Preface to seventh part

With the publication of this seventh part of the Padma Purāṇa we have now made available forty-five volumes in the AITM series to the students and scholars of Indology. This part comprises chapters 1-81 of the sixth and the largest section, viz. Uttarakhaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa, consisting of a total of 255 chapters. Though the existing text of the Purāṇa is complete in seven sections, the Kriyāyogakhaṇḍa being the last, the present section in chapter 1, vv. 66-70 enumerates only five sections as belonging to the Purāṇa, omitting thus two sections, viz. the Brahma and Kriyāyoga. It appears that originally there were only five sections, the Uttarakhaṇḍa, as the name itself indicates, being the last one, but later two more sections were added. As to the period of time when this was done, Winternitz opines that it was perhaps after the composition of the Bhāgavata.

The major themes of this part are the birth, adventures and ultimate defeat and death of the demon Jālandhara in chapters 3-18 and a description of the Ekādaśī and other vows in chapters 30-70 and 77. There is a duplication of two names, viz. Putradā Ekādaśī and Kāmadā Ekādaśī, as the former occurs as the tittle of two chapters, 41 and 55, and the latter as that of chapters 47 and 63. This could be taken as one among the indications of the multiple authorship of the Purāṇa.

The reader will find the following informations gleaned from this part especially instructive.

The gods Śiva and Viṣṇu are not different but identical. “Viṣṇu is Śiva and Śiva is Viṣṇu.” We can say that they are only functionally two but existentially one, and this has been emphasized by the Purāṇa frequently elsewhere also as an answer perhaps to the controversy arising from the appearance of divergent warring sects in course of time.

Ridiculing gods, their images and religious and sectarian practices associated with their worship due to egotism, particular sectarian leanings etc. is strongly disparaged. A brāhmaṇa indulging in this is declared to be a cāṇḍāla and one is said to undergo a very despicable birth for thousands of years in the form of “worms in feces.”

Muttering God’s names is recommended as especially efficacious in this age for freeing oneself from sins and attaining the highest spiritual position. “A man obtains by repeating the names of Viṣṇu in the Kali age what he obtains by meditation in the Kṛta age, by performing sacrifices in the Tretā age and by worshipping Viṣṇu in the Dvāpara age.” The Thousand Names of Viṣṇu are narrated in chapter 71, but in the end it is said that the thousand names are equal to the single name ‘Rāma’.

The author(s) of the Purāṇa has (have) a good sense of humor, as is proved on many occasions when we meet a ludicrous or incongruous situation in this part as well as elsewhere. God Brahmā is usually made a laughingstock on account of his beard. Once Brahmā takes the child Jālandhara in his lap when the latter catches his beard which the former is unable to free from his hand—this naturally makes the child’s father Ocean laugh. In another situation, Śiva fashions a disc out of the tejas contributed by gods and sages for the destruction of the mighty demon Jālandhara. Śiva gives that disc into Brahmā’s hands for inspection and appreciation. He seeing that the beard of Brahmā is burnt by the sparks issuing from the powerful weapon laugḥs and takes it quickly back. Brahmā is again made a butt of laugḥter when Kīrtimukha, a hungry attendant of Śiva, proceeds to eat Brahmā but is warded off by Śiva. Perhaps this indicates that the cult of this god of the Trinity had already declined and lost its popularity long before this Purāṇa was composed while the Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava cults were still very mucḥ thriving.

There are so many passages in this part which show, as against the popular belief of there being one Nandin, that at least two Nandins existed in Śiva’s entourage—one, the chief of Śiva’s attendants (gaṇas) and a general of his army and the other, the bull, Śiva’s vehicle. “Śiva said to Nandin, the chief of his attendants: ‘You should kill the brave, great demon Jālandhara, in battle’.” Again, “Then hearing the words of Pārvatī Śiva said to Vīrabhadra: ‘Quickly make ready my bull (i.e. Nandin)’” (ch. 12).

There occur many names of historical and geographical interest in this part too, which include some unfamiliar ones also, such as ‘Go’, a mountain (ch. 6, v. 22) and ‘Gaṇḍikā’, a sacred river (ch. 75), which are rather difficult to identify. The name ‘Medinī (i.e. the earth) is explained thus: “The entire earth was filled with the marrow of the Ocean’s son. O king, due to the marrow (medas) only Medinī got that name” (chap. 18, v. 109). A mythological origin of gems and metals is described in chap. 6, vv. 25—31. When Indra struck the demon Bala by his thunderbolt, the latter’s body was shattered to pieces which fell on the earth. “From his eyes dropped sapphires. Rubies were produced from his ears...copper was produced from his urine... Gold was produced from his nails...”

Charity is extolled as a very great virtue. The gift of food, especially to a brāhmaṇa who is tired and travelling, is considered of exceptional merit. Offering food even to a śūdra is superior to any other gift. Giving food and water is considered the best of gifts. A preceptor is the most venerable of all the worthy recipients of gifts and a knower of the Purāṇas is the best recipient. Since he saves (‘tra’) a man from falling (‘pāṭa’), he is called a ‘pāṭra’ (a deserving recipient). Land is another praiseworthy gift destroying the great sins of murdering a brāhmaṇa, a woman, a child and killing cows. Snatching another’s land and a brāhmaṇa’s property are considered greatest sins. Incidentally, brāhmaṇa was the most privileged caste in ancient and medieval India deserving the highest veneration and protection by the state and society in view of his most vital role in society.

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 our project.

—Editor