Characteristics of Purāṇa

After knowing about the meaning of word ‘Purāṇa ’ the next important thing about the Purāṇa is its characteristic. Somewhere are mentioned five and somewhere are ten characteristics of Purāṇa .

1) According to the Pañcalakṣaṇa:

There are five characteristics of Purāṇa , named ‘Pañcalakṣaṇa ’ according to the Viṣṇupurāṇa (3/6/24). The relationship between Purāṇa and Pañcalakṣaṇa is very deep and ancient.

The ‘Pañcalakṣṇa’ is define by a śloka –

sargaśca pratisargaśca vaṃśa manvantarāni ca
vaṃśānucaritaṃ caiva purāṇaṃ pañcalakṣaṇam ||

The Pañcalakṣaṇa or five characteristics are available almost in all Purāṇas . The relation between Purāṇa and ‘Pañcalakṣaṇa ’ is so deep that this word ‘Pañcalakṣaṇa ’ applied with Purāṇa in ‘Amarkoṣa ’ without any explanation and hesitation. 22

Sarga:

It is called that when the ‘guṇa ’dissolved with the nature becomes angry then the ‘mahat tatva ’is created. Three types of ‘ahaṃkāra ’-‘sātvika , rājasa , tāmasa ’ are created from this ‘mahata tatva ’. After that ‘pañcatanmātra ’, ‘pañcaindriya ’ and pañcabhuta are created from these three ‘ahaṃkāra ’. This sequence of creation is named ‘sarga ’ (Sarga).

Pratisarga:

‘pratisarga ’(Pratisarga) means disaster, the opposite meaning of ‘sarga ’. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa pratisarga is replaced by the word ‘pratisaṃcara ’ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1/2/25).

In the Śrīmadbhāgavata ‘pratisarga ’ is replaced by the word ‘saṃstha ’ (12/7/17)–

naimittakaḥ prakṛtikonitya ātyantikolayaḥ |
saṃstheti kavibhiḥ proktā caturdhāsya svabhāvataḥ ||

There are four types of disaster–naimittika , prākṛtika , nitya and ātyantika |

Vaṃśa:

rājñāṃ brahmaprasūtānāṃ vaṃśastraikāliko'nvayaḥ
  (Bhāgvata Purāṇa 12/7/16).

The past, present and the future lineages of those kings which is created by the Lord Brhmā, are called (Vaṃśa) vaṃśa . Though according to the Bhāgavata the vaṃśa (Vaṃśa) means the dynasties but this theory is wrong because according to the other Purāṇas the word ‘vaṃśa ’has expressed the lineages of many sages also.

Manvantara:

manvantara manurdevā manuputrāḥ sureśvaraḥ |
ṛṣayo'śāvatārāśca hareḥ ṣaṅvidhamucyate ||
  Bhāgvata (12/7/15).

Manu, God, son of Manu, Indra, Saptarṣi and the avatāras of God, these period of six featured is called ‘manvantara ’ (Manvantara). There is a specific Manu as an owner or master of each ‘manvantara ’ (Manvantara). Devatā, Son, Saptarṣi, Indra and the God himself help those Manu to fulfill their work.

Vaṃśānucarita:

vaṃśānucaritaṃ teṣāṃ vṛttaṃ vaṃśadharāśca ye |
  (Bhāgavata 12/7/16).

‘vaṃśānucarita’ ([vaṃśānucaritam]) means the description of the aforesaid dynasties and their origins. Dynasties means not only the king but also the sages’ blood or lineages. Though there are the many descriptions about the kings more than the sages.

In the political science there is a new meaning of the ‘purāṇaṃ pañcalakṣaṇam ’which is totally different from the aforesaid meaning.

sṛṣṭi -pravṛtti -saṃhāra -dharma -mokṣaprayojanam |
brahmabhirvividhaiḥ proktaṃ purāṇaṃ pañcalakṣaṇam ||

In this verse sṛṣṭi , pravatti , saṃhāra , dharma and mokṣaprayojanam are the ‘pañcalakṣaṇa ’ | ‘dharma ’ is accepted as an indivisible character of Purāṇa . The word ‘dharma ’(Dharma) indicates that the Purāṇa is full of religious issues.

2) According to the 12th skanda of the Bhāgavata:

On the other hand, there are ten characteristics of Purāṇa in the Śrīmadbhāgavata and the Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa . The ten characteristics are mentioned in the two chapters of Śrīmadbhāgavata . This is notable that there are the differences between the ten characteristics of two sides in the Śrīmadbhāgavata by only in word not in meaning.

According to the 12th skanda of the Bhāgavata the ten characteristics are–

sargaścātha visargaśca vṛtti rakṣāntarāṇi ca |
vaṃśo vaṃśānucaritaṃ saṃstha heturapāśrayaḥ ||
  Bhāgvata 12/7/9

1. sargaḥ (Sarga)
2. visargaḥ (Bisarga)
3. vṛttiḥ (Bṛtti)
4. rakṣā (Rakṣā)
5. antarāṇi (Antarāṇi)
6. vaṃśaḥ (Vaṃśa)
7. vaṃśānucarita (Vaṃśānucharitam)
8. saṃstha (Saṃsthā)
9. hetuḥ (Hetu)
10. apāśrayaḥ (Apāśraya)

Sarga:

This is not different for the foregoing ‘sarga ’ | That is to say the ‘sarga ’ means the creation of the universe.

Visarga:

‘visarga ’ means the creation of life. A seed is produced from the other as well as an organism or a life is produced from the another–this system is known to us as (visarga ) Bisarga. By the grace of the most-high the Lord Brahmā created various types of life in which process is called ‘visarga ’ (Bisarga).

Thus (Bisarga) ‘visarga ’ is a creation without any disaster.

visṛṣṭiḥ = vividhā sṛṣṭiḥ, na tu vaiparītyena sṛṣṭiḥ pralayaḥ |

Vṛtti:

vṛttirbhūtāni bhūtānāṃ carāṇāmacarāṇi ca |
kṛtā svena nṛpāṃ tattra kāmāccodanayāpi vā ||
  Bhāgvata 12/7/13

For living life uses which material like rice, wheat etc. they are called as ‘vṛtti ’ (Bṛtti) in the Purāṇa . Some of this (Bṛtti) ‘vṛtti ’ are accepted by the life habitually and some of this is accepted for the scripture command. But the intention of both of two causes is same.

Rakṣā:

‘rakṣā ’ describes the incarnations of Paramapuruṣa. To set up Dharma or religion the God takes avatara (incarnation) in each period or era. After that the God save all the life to defeat all the tyrants. The God takes the avataras not only to defeat the anti-Vedas but also to create pleasure in the devotee’s heart. The devotees cogitate about the God and then they become free from all the sorrow of life. Thus the God saves his fans.

Antarāṇi:

‘antarāṇi ’ is the same subject of aforesaid ‘manvantarāṇi ’ (Manvantarāni) which explained the time of six characters that is Manu, Devata, Son of Manu, Indra, saptarṣi and the avataras of Lord Viṣṇu.

Vaṃśa:

‘vaṃśa’ also is the same thing which is said at first in the ‘Pancalakṣaṇa’.

Vaṃśānucarita:

This is also the same subject as ‘vaṃśānucaritam ’ (Vaṃśānucaritam) in the five characteristics.

Saṃstha:

‘saṃstha’  means the opposite subject of ‘sarga ’ (Sarga), the theory of creation like ‘pratisarga ’ (Pratisarga).

Hetu:

heturjīvo'sya sargāderavidyākarmakārakaḥ |
taṃ cānuśayinaṃ prāhuravyākṛtamutāpare ||
 Bhāgavata (12/7/18) 26

The word ‘hetu ’ (Hetu)clears its meaning as life. Life or organism is the cause of creation of universe. According to the Purāṇas all the life is responsible for the creation and disaster through their deeds.

Apāśraya:

vyatirekānvayo yasya jāgratsvapnasuṣuptiṣu |
māyāmayeṣu tad brahma jīvavṛttisvapāśrayaḥ ||
  Bhāgavata (12/7/19)

‘apāśraya’ (Apāśraya) is the highest definition of ‘brahma ’ (Brahma). Life has three stages–jāgrata , svapna and suṣupti . In this three stages exists ‘caitanya ’ (Perception) which is called gradually ‘viśva ’, ‘taijasa ’ and ‘prājña ’. This wiz situation is called ‘apāśraya ’ (Apāśraya).

3) According to the 2nd skanda of the Śrīmadbhāgavata-Purāṇa:

On the other side there are also mentioned about the ten characteristics of Purāṇa in the last ten chapters of Śrīmadbhāgavata’s second skanda. The ten characteristics of this second skanda is not different from the ten of the previous twelfth skanda. Rather they are synonymous. Differences are only verbal.

The characteristics are–

atra sargo visargaśca sthanaṃ poṣaṇamūtayaḥ |
manvantareśānukathā nirodho muktirāśrayaḥ ||
  Bhāgavata (2/10/1)

1. sarga 
2. visarga (Bisarga)
3. sthana (Sthānam)
4. poṣaṇa (Poṣaṇam)
5. ūtaya (Ūttaya)
6. manvantara (Manvantaram)
7. īśānukathā 
8. nirodha 
9. mukti
10. āśraya 

Sarga:

‘sarga ’ means the same character of aforesaid Sarga which is mentioned in the twelfth skanda of Śrīmadbhāgavata and the Pañcalakṣaṇa.

Visarga:

‘visarga ’  means also the same concept of ‘pratisarga ’ (Pratisarga) and the ‘visarga ’ (Visarga) of twelfth skanda.

Sthana:

‘sthitirvaikuṇṭhavijayaḥ ’–‘sthana ’ or ‘sthiti ’ is the conquest of Lord Vaikuntha. There are so many subjects in this characteristics like how many people are there in a Brahmāṇḍa? How they live? To obey which dignity there are stability in a Brahmāṇḍa etc.

Poṣaṇa:

‘tadanugrahaḥ –poṣaṇam ’ means the grace or kindness of Lord.

Ūttaya:

“karmavāsanāḥ –ūti ” means desire for work. For doing any work there creates a desire which defends us to accept any please, grace, sympathy etc. ‘karmavāsanā ’ (desire for work) is a fastening to avoid any temptation or greediness. There are two types of desire or ‘vāsanā ’–good as ‘śubha ’ and bad as ‘aśubha ’.

Manvantarāṇi:

‘saddharmaḥ – manvantara ’ is mentioned as a specific form of time. There are many explanations about the puranic time in this part.

Īśānukathā:

avatārānucaritaṃ hareścāsyānuvartinām |
satāmīśakathā proktā nānākhyānopabṛṃhitāḥ ||

The meaning of this part is the story about the God and his avataras. After one manvantara comes the another as well as after one ‘Kalpa’ comes the another. Thus were created one by one. People, animal, creature etc. all the organisms are in this creation episode but they all want to free from it.

When the all life understand and accept the ‘līlā ’ (dalliance/sport) of Lord then they will be free from this fastening.

nirodhaḥ nirodho'syānuśayanamātmanaḥ saha śaktibhiḥ ||
  Bhāgavata (2/10/6)

‘nirodhaḥ ’ (Nirodha)means disaster. When the soul dies with its all strength, all is over from this domestic life. ‘nirodha ’and ‘pratisarga ’ is the same subject.

Mukti:

muktirhitvā'nyathā rūpaṃ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ ||
  Bhāgavata (2/10/6)

When organisms die then they become free from any binding and they assume their original form that is called ‘sacconanda rūpa ’ | So ‘mukti ’ (Mukti) means the liberty from all earthen sorrow.

Āśraya:

ābhāsaśca nirodhaśca yataścādhyavasāyate |
sa āśrayaḥ paraṃ brahma paramātmeti śabdayate ||
Bhāgavata (2/10/7)

‘āśraya ’ (Āśraya) means Paramabrahma, the all mighty God. After death all the soul takes shelter in the Paramabrahma. Thus the organism melt in the ‘paramātmā ’.

Not only Śrīmadbhāgavata but also Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa has mentioned about the ten characteristics. On the other side there are five characteristics of Purāṇa in the ViṣṇuPurāṇa (3/6/24), Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa (134/13), Agni Purāṇa (1/14), Bhaviṣya Purāṇa (2/5), Varāha Purāṇa (2/4), Skanda Purāṇa (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa 2/84), Kurma Purāṇa (Pūrvārdha 1/12), Garuḍa Purāṇa (Ācāra Kāṇḍa 2/28) too.

From these all characteristics we can know about the total figure of the Purāṇa . Characteristics are the only subject which introduce fast about the thing or material. From the characteristics we can know that the Purāṇas expressed from start to end. Sarga, Pratisarga elaborate to us about our query of creation of world. Then we can know our heritage kingdom from Vaṃśa and Vaṃśānucaritam.We also know about our culture, dignity, religion and how to live with peace. So these all vast explanation of us and our life represent Purāṇas by the characteristics.