Studies in the Upapuranas
by R. C. Hazra | 1958 | 320,504 words
This book studies the Upapuranas: a vast category of (often Sanskrit) literature representing significant historical, religious, and cultural insights of the ancient Indian civilization. These Upa-Purana texts provide rich information, especially on Hinduism covering theology, mythology, rituals, and dynastic genealogies....
Chapter 9.17 - The Puskara-purana (study)
None of the lists of Upapuranas contains the name of this work [puskara-purana], but nine metrical lines are found ascribed to it in Gadadhara's Kalasara,71 two in Gopalabhatta's Hari
71 Kalasara, p. 601- citra-krsna-caturdasi puskara-purane- 'karttike bhauma-vare tu yada krsna-caturdasi/ tasyam aradhitah sthanur nayec chivapuram dhruvam// yam kamcit saritam prapya krsna-pakse caturdasim/ yamunayam visesena niyatam tarpayed yaman// yamaya dharmarajaya mrtyave cantakaya ca/ audumbaraya dadhyaya nilaya paramesthine// vrkodaraya citraya citraguptaya vai namah/ ekaikasya tilair misran trims tu dadyaj jalanjalin// samvatsara-krtam papam tatksanad eva nasyati//'
bhakti-vilasa,72 six in Kamalakara-bhatta's Nirnaya-sindhu (which derives three of its lines from the 'Nirnayamrta'),73 and five in Anantabhatta's Vidhana-parijata. 74 So, this Upapurana must have been written earlier than 1200 A.D. Its nonmention in the lists of Upapuranas shows that it was a comparatively late work. This Puskara-purana must not be taken to be the same as the Padma-purana None of the quoted verses, mentioned above, is found in the latter work.
72 Hari-bhakti-vilasa, p. 1064 puskara-purane- 'yasya yasya tu devasya yan naksatram tithis ca ya/ tasya devasya tasmims ca sayan-avartan-adikam//" "
73 Nirnaya-sindhu, p. 145- tatha akasa-dipa ukto nirnayamrte puskara-purane- 'tulayam tila-tailena sayankale samagate/ akasa-dipam yo dadyan masam ekam harim prati/ mahatim sriyam apnoti rupa-saubhagya-sampadam/ / p. 148- tad uktam pusskara-purane- 'svati-sthite ravav indur yadi svati-gato bhavet/ panca-tvag-udaka-snayi krtabhyanga-vidhir narah/ nirajito mahalaksmim arcayan sriyam asnute//"
74 Of the five metrical lines ascribed to the 'Puskara-purana" in Anantabhatta's Vidhanaparijata, II, p. 676, the first three are the same as those quoted from the 'Puskara-purana' in Nirnaya-sindhu, p. 148, and the last two are the following: 'indu-ksaye 'pi samkrantau ravau pate dina-ksaye/ tatrabhyango na dosaya pratah papapanuttaye//'