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 6, Part 1 (1964)
101 (of 135)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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194
पुराणम� - [purāṇam - ] ʱĀ
[Vol. VI., No. 1
The twofold process of creation and dissolution is symbol-
ised as the sleep and awakening of Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa denotes
the transcendental divine power as the substratum of infinite
creation. The Maitrāyaṇi Up. explains Nārāyaṇa in a grand
equation as follows Esha hi khalvātmeshāna� sambhur bhavo rudra�
prajapatirviśvasrig Hiranyagarbha� satyam prāṇo hamsal santo
vishnur nārāyaṇo arka� savita dhātā vidhāta samrad indra induriti
(Mait. U, 5. 8).
The cosmos is conceived of as the outcome of the twofold
process of contraction and expansion (sa sankochavikäsābhyā�
pradhanatvepi cha stithah, Vishnu, 1. 2. 31).
Nidrā or sleep is the Puranic term for the principle of rest
or stasis and jägaraṇa or awakening for that of movement. These
correspond to the rhythmic process of samañchana and prasarana,
the twin rhythm of the cosmic prāṇa (prāno vai samañchana-
prasaranam, SB, 8. 1. 4. 10). This was the primeval principle of
Prana manifesting itself as the cosmic pulsation in the form of
the rhythm, described as jägaraṇa and nidra in the Purāṇas.
The first quickening Impulse, Kshobhya, and its Impeller,
Kshobhaka, both are the two aspects of Nārāyaṇa himself. The
principle of Kshobha, agitation or movement is an essential step
in the act of creation. It is variously described as paris pluraṇa,
vis pandana, jāgaraṇa, keshobhana, sanrambha, yuna-vaishamya or
samindhana, i.e. lightening of the Cosmic Fire. The Linga Purana
explains it as follows (Linga P. I. 70. 72, 73, 75 and 76):
साधर्म्येणावतिष्ठेते प्रधानपुरुषावुभौ �
तम� सत्त्वरजोपेत� समत्वे� व्यवस्थितौ ॥७२॥
अनुपृक्तावभूता� तावोतपोत� परस्परम् �
गुणसाम्य� लय� ज्ञेयो वैषम्य� सृष्टिरुच्यत� � ७३ �
उपास्य रजनी� कृत्स्ना� परां माहेश्वरी तथ� �
अहर्मुखे प्रवृत्तश्� पर� प्रकृतिसम्भव� ॥७५॥
क्षोभयामास योगे� परेण परमेश्वर� �
प्रधान� पुरुषञ्चैव प्रविश्य � महेश्वरः � ७६ �
[ लिङ्गपुराण, पूर्वार्�, ७०१७�,७३,७५,७६ ]
[sādharmyeṇāvatiṣṭhete pradhānapuruṣāvubhau |
tama� sattvarajopetau samatvena vyavasthitau ||72||
anupṛktāvabhūtā� tāvotapotau parasparam |
guṇasāmye layo jñeyo vaiṣamye sṛṣṭirucyate || 73 ||
upāsya rajanī� kṛtsnā� parā� māheśvarī tathā |
aharmukhe pravṛttaśca para� prakṛtisambhava� ||75||
kṣobhayāmāsa yogena pareṇa parameśvara� |
pradhāna� puruṣañcaiva praviśya sa maheśvara� || 76 ||
[ liṅgapurāṇa, pūrvārdha, 70172,73,75,76 ]
] Jan., 1964]
ʱĀ-VIDYA
495 According to the Devī Bhāgavata when Yoganidra enters the
body of Vishnu, he was rendered unconscious, achetana, and
motionless (Spandavarjita), Devī Bhāgavata 1. 7. 18).
Brahma symbolising the principle of growth waited upon
Vishnu with a Stotra or the principle of Vāk which is the same
as the Veda, and by the miraculous power of Vak, sleeping
Vishnu, as if touched by a spark, was roused to activity and the
inertia of sleep. tāmasi nidrā, was ejected out of his body :-
एव� स्थिता तद� देवी तामसी तत्र वेधस� �
निःसृत्य हरिदेहात संस्थिता पार्श्वतस्तद� �
विस्पन्दितशरीरोऽस� यद� जातो जनार्दनः �
धाता परमिका� प्राप्तो मुदं दृष्ट्वा हरिं तत� ||
( [eva� sthitā tadā devī tāmasī tatra vedhasā |
niḥsṛtya haridehāta saṃsthitā pārśvatastadā ||
vispanditaśarīro'sau yadā jāto janārdana� |
dhātā paramikā� prāpto muda� dṛṣṭvā hari� tata� ||
(] Devi-Bh., 1. 7. 48, 50)
The Puianas are very particular in invoking the dootrine of
Nārāyaṇa Purusha who is the same as the transcendent Creator
or the Thousand-fold Person (Sahasraģirsha Purusha) of the
Purusha-Sukta. Also in the Satapatha Brāhmaṇa we find a
full-fledged conception of the cosmic creation being the Yajna-
Kratu or Sacrifice of Nārāyaṇa Purusha-Purusho ha Nārāyaṇo'
kamayata at itishtheyam sarvan bhūtānyahamevedam sarvam
syāmiti, saitam purushamedham pancharatram yajña-kratum
apaśyat tam āharat tena ayajata, teneshṭvā atyatishthat sarvāṇi
bhūtānīdam abhavat-ŚB. 13. 5. 1. 1.
It is also stated that Prajapati persuaded Narayana-Purusha
to perform a sacrifice and so the latter conceived of a plan to
perform his Yajna by means of the Vasus in the morning libation,
by the Rudras in the midday libation and by the Adityas in the
evening libation, and this completed the scheme of his Yajña
(Xajña-Vastu SB. 12. 3. 4. 1-11).
The Puranic writers translated the Vedic doctrine of
Hiranyagarbha into that of Nārāyaṇa Purusha and the following
verse is quoted almost in all the Puranas as the main Sutra of
their consmogonical thesis:-
