Ancient Depictions of the Purāṇas

There are two views about the Purāṇas seen in ancient times. In one sense it was used as a discipline in the history of ancient circles. In another sense, it is available for a specific literature or book. To finds its antiquity, it is necessary to observe Vedic literature–Brahmāṇas, Saṃhitās and Upaniṣads .

The use of the word ‘Purāṇa ’ in the Ṛgveda is available in many mantras (RV-3/54/9, 3/58/6, 10/130/6). But at these sites the word ‘Purāṇa ’ is only indicative of antiquity. Elsewhere (RV-9/99/4) the word ‘Purāṇa ’ is used as an adjective of the word ‘Gāthā ’.

In the Atharvaveda we find the word ‘Purāṇa ’ used with the words Itihāsa-Gāthā and Nārāśaṃsī , where it is available only as a specific discipline–

“sa bṛhatī diśamanuvyacalat ||
tamitihāsaśca purāṇaṃ ca gāthāśca
nārāśaṃsīścānuvyacalan || ”^[1]

According to the Ṛgveda and Atharvaveda , some of the chandas and Purāṇas had appeared in same time (AV–11/7/4).

Āraṇyaka

Āraṇyakas and Upaniṣads are the last part of Brāhmaṇas. Even in this part of Śruti , the status of Purāṇa and history proves to be adequate–in the form of history Purāṇa is available to us in the developed form i.e. from its earlier position in the Brāhmaṇas.

“brahmayajñaprakaraṇe—
yad brāhmaṇānātihāsān purāṇāni kalpān gāthā nārāśaṃsīrmedāhutayo devānāmabhavana |
tābhiḥ kṣudhaṃ pāṇmānamapādhnan | apahata pāpmāno devāḥ svargaṃ lokamāyān | brāhmaṇaḥ sāyujyamṛṣayo 'gacchan || ”^[2]

Upaniṣad

There are also many references about ‘Purāṇa ’ in the Upaniṣad . We get many examples for using the word ‘Purāṇa ’ from the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Chāndogya Upaniṣad . The word ‘Purāṇa ’ is important as fifth Veda–“itihāsa purāṇaṃ pañcamo vedānāṃ vedaḥ” in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad .

The other examples are as follows–

“sa yayādrendhanāgnejneravyāhitāt pṛthagdhumā viniścaranti , evaṃ vā are 'sya mahato bhūtasya niḥśvasitametad yadagveho yajurvedo sāmaveda 'tharvāṅgirasa itihāsapurāṇam | ”^[3]

“ṛgvedaṃ bhagavo 'dhyemi yajurvedaṃ sāmavedamātharvaṇaṃcaturthamitihāsaṃ purāṇaṃ pañcamam , vedānāṃ vedaṃ , pitryaṃ rāśiṃ ....”^[4]

Sūtra Grantha

Sūtra-grantha also described the word ‘Purāṇa ’ in various places.

“yadṛco 'dhīte payasaḥ kulyā asya pitṛn svadhā upakṣaranti yadyajuṣi ghṛtasya kulyā yatsāmāni madhvaḥ kulyā yadabharvāṅgirasaḥ sāmasya kulyāḥ yadvrāhmaṇāni kalpān gāthā nārāśaṃsīritihāsapurāṇānītyamṛtasyaṃ kulyā || ”^[5]

“tasya prajāpālakasya nṛpateśca vyavahāro vedo dharmaśāstram aṅgāni , upavedāḥ purāṇam ”^[6]

Smṛti Grantha

There are also many examples of uses of the word ‘Purāṇa ’ in the Smṛti . Such as–

“mīmāṃsate ca yo vedāna ṣaṅbhiraṅgaiḥ savistaraiḥ |
itihāsapurāṇāni sa bhaved vedapāragaḥ ”^[7]
“tatrāṣṭaśīti -sāhasrā munayo gṛhamedhinaḥ |
punarāvartino vījabhūtā dharma-pravartakāḥ || ”^[8]
“svādhyāya śrāvayet pitrye dharmaśāstrāṇi caiva hi |
ākhyātānītihāsāṃśca purāṇāni khilāni ca || ”^[9]

Rāmayāṇa

The Rāmāyaṇa also mentioned the description of the word ‘Purāṇa ’–

“ityuktvāntaḥ puradvāramājagāma purāṇavit | ”^[10]
“ityuktvā tu rahaḥ sūto rājānamidamabravīt |
śruyatāṃ yat purāvṛtaṃ purāṇeṣu mayā śrutam || ”^[11]

Mahābhārata

There are not only the general references of the Purāṇa in the Mahābhārata but also Purāṇas characteristics mentioned in the Mahābhārata .

“purāṇaṃ mānavo dharmaḥ sāṅgovedaścikitsitam |
ājñāsiddhāni catvāri , na hantavyāni hetubhiḥ || ”^[12]

This verse is a sufficient reflection of the Mahābhārata view of the Purāṇas. Fragmentation of the facts of the Purāṇa with the help of logic-abuses–is not proper.

This is the approach of Mahābhārata .

“aṣṭādaśa purāṇāni kṛtvā satyavatīsutaḥ |
paścād bhāratamākhyānaṃ cakretadupabṛṃhitam || ”^[13]

There is a clear opinion of Mahābhārata that Vedas should be reclaimed through history and Purāṇa .

That is why the Vedas scholars always scare the lesser known readers of the Śāstra so that they do not cheat them.

“purāṇapūrṇacandreṇa śrutijyotsnā prakāśitā || ”^[14]

This is the general introduction of the Purāṇa . The Mahābhārata makes explicit mention of Vāyupurāṇa as a specific Purāṇa in which the description of ancient kings is specifically specified.

Arthaśāstra

Kauṭilya has given valuable instructions to Purāṇas and history at many places of his economical thought, Arthaśāstra , which is not less important from historical point of view. 10

Kauṭilya’s statement describing the form of Veda is that the Sāma, Ṛg and Yajuḥ are called Trayee.

This trilogy or Trayee is considered to be under the Atharvaveda and the Itihāsa Veda —

“sāmargyajurvedāstrayastrayī atharvavedetihāsavedau ca vedaḥ | ”^[15]

Vyākaraṇa

In the Vyākaraṇa there are mention about the Purāṇa –

“vākovākyamitihāsaḥ purāṇaṃ vaidyakamityetāvacchaṣdasya prayogaviṣayaḥ ”^[16]

Philosophy

“sa eva mantrabrāhmaṇasya draṣṭāraḥ pravaktāraśca te khalu itihāsapurāṇasya dharmaśāstrasya ca ”^[17]

Jyotiṣa

“digdeśakālāvaraṇādibhedānna ghāḍhakorāhuriti buvanti
yanmāninaḥ kevalagolavidyā tatsaṃhitāvedapurāṇavādyam || ”^[18]

Nītiśāstra

“dharmatattvaṃ hi gahanatamaḥ satyevitaṃ naraḥ |
śrutismṛtipurāṇānāṃ karma kuryād vicakṣaṇaḥ || ”^[19]

Purāṇa

Purāṇa itself mention and describe about the word ‘Purāṇa ’. There are many examples in the several Purāṇas.

Such as–According to the Vāyu-Purāṇa about the origin of the Purāṇa –

“sarvvajñāt sarvvavedeṣu pujitāddīptatejasaḥ |
purāṇaṃ sampravakṣyāmi yaduktaṃ mātariśvā || ”^[20]

On the other side Matsya Purāṇa has mentioned that the Purāṇa is as the earliest creation of Veda–

“purāṇaṃ sarvaśāstrāṇāṃ prathamaṃ brahmaṇā smṛtam
nitya śabdamayaṃ puṇyaṃ śatakoṭipravistaram
anantaraṃ ca vakatrebhyo vedāstasya vinisṛtāḥ || ”^[21]

The Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa also has considered the Purāṇa as the earlier of Veda –

“utpannamātrasya parā brahmaṇo 'vyaktajanmanaḥ |
purāṇametad vedāśca mukhebhyo 'nuviniḥ sṛtāḥ || ”^[22]

There are noted about the origin of Purāṇa in the Skanda Purāṇa –

“purāṇāni daśāṣṭau ca sāmprataṃ tadihocyate || ”^[23]

As per the Padma Purāṇa –

“pravṛttiḥ sarvaśāstrāṇāṃ purāṇasyābhavattadā
kalinā grahaṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā purāṇasya tadā vibhūḥ || ”^[24]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Atharvaveda–15 Kāṇḍa, 1 Anuvāka, 6 Sukta, 10 and 11 sloka.

[2]:

Taitiriya Āraṇyaka–2/9.

[3]:

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣada–2/4/11.

[4]:

Chāndogya Upaniṣada–7/1/2.

[5]:

Āśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra–3/4

[6]:

Gautama Dharmasūtra–1/1/21.

[7]:

Vyāsasmṛti–4/45.

[8]:

Yajñavalkasmrti–3/124–126..

[9]:

Manusmrti–3/232.

[10]:

Rāmāyaṇa Ayodhya Kāṇḍa–15/18.

[11]:

Rāmāyaṇa Bāla Kāṇḍa–9/1.

[12]:

Mahābhārata Anuśāsana parva

[13]:

Mahābhārata Ādi parva

[14]:

Mahābhārata Ādi parva

[15]:

Arthaśāstra–1/3

[16]:

Mahābhāṣya–1/1/1

[17]:

Nyāyadarśanabhāṣya–4/1/32

[18]:

Siddhāntaśiromaṇī–56

[19]:

Śukranīti–4/264

[20]:

Vāyu Purāṇa–1/54

[21]:

Matsya Purāṇa–3/3,4

[22]:

MārkandeyaPurāṇa–20

[23]:

Skanda Purāṇa–Revāmāhātmya 1/23/30

[24]:

Padma Purāṇa -Sṛṣṭikhanda chapter 2