Preface to sixth part

This forty-fourth volume in the series of Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology comprises the sixth part of the Padma-Purāṇa containing the remaining chapters (68-117) of the fifth section of the Purāṇa, viz. Pātālakhaṇda.

Like the foregoing parts this part also contains a number of interesting topics and a good variety of fascinating stories and anecdotes characterized by fine dramatic qualities and poetical fancy and flavour. The most dominating themes are the worship of god Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu and the importance of the month of Vaiśākha for Viṣṇu worship, and the worship of Śiva and his Phallus, and the efficacy of sacred ash therein. Some striking observations of the Purāṇa in this part are noted here.

Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being and the three gods of the Trinity are equal to a croreth of a croreth (i.e. insignificant) part of his feet.

The purification of Viṣṇu’s devotees is accomplished in twelve ways, viz. purification of the feet by going round the idol with devotion etc., purification of the hands by taking leaves and flowers etc. for his worship, purification of speech by describing his virtues etc., that of ears and eyes by listening to stories of Kṛṣṇa, witnessing his festival etc., and of the head, of the heart, of the nose and so on in ways described in ch. 78.

Worship of Kṛṣṇa is of five kinds, viz. Abhigamana, Upādāna, Yoga, Svādhyāya and Ijyā as explained in ch. 78.

Thirty-two offences against Viṣṇu such as going to the Lord’s temple in vehicles, drinking spirituous liquor etc. are described in ch. 79.

Five sacred rites are prescribed for a devotee of Viṣṇu, such as marking the body with a mark of conch etc.

While the first three castes should worship in the manner laid down in the scriptures, women and śūdras who are exempted from this should propitiate Viṣṇu by uttering his name.

In addition to the common flowers used in worship to please Visnu eight internal flowers are described in ch. 84, such as harmlessness, control of senses etc. A few external flowers are also mentioned.

Devotion is said to be of various kinds in ch. 85, viz. (1) mental, (2) of speech, and (3) of body; and again (1) secular, (2) Vedic, and (3) spiritual.

The name of Gaṅgā is said to be very efficacious in destroying sins. If a man at a distance of thousands of yojanas remembers Gaṅgā, he, even though a sinner, obtains the highest position.

Five kinds of sons are described in chapters 87-88.

In ch. 90 beauty, good character, truthfulness, nobleness, religious merit, sweetness, internal and external purity, devotion to husband, service to him, patience and affection have been called the eleven ornaments of a woman.

In ch. 94 it is said that there is no other worthy recipient than Brāhmaṇas; there is no god higher than Viṣṇu; no holy place like Gaṅgā; no prayer like Gāyatrī, no vow like that of Dvādaśī, no friend like wife; no virtue like compassion; no happiness like freedom; no āśrama like that of a householder; no better conduct than truthfulness; no greater pleasure than contentment; and no better month than Vaiśākha.

In ch. 96 among those who go to hell are included those who look upon Brahmā, Śaṅkara and Viṣṇu as different from one another, those who cause obstruction when wealth is being given to Brāhmaṇas, who are sceptic and atheists, who torment their wives, who feed their own belly, are gluttons, break a family, cut off the bond of love and who test the Brāhmaṇas. Of all pious acts giving gifts alone is considered the greatest and no gift is said to be equal to that of food, water or a cow.

In ch. 98 it is said that there is an expiation for a very great sinner, a rogue or a malevolent one but there is no expiation for an ungrateful person.

Inch. 105 the application of bhasma (sacred ash) on various parts of the body is praised as most efficacious in destroying the sins committed by those parts, and besmearing the forehead with ash is said to destroy the writing of Yāma as fire destroys a writing on a tablet.

In ch. 114 it is said that in Kṛtayuga meditation alone is the best, in Tretā sacrifice is the best, in Dvāpara worship is the best, while in Kaliyuga charity and recital of Viṣṇu’s name are the best.

In ch. 117 it is declared that no benefit comes from worship which is performed with stolen or unjustly procured material.

In ch. 116 the story of an ancient Rāmāyaṇa is narrated which differs from the familiar one by sage Vālmīki in some minor points. Daśaratha is said to have four queens instead of three, viz. Kauśalyā, Sumitrā, Surūpā and Suveṣā; Rāma’s army crosses the ocean with the help of Śiva’s bow named Ājigava; Rāvaṇa is the first to be killed by Rāma followed by the killing of Kumbhakarṇa. In this so-called ancient version supposed to have been composed much before the time of the historical Rāma many dramatic episodes including those connected with Viśvāmitra’s hermitage, the bringing of Sañjīvanī by Hanumān, the abandonment of Sītā etc. are missing.

In ch. 115 thirty-six Purāṇas—18 major and 18 minor ones—have been listed in the following order: Brāhma, Pādma, Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva, Bhāgavata, Bhaviṣya, Nāradīya, Mārkaṇḍeya, Āgneya, Brahmavaivarta, Laiṅga, Vāmana, Skānda, Mātsya, Kaurma, Vārāha, Gāruḍa and Brahmāṇḍa (major); and Sanatkumāra, Nārasiṃha, Māṇḍa, Daurvāsasa, Nāradīya, Kāpila, Mānava, Auśanasa, Brahmāṇḍa, Vāruna, Kālikā, Māheśa, Sāmba, Saura, Pārāśara, Mārīca, Bhārgava and Kaumāra (upapurāṇas: minor ones). There is duplication of two, viz. Nāradīya and Brahmāṇḍa without any explanation on the part of the author.

Acknowledgements

It is our pleasant duty to put on record our sincere thanks to Dr. R.N. Dandekar and the UNESCO authorities for their kind encouragement and valuable help which render this work more useful than it would otherwise have been. We are extremely grateful to Dr. N.A. Deshpande for translating the text. We are also thankful to all those who have been helpful in ourproject.

—Editor