿丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补, it is said that the king should take authorities on the administration of justice, the Veda, the law books, the 痴别诲腻峁単补蝉 and the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉.^[12] M.

Winternitz opines,

鈥溾€here must have been even at the early period works resembling our 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉. It is indeed likely enough that our 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are only recasts of older works of the same species, namely, of works of religious didactic contents, in which were collected ancient traditions of the Creation, the deeds of the gods, heroes, saints and ancient ancestors of the human race, the beginnings of the famous royal families and so on.鈥�^[13]

The existence of the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 is mystic in character as one cannot definitely say about the beginning of these texts.

The 痴腻测耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 says,

辫谤补迟丑补尘补峁� 蝉补谤惫补艣腻蝉迟谤腻峁嚹佱箖 辫耻谤腻峁嘺峁� 产谤补丑尘补峁嚹� 蝉尘峁泃补尘/
补苍补苍迟补谤补峁� ca vaktrebhyo vedastasya vinis峁泃a岣�// ^[14]

which means that 叠谤补丑尘腻 among all 艢腻蝉迟谤补蝉 first revealed the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 and there after the Vedas. It shows that the term 辫耻谤腻峁嘺 was in use long before its compilation. The Atharvaveda,^[15] the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺,^[16] the 骋辞辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺,^[17] the 颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测辞辫补苍颈峁诲,^[18] the 叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲,^[19] the 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补 膧谤补峁噛补办补^[20] and some other Vedic works have mentioned about the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 in various contexts. Along with the four Vedas, the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 and the 碍补濒辫补蝉奴迟谤补蝉, the 滨迟颈丑腻蝉补-笔耻谤腻峁嘺 were included in the study of sacred lore by the 膧艣惫补濒腻测补苍补骋峁沨测补蝉奴迟谤补.^[21] The 搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺^[22] and the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补^[23] also contain the term in the sense of legends of kings and sages.

The Atharvaveda which contains the earliest mention of the word 辫耻谤腻峁嘺 says thus:

峁沜补岣� 蝉腻尘腻苍颈肠丑补苍诲腻峁僺颈辫耻谤腻峁嘺峁� 测补箩耻峁Ｄ� saha 耻肠肠丑颈峁ａ弓腻箩箩补箩帽颈谤别.^[24]

It means that the mantras of the 峁欢惫别诲补, the 厂腻尘补惫别诲补 along with the mantras of the Yajurveda, the Chandas and the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 were originated from the residue (耻肠肠丑颈峁ａ弓丑补) of the sacrifice. Here a confusion arises about the use of the term 辫耻谤腻峁嘺 in the Atharvaveda along with other Vedas; whether this term indicates any independent form of composition or is used only in the sense of story.

R. C. Hazra has endeavoured to solve this, confusion with the remark,

鈥淭his statement however absurd it may appear to be, will have validity, if we take the word 鈥�辫耻谤腻峁嘺鈥� to mean not the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 literature, but 鈥榓ncient stories and legends鈥�, which, in every country, come into being much earlier than versified compositions鈥�^[25]

Giving the examples of the periods of the kings like Vadhrya艣va, 顿颈惫辞诲腻蝉补, 厂耻诲腻蝉 etc.

R. C. Hazra also opines,

鈥溾€hat the Pur膩峁噄c tradition can rightly claim a much earlier beginning than the Vedas, is also shown by the fact that kings Vadhrya艣va, 顿颈惫辞诲腻蝉补, 厂耻诲腻蝉, Somaka and others, who are known to the 峁欢惫别诲补 have been placed very low in the genealogical lists given in the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉.鈥�^[26]

It is also mentioned in the Studies in Epics and 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 of India that the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 in the form of legendary lore existed from times of antiquity even prior to the revelation of the Vedas and this was handed down to posterity. There was no 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 literature as such in those days of yore.^[27] According to the 叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲, the Vedas, 滨迟颈丑腻蝉补, 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 etc. are the breath of the 尘补丑腻产丑奴迟补 or 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍 or the Supreme Soul.^[28]

The main objectives of compiling the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are not only to preserve the old traditions and religious informative contents, but also to present the popular sectarian narratives, compilations of different periods of mythology, philosophy, history, geography and the sacred law. Besides, the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are also considered as one of the fourteen 痴颈诲测腻蝉 which can be compared with the Vedas.^[29]

Tradition says that the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 entitled as Mah膩辫耻谤腻峁嘺s are 18 in number. The Upa辫耻谤腻峁嘺s are also of the same numbers. But it is clearly mentioned in some 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 like the 狈腻谤补诲补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,^[30] the Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺^[31] etc. that originally there was only one 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 which was written by 痴测腻蝉补, the son of sage 笔补谤腻艣补谤补.^[32] The Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺 made the observation that the single 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 comprising four lacs of 艣濒辞办补蝉 was divided into eighteen 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 by 痴测腻蝉补 himself.^[33] In the Agni辫耻谤腻峁嘺, again, it is stated that 碍峁涐梗峁嘺顿惫补颈辫腻测补苍补痴测腻蝉补 imparted his knowledge of the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 to his disciple 厂奴迟补尝辞尘补丑补谤峁峁嘺, who, on his part, taught this to his six disciples out of whom Ak峁泃avar峁嘺 of 碍腻艣测补辫补 gotra, 厂腻惫补谤峁噄 of Somadatta clan and 厂耻艣补谤尘腻 of 艢a峁兣沘p膩yana gotra composed their own 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉a峁僪it膩s.^[34]

Thus, the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉a峁僪it膩 composed by 碍峁涐梗峁嘺顿惫补颈辫腻测补苍补痴测腻蝉补 proliferated into four 厂补峁僪颈迟腻蝉.

One is from 尝辞尘补丑补谤峁峁嘺 which is known as 尝辞尘补丑补谤峁峁噄办腻 (also called the 惭奴濒补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻),
碍腻艣测补辫颈办腻,
厂腻惫补谤峁噄k膩 and
艢补峁兣沘辫腻测补苍颈办腻.

It has also been observed in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 that 痴测腻蝉补 after dividing the single Veda into four, compiled a 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 and taught it along with 滨迟颈丑腻蝉补 to his disciple Suta 尝辞尘补丑补谤峁峁嘺.^[35] In the 鲍尘腻蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 of the 艢颈惫补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, again, it is mentioned that there are twenty six (26) 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉,^[36] but the names of the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are not found therein.

The list of the eighteen (18) Mah膩辫耻谤腻峁嘺s given in the Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺 is as follows:

The 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 have some dissimilarity with the list given in the Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺.

According to the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, Mah膩辫耻谤腻峁嘺s are as follows:

Brahma辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
Padma辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
艢颈惫补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
狈腻谤补诲补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
Agni辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
Bhavi峁a辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
Brahmavaivarta辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
尝颈峁単补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
痴补谤腻丑补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
Skanda辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
痴腻尘补苍补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
碍奴谤尘补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺,
骋补谤耻岣峚辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and
叠谤补丑尘腻峁囜笉a辫耻谤腻峁嘺.^[38]

The

痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also follows the same.^[39] Here, the Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺 has excluded 艢颈惫补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and placed 痴腻测耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 in the list of the Mah膩辫耻谤腻峁嘺s. On the other hand the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 and the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 have put the 艢颈惫补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 in the list and excluded the 痴腻测耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺. The list of the 碍奴谤尘补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 omits the Agni辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and substitutes the 痴腻测耻. The Agni leaves out the 艢颈惫补, and inserts the 痴腻测耻. The Bar膩ha辫耻谤腻峁嘺 omits the 骋补谤耻岣峚 and 叠谤补丑尘腻峁囜笉a and inserts the 痴腻测耻 and the 狈补谤补蝉颈峁僪补辫耻谤腻峁嘺. The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补a辫耻谤腻峁嘺 agrees with the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻a辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 omitting the 痴腻测耻a辫耻谤腻峁嘺. Thus, it is seen that the names of the Mah膩辫耻谤腻峁嘺s are the same in almost all the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉, though there is difference about the 痴腻测耻a辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and the 艢颈惫补辫耻谤腻峁嘺. Out of these eighteen 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 the seven 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉, viz., 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补, 痴腻测耻, 叠谤补丑尘腻峁囜笉a, 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, Matsya, 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 and 碍奴谤尘补 are counted as Major 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 by R.C. Hazra, because they are of earlier dates and have preserved much older material.^[40]

In comparison to the Mah膩辫耻谤腻峁嘺s the Upa辫耻谤腻峁嘺s were composed in later period. The eighteen Upa辫耻谤腻峁嘺s are 厂补苍补迟办耻尘腻谤补, 狈补谤补蝉颈峁僪补, Nanda, 艢颈惫补dharma, 顿耻谤惫腻蝉腻, 碍腻濒颈 or 碍腻濒颈k膩, 惭补丑别艣惫补谤补, 艢腻尘产补, Saura, 笔补谤腻艣补谤补, 惭腻谤墨肠补 and 叠丑腻谤驳补惫补. However, unlike the Mah膩辫耻谤腻峁嘺s, the names of the eighteen Upa辫耻谤腻峁嘺s are not the same always. Different lists are found in different works. Moreover, though the eighteen number is accepted in case of the Upa辫耻谤腻峁嘺s, there are in fact many more Upa辫耻谤腻峁嘺s. R. C. Hazra has collected the names of about a hundred Upa辫耻谤腻峁嘺s of which hardly fifteen have been printed.

The Padma辫耻谤腻峁嘺 refers to the classification of 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉.^[41] The Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺^[42] also follows the same.

The Mah膩辫耻谤腻峁嘺s were categorized [into the following three types, as per the 驳耻峁嘺蝉], viz.,

According to the Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺, where lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 is glorified those 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are termed as 厂腻迟迟惫颈办补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉. Those 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 which are written glorifying 叠谤补丑尘腻 are included in the category of 搁腻箩补蝉补. The 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 which glorify Agni and 艢颈惫补 are included in the 罢腻尘补蝉补 category. On the other hand those glorifying 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 and manes are regarded as 厂补峁僰墨谤峁嘺 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉.^[43]

厂腻迟迟惫颈办补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 include:

痴颈峁ａ箛耻,
狈腻谤补诲补,
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补,
骋补谤耻岣峚,
Padma and
痴补谤腻丑补.

搁腻箩补蝉补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are:

叠谤补丑补尘腻峁囜笉补,
Brahmavaivarta,
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补,
Brahma,
痴腻尘补苍补 and
叠丑补惫颈峁补.

[In the list of 罢腻尘补蝉补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are]:

Matsya,
碍奴谤尘补,
尝颈峁単补,
艢颈惫补,
Agni and
Skanda.

Some scholars opposed the inclusion of the Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺 in the category of 罢腻尘补蝉补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺. As the reading of the Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺 does not exhibit preferential treatment either to 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 or 艢颈惫补, R. C. Hazra opines that Matsya辫耻谤腻峁嘺 was originally a Vai峁ａ箛avite 笔耻谤腻峁嘺.^[44]

Till the last decade of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 were not given much importance. The scholars like H. H. Wilson and F. E. Pargiter have changed the thinking of the people in this respect. Studies made by them attracted other scholars towards the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉. Consequently the stance has been changed towards the studies of the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉. Now the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are accepted as one of the important sources of ancient Indian history.

Regarding the importance of the study of the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉, A. D. Pusalkar has stated,

鈥溾€hey constitute an important source of the cultural history of India as they throw a flood of light on the various aspects of the life and time. They occupy an intermediate position, broadly speaking between the Vedic age and the period of classical literature. They have been influencing the life of the people throughout the centuries and are valuable as supplying the materials for the study of such diverse subjects as religion and philosophy, folklore and ethnology, literature and sciences, history and geography, politics and sociology.鈥� ^[45]

Apart from these, the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are important for the study of linguistic history of Vedic and Sanskrit language and also for mythology and legends.