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Essay name: Sucindrasthala-mahatmya (critical edition and study)

Author: Anand Dilip Raj
Affiliation: University of Kerala / Department of Sanskrit

The essay studies in English the Sucindrasthala-mahatmya which represents a significant Sthalamahatmya from South India detailing the origins and development of the Trimurti temple at Suchindram in Tamil Nadu. The study reveals its legends, customs, and religious practices.

Introduction

Page:

2 (of 10)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


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INTRODUCTION The Purāṇas are of inestimable value to the history of philosophy of religion and are a veritable store-house for getting insight into all aspects and phases of Hinduism'- it's mythology, it's love of God, it's idol worship, it's theism and Pantheism, it's Philosophy and superstitions, it's ethics, it's festivals and ceremonies. In them "the past becomes some thing that leads up to the present, the moment of action, the future something that flows from it, and all there are in extrically interwined and interrelated"³. Our knowledge of the culture and customs of the most ancient times depends mainly on tradition. In the absence of written history, tradition always serves as a very important and trustworthy guide. Not only in India but all over the world this is the situation. Purāṇas are trust worthy guides to our tradition. The word Purāṇa means 'ancient or old narrative'. According to Amrasimha the Purāṇas have five characteristics*. (1) Creation (34) (2) Re-creation (f) (3) Genology of gods and sages () (4) Cosmic cycles (HRT) (5) and an account of royal families (RA). Purāṇa literature is traditionally divided into Mahāpuraṇas and Upapuraṇas. The 18 mahāpurāṇās are usually enumerated as:- 1. ब्रह्म [brahma ] 2. ब्रह्माण्ड [ṇḍ ] 3. ब्रह्मवैर्वत [brahmavairvata ] 4. मार्कण्डेय [첹ṇḍⲹ ] 5 भविष्य [󲹱ṣy ] 6. वामन [峾Բ ] 7. विष्णु [ṣṇ ] 8. भागव� [岵ٲ ] 9. नारदी� [īⲹ ] 10. गरुड [ḍa ] 11 पद्म [padma ] 12 वराह [ ] 13 शि� [ś ] 14. लिङ्� [ṅg ] 15. स्कन्द [skanda ] 16. अग्न� [agni ] 17. मत्स्य [matsya ] 18 कूर्� [ū ] 1

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