Puranas

The Puranas (Sanskrit, n, Purana lit. " old story " ), among the most important scriptures of Hinduism. They arose to 1000 AD after the Vedas in the period from 400 AD, but often resort to older content. Of those mentioned in the Brahma - Purana vaivartta 400,000 Puranas, such as the Devi Bhagavata, 18 are considered as the main Puranas and 18 as a by - Puranas. The main Puranas, in turn, are divided into three groups according to the three main Hindu deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva:

Brahma Puranas:

  • Brahmapurana
  • Brahmanandapurana
  • Brahmavaivartapurana
  • Markandeyapurana
  • Bhavishyapurana
  • Vamanapurana

Vishnu Puranas:

  • Vishnupurana
  • Bhagavatapurana
  • Naradiyapurana
  • Garudapurana
  • Padmapurana
  • Varahapurana

Shiva Puranas:

  • Shiva or Vayupurana
  • Lingapurana
  • Skandapurana
  • Agni
  • Matsyapurana
  • Kurmapurana

Puranas were written in Sanskrit and Tamil and most of the Indian colloquial languages ​​. In Jainism, there are Puranas. Since Puranas are traditionally passed on through oral recitation, there is no fixed version of the Puranas, because in the oral recitation are usually also of the texts shapes differing told to make for example the text more exciting, easier to understand and to create a regional reference. For this reason, there are also different text output from the Puranas, which it seems difficult to find a fixed version of these texts.

  • 3.1 Vishnupurana
  • 3.2 Lingapurana
  • 3.3 Shivapurana
  • 3.4 Skandapurana
  • 3.5 Devi Bhagavata Purana

Importance

The Puranas are their followers as revelations of divine origin. The Puranas are the first scriptures of Hinduism where a personal deity devotional worship belongs, which is why they are regarded as a source with respect to the theology of bhakti path. All Puranas are primarily devoted to the worship of a deity and describe ceremonies and festivals ( vrata ) for their worship, in particular, they also supply the ritual and social context of the bhakti movement. In most of these works there are also larger chapter on rights and duties of the box, the four stages of life, and the sacrifices of the dead ( shraddha ) and detailed ethical and spiritual teachings.

Often cosmogonies and genealogical lists of the royal families are recorded, dating back to the heroes of the Mahabharata. As a historical source, the Puranas, however, be used only with great caution. Nevertheless, the Vishnupurana considered as good source of Maurya dynasty and the Vayupurana to the Gupta period. The enumerated ruler names provide a clue for the dating of each Purana. The Persian scholar Al -Biruni are about 1030 a complete list of all the 18 Puranas.

According to the philosopher Ramanuja leads to true knowledge only the Veda - study, whereas the Puranas only help in the purification of sins. In this sense, the Puranas sacred texts of the second class. They were not originally created by Brahmins literature. The Suta ( charioteer and bards ) may have been those who have contributed to the creation and dissemination of the Puranas. Only later did the Puranas passed into the hands of the Brahmins.

Culture seen Historically it was but just their popularity that made the Puranas so popular. Since a large part of the population was excluded from the Veda - study, received the Puranas for Hinduism a meaning as they had the Vedas for the Brahmanism. Especially Women and Sudras were given a literature open to them here. As a source of Indian religious history the Puranas are to be emphasized, especially since they already have a sectarian character and relate to the various Hindu deities, whose cult is presented.

Types of Puranas

Mahapuranas

Mahapuranas relate mainly to the gods of the Trimurti, Upapuranas mostly relate to other deities like Devi, Krishna, Surya and Ganesha.

The Mahapuranas be regarded as the oldest Puranic scriptures in the Puranas themselves. The Mahapuranas should indeed consist of 18 such Puranas, but the respective lists of specified as Mahapuranas writings differ. It is believed that the Mahapuranas actually incurred earlier than the Upapuranas. Although Mahapuranas also may contain Mahatmyas to certain places, they are spread all over India.

Upapuranas

The Upapuranas are traditionally consist of 18 of these writings, but there is a lot more than 18 Upapuranas. The Upapuranas and Mahapuranas have no clear criteria of differentiation, but it is believed that the Upapuranas have arisen later. In addition, they are dedicated to other gods than the Trimurti and refer frequently to certain places.

Shtalapuranas

Shtalapuranas refer to certain geographical locations. Often it is a well-known place that is mentioned in the title of the Puranas. Described temples and sacred places from which it is believed that the gods there pursue certain activities and serve as places of pilgrimage.

Shtalapuranas were written in Sanskrit, Tamil and other common languages ​​and there are hundreds of them. Shtalapuranas are spread all over India. An example would be the Shtalapurana Chidambaram Mahtymya that acts of Chidambaram, the local Shiva temple and the god Shiva and explains their holiness.

Jatipuranas

Jatipuranas refer to as Shtalapuranas on a single topos. Jatis are subcastes, which are the smallest subdivision of a caste. Jatipuranas deal with the origin and history of a particular Jati. Jatipuranas are often written in the Indian colloquial languages ​​, although many exist in Sanskrit. Due to the use of colloquial language it is assumed that Jatipuranas are probably more common and are recited more frequently than the Mahapuranas and Upapuranas. Many of the Jatipuranas probably evolved only at the beginning of the 20th century.

Jatipuranas act mostly from the origin myth of the lineage and refer to a Hindu deity, who is connected with this myth and is revered by the respective Subkaste. This deity is often Vishnu, Shiva, or a member of the family of these gods.

Many Jatipuranas were written by Brahmins who glorify the origin myth of lower sub-castes to give the Jati a higher status in the eyes of the higher castes, who are committed to the Sanksrit Hinduism. In these narratives is sometimes shown that the Jati formerly belonged to a higher caste, but now, due to a ritual error or an unintentional breach of a saint or God, has a lower status.

The myths of which tell Jatipuranas, are often identical with the more widespread myths Puranas. Although the Jatipuranas are usually only for a smaller region of importance, in which the respective Jati is found, however, connect the Brahmanical myths and tales the Jati with a larger, regional uncapped tradition.

Mahatmyas

The most common Purana fonts are the Jatipuranas together Mahatmyas, of which there are thousands. The term Mahatmya means glorification. There are three types of Mahatmyas: those that relate to a specific place, those which refer to a sacred substance, and those that relate to a particular deity. Mahatmyas are usually included in other Puranas, wherein they differ from the Shtalapuranas. Some Puranas like the Skandapurana contain many Mahatmyas, however, it is customary to read the Mahatmyas from such writings separately.

Mahatmyas be used by groups of worshipers as devotional tracts. Although they are written in the same style as the Mahapuranas and Upapuranas, but they differ from the latter in that shastrische sequences relating to life, are missing. In contrast to the Mahapuranas and Upapuranas Mahatmyas regarded as limited in terms of their purpose.

The most famous is the Devi Mahatmya Mahatmya from the Markadeyapurana.

Contents of some Puranas

Vishnupurana

The Vishnupurana, which was probably written around 300 AD, explains that Vishnu is the supreme deity in the universe. It begins with several myths about the creation of the universe. After that, the different classes of organisms are listed and the seven continents, of which India is one. Also hell realms appear in Vishnupurana. After these descriptions, the time of the Manus, patriarchs, who have created groups of people and other living things begins, then the Veda Vyasa is created. Next, the social classes get their rules, even in relation to the stages of life and rituals of the life cycle. Well Vishnu, which excludes some heretics of the Vedas appear. After descriptions of various royal lines followed by a long story about the birth and life of Krishna. An important description in this section is the dissolution of the world in a threefold manner, with the liberation of a personal existence ( moksha ) is addressed.

Lingapurana

The Lingapurana is built between the 5th and the 10th century and consists of two books with 150 chapters. It is of Shiva and his theology, but it is in relation to these not comparable with the later Shivapurana, its theology, mythology and rituals are still elaborated than that of Lingapurana. The Lingapurana contains much shastrisches material that is of Shivaite rituals and meditation.

The Lingapurana begins in the first 35 chapters with stories about the creation and didactic explanations about yoga, visualizations of the God Shiva forms of appearance as a teacher in the Yugas, Stotras to the worship of Shiva and worship of the Linga.

Also, these first chapters contain the famous myth as the Linga is published for the first time and was found by Vishnu and Brahma, who studied these and were enlightened by it. According to this myth, the Lingapurana contains an extensive praise of Shiva.

After these first 35 chapters more myths are described, then the thousand names of Shiva are enumerated, genealogies of kings and divine nature of kings who descended from Krishna are mentioned. In the next few chapters cover the proper worship of the Linga and to rituals and yoga Pashupatas.

In the next chapters of the first book of myths about Shiva worshipers Andhaka, an avatar of Vishnu, the story of Daksha's sacrifice ceremony, myths about Shiva 's son Ganesha and his birth, Shiva Tandava and at the end of a myth about Upamanyu, another worshiper of Shiva appear.

In the second book of myths are told about the worship of Vishnu in the first six chapters, whereupon the goddess of misfortune, Alakshmi created. Vishnu now tells about Shiva that this was the supreme deity, and that the worship of Shiva is promising happiness. In the next three chapters then mantras are given, to banish misfortune, and it is developed a theology which sets out Shiva's size and explains how Shiva 's worship. The next 16 chapters deal with rituals of offering of gifts, the following ten chapters deal with worship of Shiva Linga and in practice.

Shivapurana

The Shivapurana contains many forms of myths, but the main part form myths about Shiva himself and his family, especially his two wives Sati and Parvati. The scope of the Shivapurana varies in different editions, one of them contains 477 chapters, others much less. The dating of the Shivapurana is not possible as a whole, but only on the basis of the individual parts. Individual chapters of this Puranas go back to 1000 AD. In Shivapurana is a book from the Linga and his theology, another book is about twelve Lingas, their mythology and local distribution are discussed. A part of Shivapurana are Ritualistik relating to Shiva and the worship of Shiva in order to gain the right knowledge, Jnana for liberation. The ritual books also contain many references to Shaktism.

Skandapurana

The Skandapurana is present in many different versions, which are of different lengths. One edition includes, for example, 87,000 verses, while another contains only 8000. Its origin dates back to the 8th to 15th centuries. The God Skanda is Shiva's son, so this Purana is considered shivaitisch. The Skandapurana differs from other Puranas in that its various forms are particularly long and extensive and there are many subtexts that are attributed to this Purana. In Indian libraries hundreds of manuscripts that are the Skandapurana attributed exist. Many of these manuscripts are Mahatmyas describing the holy places, while others tell, for example, myths about Ganesha, which are not found in other Puranas.

A printable version of the Skandapurana includes 5-7 volumes containing seven Khandas, individual books, the total equivalent to the level of Skandapurana. This Khandas are further divided into Mahatmyas and Khandas. In these thematically many holy places are described, for example, the Khashikhanda dealing its 100 chapters of Varanasi. Other sacred places that are described are spread all over India. Since the discovery of an early manuscript of the new Skandapurana is believed that it describes the most famous sanctuaries of the Indian Middle Ages.

Devi Bhagavata Purana

The Devi Bhagavata Purana probably originated in Bengal between the 11th and 12th centuries and found its final form in the 15th century. It is about the Goddess, Mahadevi, their theology and related rituals. This Purana contains the Devigita and another version of the Devi Mahatmya. It is related to the Bhagavata and can be found in these two Puranas intertextual connections. Next to the name of God Mahadevi other names are used, for example, or Bhagavati Mahalakshmi, and the goddess is considered the feminine strength and power, Shakti, the male gods. Many of the myths are reminiscent of other Puranas, but the cosmogony and cosmology is focused here on the goddess. Bhagavati is the origin of the universe and creates itself as Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, and has so held the cosmic functions of the Trimurti.

In myths relating to Vishnu, the goddess appears in this Purana as the power that enables Vishnu to incarnate in the avatar.

The Devi Bhagavata Purana is divided into twelve sections, as well as the Bhabgavata Purana. At the beginning is told of how the Devi Bhagavata was recited for the first time in Naimisa forest. Next, it is shown in terms of theology, as Devi embodied as the three Shakti, perceive their cosmic functions by Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. In the second section the birth of Vyasa is described and certain lineages and a narrative in the Vyasa Janamejaya said that the deceased father arrives in heaven when Janamejaya worshiped the goddess. The following ten sections tell of myths in which the Trimurti turned into young girls, to see the universe in their toenail can. Then the goddess transformed again into the three Shakti of the Trimurti. The following are the myths around Nara, Narayana and Prahlada is which stressed that it is the goddess who directs Vishnu avatars.

Chapters 30-40 of the seventh section of the Devi Bhagavata Purana contain Devigita. In this, the goddess appears as Brahman and it is explained how the identity with the Atman can be achieved through Jnana and Bhakti. The eighth section contains information on the geography of the earth, the ninth section deals with the various goddesses, the tenth section deals with the Manus and their worship of the goddess, which takes place at different locations. In the eleventh section of good behavior and the daily rituals are explained. The twelfth section explains the GayatriMantra that serves to understand the goddess. Each syllable of the GayatriMantra has 1008 names of the Goddess.

The famous Devi Mahatmya from the Markandeya Purana is in a different version in the Devi Bhagavata Purana.

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