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 2 (1964)
94 (of 234)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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344
啶啶班ぞ啶｀ぎ啷� - [pur膩峁嘺m - ] PURANA
[Vol. VI., No. 2
Rigveda where Vritr膩sura is the great serpent interlocked
in a mortal combat with Indra. The king of serpents pendent
along Siva's breast is the Pur膩峁噄c version of Vedic V峁沬tra.
About one thing the Vedas and the Pur膩峁嘺s are unanimous,
namely that Rudra and Surya are identical. There is both
death and immortality in Surya. On this side of Surya,
in the material world, there is death and darkness (Mrityu, tama岣�)
and on the other side there is light and immortality (Jyotih,
amritam). This side and that side are to be viewed as the
material and spiritual aspects of the mind in depth psychology of
which each individual is constituted. 艢iva after all is the great
deity, the divine principle in each individual, named Pr膩峁嘺.
He is a Tryambaka God, son of three mothers, I岣嵞�, Pingal膩 and
Sushumn膩, or the one who has three eyes, Sun, Moon and Fire.
The Tryambaka form of 艢iva is mentioned in the Rigveda. The
three mothers according to the Pur膩峁嘺s are Durg膩, Sarasvati and
Lakshmi, the three consorts of 艢iva, Brahma and Vishnu who
typify in Puranic symbology the threefold manifestation of the
one Sakti, who is the universal Mother.
The religious cult of the Pur膩nas is based on that of Sakti
as one of their greatest contributions. The Devi-Bhagavata
contains the most graphic description of the worship of the Great
Goddess in her several other forms also. The Devi-Mahatmya
which is one of the most popular texts under the name of Durga-
Saptasati is a theme of sublime inspiration, the creation of a rare
genius. Its several Stotras are an asset higher than which there
is hardly anything known in Pur膩峁噄c imagery. In the Vedas both
the male and the female aspects of the divine creator have been
admitted. Aditi is said to be the mother of all gods. She was
the same as the Great Mother Goddess, Mahi M膩t膩, and identified
with Sakti or Jagadamba, the Universal Mother, who creates all
forms : 艢akti岣� srijati brahma峁囜笉am, says the Devi-Bh膩gavata. This
was the bed-rock of truth and conviction of the Puranic approach
to the cult of the Female Energy which has found such elaboration
not only in the Pur膩峁嘺s but also in the Agamas and the Tantras
to which the Hindu religion owes such deep-seated allegiance.
