Essay name: Vaishnava Myths in the Puranas
Author:
Kum. Geeta P. Kurandwad
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
The essay studies the Vaishnava Myths in the Puranas by exploring the significance of the ten principal incarnations of Lord Vishnu as depicted in various ancient Indian texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas. The research also investigates the social, political, philosophical, and religious impact.
Chapter 1 - Introduction鈥擭ature of Myths
3 (of 10)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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3
contrary, it is said that 鈥楰atha' is a collection of imaginary legends.4
'Kath膩' is also meant as collection of legends expressing the truths of
5 human life. However, the etymological meaning of the word is 'In
what way?' 鈥榟ow ?' (Ka+tha; Ka being from Kim, 鈥榳hat?').
The word 'Kath膩', in its earliest stratum had the sense of inquiry.
Another term, that is closely associated with 鈥楰ath膩', in the Hindu
tradition is Itih膩sa, which means 'History' in its popular sense.
However, etymologically 'this is (iti) indeed (ha) it was (膩sa). The term
Itih膩sa was often used along with the term 'Pur膩峁嘺' from the later
Vedic period.6
4.
啶啶班が啶ㄠ啶о啶� 啶曕げ啷嵿お啶ㄠぞ 啶呧ぅ啶掂ぞ 啶啶班が啶ㄠ啶оじ啷嵿く 啶呧き啶苦ぇ啷囙く啶膏啶� 啶曕げ啷嵿お啶ㄠぞ 啶膏啶掂く啶� 啶班啶ㄠぞ 啶囙い啶� 啶膏ぞ啶班じ啷佮え啷嵿う啶班 啷�
啶啶班が啶ㄠ啶оじ啷嵿く 啶曕げ啷嵿お啶ㄠぞ 啶班啶ㄠぞ 啶啷嵿 啶ㄠ啶むぞ啶膏啶む啶曕じ啶む啶む啶ぞ啶� 啷� 啶囙い啶� 啶ぐ啶む 啷�
[prabandhena kalpan膩 athav膩 prabandhasya abhidheyasya kalpan膩 svaya峁� racan膩 iti s膩rasundar墨 ||
prabandhasya kalpan膩 racan膩 ba峁卥a n峁泃膩stokasatty膩峁� | iti bharata岣� |
] Syar Raja Radhakantdev. Bahadur, Shabdakalpadruma, Vol. II,
Motilal Banarasidass, Delhi, 1961, p- 17.
5. 啶啶班が啶ㄠ啶о啶侧啶え啶距い啷� 啶侧啶曕じ啶む啶ぞ啶ㄠ 啶啶班ぞ啶溹啶炧ぞ啶� 啶曕ぅ啶距 啶掂た啶︵啶� 啷�
啷�
啶ぐ啶膏啶ぐ啶距ざ啷嵿ぐ啶ぞ 啶ぞ啶膏啶ぞ啶む 啶膏ぞ 啶い啶距啷嵿く啶距く啶苦啶� 啶啶о啶� 啶囙い啶� 啶掂啷嵿ぐ啶侧啷嵿し啶｀ 啶侧啶� 啶膏い啷嵿く 啶啶班が啶ㄠ啶оぐ啷傕お啷� 啶掂ぞ啶曕啶 ||
[prabandhakalpan膩t lokasaty膩n pr膩j帽膩岣� kath膩峁� vidu岣� |
|
paraspar膩艣ray膩 y膩sy膩t s膩 mat膩khy膩yik膩 budhai岣� iti vakralak峁峁噀 loka satya prabandhar奴pe v膩kye ||
] Taranath Bhattacharya, V膩caspatyam, Vol. III,
Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, Varanasi, 1991, p-1639.
6. i] 啶むぎ啶苦い啶苦す啶距じ啶多啶� 啶啶班ぞ啶｀ 啶� 啶椸ぞ啶ムぞ啶多啶� 啶ㄠぞ啶班ぞ啶多 啶膏啶多啶氞ぞ啶ㄠ啶掂啶啶侧え啷� 啷�
[tamitih膩sa艣ca pur膩峁嘺峁� ca g膩th膩艣ca n膩r膩艣a峁� s墨艣c膩nuvyacalan |
] Atharva Veda XV. 6.4.
ii] 啶呧ぐ啷囙そ啶膏啶� 啶す啶む 啶啶むじ啷嵿く 啶ㄠた啶多啶氞た啶膏た啶むぎ啷囙い啶︵啶う啷冟啷嵿さ啷囙う啷�
啶啷佮ぐ啷嵿さ啷囙う啶� 啶膏ぞ啶さ啷囙う啷嬥そ啶ムぐ啷嵿さ啶距啷嵿啶苦ぐ啶� 啶囙い啶苦す啶距じ啶� 啶啶班ぞ啶｀ 啶掂た啶︵啶ぞ
啶夃お啶ㄠた啶粪う啶� 啶多啶侧啶曕ぞ啶� 啶膏啶む啶班ぞ啶｀啶え啷佮さ啷嵿く啶距啷嵿く啶距え啶� 啶掂啶ぞ啶栢啶ぞ啶ㄠぞ啶ㄠ啶じ啷嵿く啷堗さ啷堗い啶距え啶� 啶ㄠた啶多啶氞じ啶苦い啶距え啶� 啷�
[are'sya mahato bh奴tasya ni艣cisitametadyad峁沢vedo
yajurveda岣� s膩mavedo'tharv膩峁単irasa itih膩sa岣� pur膩峁嘺峁� vidy膩
upani峁da岣� 艣lok膩岣� s奴tr膩峁噛anuvy膩khy膩ni vy膩khy膩n膩nyasyaivait膩ni ni艣casit膩ni ||
] iii] 1)
Brhad膩ranyaka Upanisad II. 4. 10.
啶呧ぅ 啶啶洁じ啷嵿く啷嬥う啶炧啶氞啶班ざ啷嵿ぎ啶じ啷嵿い啶� 啶忇さ啶距じ啷嵿く啷嬥う啷�啶氞啶
啶ぇ啷佮え啶距ぁ啷嵿く啷嬥そ啶ムぐ啷嵿さ啶距啷嵿啶苦ぐ啶� 啶忇さ 啶ぇ啷佮啷冟い 啶囙い啶苦す啶距じ啶啶班ぞ啶｀
啶啶粪啶 啶むぞ 啶呧ぎ啷冟い啶� 啶嗋お啶� || [atha ye'syoda帽cora艣mayast膩 ev膩syod墨cyo
madhun膩岣峺o'tharv膩峁単irasa eva madhuk峁泃a itih膩sapur膩峁嘺峁�
pu峁a峁� t膩 am峁泃膩 膩pa岣� || ] Chandogya Upani峁d III.4.1.
2) 啶む 啶掂ぞ 啶忇い啷囙そ啶ムぐ啷嵿さ啶距啷嵿啶苦ぐ啶� 啶忇い啶距う啶苦い啶苦す啶距じ啶啶班ぞ啶｀ぎ啷嵿き啷嵿く啶むお啶膏啶むじ啷嵿く啶距き啶苦い啶啶むじ啷嵿く
啶ざ啶膏啶む啶� 啶囙え啷嵿う啷嵿ぐ啶苦く啶傕さ啷�啶班啶ぎ啶ㄠ啶ㄠぞ啶︵啶� 啶班じ啷嬥そ啶溹ぞ啶い | [te v膩 ete'tharv膩峁単irasa et膩ditih膩sapur膩峁嘺mbhyatapastasy膩bhitaptasya
ya艣asteja indriya峁僾墨ryamann膩dya raso'j膩yata | ] Ibid., III.4.2.
