Essay name: Studies in the Upapuranas
Author: R. C. Hazra
This book studies the Upapuranas: a vast category of (often Sanskrit) literature representing significant historical, religious, and cultural insights of the ancient Indian civilization. These texts provide rich information, especially on Hinduism covering theology, mythology, rituals, and dynastic genealogies.
Page 49 of: Studies in the Upapuranas
49 (of 417)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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STUDIES IN THE UPAPUR膧峁咥S
"In ancient times there was no image (of the Sun); the Sun was
worshipped in a circle. The Sun, worshipped by his devotees in early
days, was circular, just as there is the disc (of the Sun) in the sky.
The human form of the Sun (came into vogue) for the good of all the
worlds from the time it was made by Vi艣vakarman.
...
...
No rule is (to be observed) in the case of those images which are
(worshipped) in (private) houses;
The examina-
tion of the image is to be made in case it is placed in a temple."
There was another strong ground for the wide popularity of the
Magian method of Sun-worship. It was that the Magas allowed
great privilege in religious matters to women and members of lower
castes. However, the spread of Magian ideas was not, in all respects.
very favourable to the Var峁嚹伵況ama-dharma and the authority of the
Vedas. As regards conception of Mithra and the procedure of his
worship, the Magi priests differed much from the Sun-worshippers of
India. Their manners and customs also were, to a great extent,
different from those of the members of the Vedic fold. Hence, in
order to modify the earlier cult of the Sun by incorporating Magian
elements (which must have been too popular to be neglected), to
establish the position of Magas as full-fledged Brahmins authorised
to worship the Sun, and to conform the Magian ideas and practices to
the Vedic notions, the Samba-p. had to be written and chapters had
to be inserted into the Bhavisya and other Puranic works. What steps
were taken to achieve these ends and how and when, will be evident
from the following analysis of the Samba-p.
I. THE S膧MBA-PUR膧峁咥
9 This work, as we have it in the Venkat. edition, is divided into
84 chapters. It begins with a salutation to the Sun (variously named
a sense of divinity with regard to wind, fire etc. and thus for pointing out their
sacred character.
9 The only printed edition of this work is that published by the Venkate-
艣vara Press, Bombay 1899. This edition has been accomplished so carelessly
that innumerable mistakes, due to both omission and commission, have crept in.
It is based most probably on a single Ms; otherwise, variants would have been
given at some place or other of this edition. We have, however, used the
