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
7 (of 10)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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7
.
According to Kautilya Itih膩sa includes Pur膩峁嘺 (old legends),
Itiv峁泃ta (factual narrations), Akhy膩yika (episodes) and Ud膩hara峁嘺
(illustrative stories). 14 During the period of Y膩ska, aitih膩sika's were
known to be a class of intellectuals. 15 Also Yaska refers to the term
Itih膩sa in the sense of fact element. 16 It is stated that, "the fact
element Itih膩sa grew in proportion and was then recorded in the
epics and Pur膩峁嘺s. Therefore the words Itih膩sa and Pur膩峁嘺 became
synonyms and were either used separately or in compounds. 17
In his commentary on the Vi峁ａ箛u Pur膩峁嘺, Sridhara uses the word
膧khy膩na in the sense of myth and defines that, the 膧khy膩na is the
narration of events just heard of. 18 In other words, the 膧khy膩na is
more reliable and authentic, as it is seen or experienced by the person
concerned.
Therefore, the supernatural element formed an indispensable
element of the myths. The heroes of the narrative possessed superhuman
strength and achievements, either because, of their lineage or owing
14. 啶啶班ぞ啶｀ぎ啶苦い啶苦さ啷冟い啷嵿い啶ぞ啶栢啶ぞ啶た啶曕啶︵ぞ啶灌ぐ啶｀ 啶оぐ啷嵿ぎ啶多ぞ啶膏啶む啶班ぎ啶班啶ムざ啶距じ啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ啶� 啶氞啶むた啶灌ぞ啶膏 啷�
[pur膩峁嘺mitiv峁泃tam膩khy膩yikod膩hara峁嘺峁� dharma艣膩stramartha艣膩stra峁� cetih膩sa岣� |
] Artha艣盲stra, I.5.
15. 啶むい啷� 啶曕 啶掂啶む啶班 啷� 啶啶� 啶囙い啶� 啶ㄠ啶班啶曕啶むぞ啶� 啷� 啶む啶掂ぞ啶粪啶熰啶班啶洁じ啷佮ぐ 啶囙い啷嵿く啷堗い啶苦す啶距じ啶苦啶距 啷�
[tat ko v峁泃ra岣� | megha iti nairukt膩岣� | tv膩峁ａ弓ro'sura ityaitih膩sik膩岣� |
] I
Y膩ska, Nirukta II.16.
16. 啶むい啷嵿ぐ啷囙い啶苦す啶距じ啶ぞ啶氞啷嵿し啶む 啷� 啶︵啶掂ぞ啶た啶多啶氞ぞ啶班啶た啶粪ぃ啶� 啶多啶むえ啷佮ざ啷嵿 啶曕啶班さ啷嵿く啷� 啶啶班ぞ啶むぞ啶班 啶き啷傕さ啶む啶� 啷�
啶� 啶多啶むえ啷� 啶曕え啷�啶ぞ啶た啶粪啶氞く啶距啶氞啷嵿ぐ啷� 啷� 啶︵啶掂ぞ啶た啶膏啶むお啶� 啶啶班い啶苦お啷囙う啷� 啷�
[tatretih膩sam膩cak峁te | dev膩pi艣c膩rpi峁峁嘺岣� 艣a峁僼anu艣ca kauravyo bhr膩t膩rau babh奴vatu岣� |
sa 艣a峁僼anu kan墨y膩bhi峁cay膩峁僣akre | dev膩pistapa岣� pratipede |
] I
啶むい啶� 啶多え啷嵿い啶ㄠ 啶班ぞ啶溹啶 啶︵啶掂ぞ啶︵ざ 啶掂ぐ啷嵿し啶距ぃ啶� 啶� 啶掂さ啶班啶� || [tata岣� 艣antano r膩jye dv膩da艣a var峁Ｄ佱箛i na vavar峁 || ] Ibid., II.10.
17. Lalye P.G. Studies in Devi Bh膩gavata, Popular Prakashan,
Bombay, 1973, p - 216.
18. 啶膏啶掂く啶� 啶︵啶粪啶熰ぞ啶班啶ム啶ムえ啶� 啶ぐ啶距す啷佮ぐ啶距啷嵿く啶距え啶曕 啶啶оぞ啶� 啷�
啶多啶班啶むじ啷嵿ぅ啶距ぐ啷嵿く啶膏啶� 啶曕ぅ啶ㄠぎ啷佮お啶距啷嵿く啶距え啶� 啶啶班啶曕啶粪い啷� || [svaya峁� d峁涐梗峁乺thakathana峁� par膩hur膩khy膩naka峁� budh膩岣� |
艣rutasth膩ryasya kathanamup膩khy膩na峁� pracak峁te || ] The Devi Bh膩gavata p - 227.
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