Essay name: Brahma Purana (critical study)
Author:
Surabhi H. Trivedi
Affiliation: Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda / Department of Sanskrit Pali and Prakrit
This is an English study of the Brahmapurana—one of the eighteen major Puranas which occupies an important place in the Pauranic literature. This study researches the rich an encyclopaedic material for social, religious, philosophical, mythological, political, geographical and literary study found in the Brahma-Purana.
Social and Economic Life
74 (of 75)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
468
his retinue came to witness the public sports like Mallayuddha
(193. 23,24).
.77
The custom of smelling the head of children to show
parental affection very common in the Mbh. and Ramayang, was
also there (9.31). When some public declaration was to be
made, the custom of ghona (called dande pitavi) was there
(170.74).
Honouring Guests
Nryajna or Manusya-yajna i.e.honouring guests was
considered to be one of the important duties of a householder.
The Br. P. also assigns a very high position to the Atithi.
Thus it states that when a guest is satisfied with speech, the
goddess Vagisvari is pleased, when he is satisfied with food,
lord Sakra is pleased, by washing his feet the pitrs are
pleased, by giving him food Prajapati is pleased by serving
him lord Visnu and Lakini are pleased, and by providing him
sleeping accommodation all the gods are pleased, therefore.
77 78
cf. Ram. I. 25.21€, 76.4º, II.39.19d, 40.4d, IV. 20.19c
VI 91.12ª, Ram. (Cr.ed.) 1.21.3, Mbh. xiii. 14.1333. Smelling
the head is the traditional embrace often referred to in the
Sanskrit literature. A similar custom was common with the
4 jews in ancient times, "evidently based on Genesis XXVII.27.
HDS. Vol.II.II, PP. 749-56,
78 Kane P.V., HDS. Vol.II.
