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Essay name: Purana Bulletin

Author:
Affiliation: University of Kerala / Faculty of Oriental Studies

The "Purana Bulletin" is an academic journal published in India. The journal focuses on the study of Puranas, which are a genre of ancient Indian literature encompassing mythological stories, traditions, and philosophical teachings. They represent Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit and cover a wide range of subjects.

Purana, Volume 4, Part 1 (1962)

Page:

216 (of 236)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


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Warning! Page nr. 216 has not been proofread.

212
पुराणम� - [purāṇam - ] ʱĀ
[Vol. IV, No. 1
story in the SK. version, however, embodies and adapts a quite
different story viz. the story of Jamadagni, Reṇukā and their
son Paraśurāma. It will be recalled that in the original story
Reṇukā was accused of guilt similar to that of the mother of
C.: Reṇukā was found guilty of gazing at a Gandharva King
for which the indignant Jamadagni ordered Parasurama, one of
his sons, to behead his mother. Parasurama instantly carried
out the command of his father. Paraśurāma was not, however,
devoid of filial love towards his mother; for, he asked a boon
from his father who was pleased with his dutiful son that his
mother should be restored back to life, without retaining any
memory of her having been beheaded by her son. The SK.
version, while following the Jamadagni-Reṇu kā model, deviates
from it in putting C. in place of Paraśurāma and in making
him put off the execution of the father's order until the father
arrives on the scene.
The main import of the C. story is, no doubt, its im-
pressive emphasis on the advisability of reflection before action
or of thoughtful action. It may be said to be a good illustra-
tion of the famous verse in this behalf of Bhāravi:1
सहसा विदधी� � क्रियाम् अविवेक� परमापदां पदम् �
वृणत� हि विमृश्यकारिण� गुणलुब्धाः स्वयमे� संपद� �
[sahasā vidadhīta na kriyām aviveka� paramāpadā� padam |
vṛṇate hi vimṛśyakāriṇa� guṇalubdhā� svayameba saṃpada� ||
]
In fact Nārada, in the version of the SK. given above,
while setting out to relate the story of C., appears to echo
the very words of the above stanza in the verse-
सहसा � क्रिया� कुर्यात् पदमेतन्महापदाम� �
विमृश्यकारिण� धीरं वृणत� सर्वसंपद� �
[sahasā na kriyā� kuryāt padametanmahāpadām |
vimṛśyakāriṇa� dhīra� vṛṇate sarvasaṃpada� ||
]
already quoted in Footnote 6. The above verse in the
SK. followed by the story of C. in the sequel equates, in
effect, चिरकारिन� [ ] with विमृश्यकारिन� [ṛśy ] and sets forth an opposition, as
in Bhāravi's verse, between सहसा क्रिया� कुर्यात् [sahasā kriyā� kuryāt ] and विमृश्यकारित्व. [ṛśyٱ. ] It
may be pointed out that Mbh. version nowhere expresses such
opposition in explicit terms.
1. Kiratarjuniyam II. 30.

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