Preface

The work of Purāṇa has been very important in the development of Indian culture and religion. The pride of the Purāṇas is honorable in many perspectives, in which religious and historical terms are prominent. Vedas are the basic texts of Indian religion, but for ordinary human beings, understanding Veda is a very difficult task.

Therefore, in order to understand the decisions of religion and philosophy and to bring them to the hearts of the people, there is a need for a literature which is interesting despite being serious, simple and understandable even though it is a representation of Veda. The Purāṇas fulfill this need. Their language is practical, simple, easy and comprehensible. The written style is interesting and narrative. The popularity of the Purāṇa depends on the comprehensibility of the language and the interest of the genre. Thus, to understand the Veda and to have an accurate representation of the Vedas, the practice of Purāṇa is absolutely necessary.

That is why this statement of the Nārada Purāṇa is consistent–

“vedārthādadhikaṃ manye purāṇārthaṃ varānane |
vedāḥ pratiṣṭhatāḥ sarve purāṇe nātra saṃśayaḥ ||

Objectives of the Research–

1. To find out the Relation between the Purāṇas and History.
2. To find out the meaning of historical elements.
3. To find out the cultural histories in the Matsya-Purāṇa.
4. To highlight the geographical histories in the Matsya-Purāṇa.
5. To enlighten the human histories in the Matsya-Purāṇa.

Methodology–

This research topic is based on Descriptive, analytical, fundamental, hypothetical and comparative research methods.

Scope and Limitation of the Study–

This research is based on, the texts and commentaries of the eighteen Mahā Purāṇas. Particularly the Matsya Purāṇa has been studied in the chapters like 4, 5 and 6. Only the historical parts of the Purāṇa is the scope of this research.

Chapters–

The research topic is divided into six chapters. Name of the first chapter is “An Introduction of the Purāṇas”. The contains of this chapter are–meaning of the word ‘Purāṇa’, ancient depictions of the Purāṇas, difference between the Purāṇa and Itihāsa, date of the Purāṇas, author of the Purāṇas, characteristics of the Purāṇas name of the Purāṇas, division of the Purāṇas and subject matter of the Puraāṇas etc.

Name of the second chapter is “History and Historical elements”. The contains of this chapter are–what is history, classification of History, relation between History and Purāṇa, what is historical elements, descriptions of the historical elements etc.

Name of the third chapter is “Historical elements in the Mahā-Purāṇas”. The contains of this chapter are–Geographical history of the Mahā-Purāṇas (except Matsya Purāṇa), cultural history of the Mahā-Purāṇas (except Matsya-Purāṇa), human history of the Mahā-Purāṇas (except Matsya-Purāṇa) etc.

Name of the Fourth chapter is “Geographical history in the Matsya Purāṇa”. The contains of this chapter are–what is geographical history, ‘Saptadvīpa Vasumati’, Caturdvīpa Vasumati’, Jambudvīpa, Bhāratavarṣa, mountain Kailāsa, river Ganges, Śākadvīpa, Kuśadvīpa, Krauñcadvīpa, Śālmaladvīpa, Gomedakadvīpa, Puṣkaradvīpa, ancient state or Janapada in the Matsya Purāṇa etc.

Name of the fifth is “Cultural history in the Matsya-Purāṇa”. The contains of this chapter are–what is cultural history, family, women, prostitution, marriage, niyoga, Varnṇa (Cast), Antyaja, mixed caste, four āśramas, Debt, education, Politics (type of king, Sāma-Dāma-Danda-Bheda), war and weapons, Religion and rituals, iconography etc.

Name of the sixth chapter is “Human history in the Matsya-Purāṇa”. The contains of this chapter are–what is human history, lineages of Brahma, lineages of Manu, lineages of Dakṣa, lineages of Kāśyapa, Surya and Candra dynasty, dynasty of Ikṣvāku, lineages of Pitṛ, sons of Maharṣi Kauśika, Lineages of Budha, lineages of Yayāti (lineages of Yadu, Turvasu, Druhya, Anu), dynasty of Puru, dynasty of Kroṣṭu, dynasty of Vṛṣṇi, lineages of Agni, lineages of Bhṛgu, Angirā Atri, Viśvāmitra, Kaśyapa, Vaśiṣṭha, Parāśara, dynasty of Dharma, some king’s dynasty in Kaliyuga etc.

All these chapters have been followed by a conclusion and a select bibliography.