Position of Purāṇas in the Sanskrit Literature

Timeless literature like the Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Purāṇa, Smṛti etc. greatly influenced Sanskrit literature. That trend continued into later times. The Gupta period is called the golden age of Sanskrit literature. But for that the treasure of Sanskrit literature never became destitute. The contribution of Purāṇa in Sanskrit literature is immense. The Purāṇa spread in a vast area. Purāṇas have been mentioned in ancient Vedic literature such as Vedas, Brahmaṇas, Āraṇyakas, Smṛti Granthas etc.

There are mentioned about the Purāṇa in some mantras of the Ṛgveda (Ṛgveda –6/54/9, 6/58/6, 10/130/6, 9/99/4 etc).

The Atharva Veda also mentions about Purāṇa –

ṛcaḥ sāmāni chandāṃsi purāṇaṃ yajuṣā saha |
ucchiṣṭājjajñire sarve divi devā diviśritāḥ ||
  Atharva veda 11/7/4

Atharvaveda also speaks about Purāṇa in its mantras–15/1/6/10–12, 11/8/7 etc.

The Brāhmaṇa literature also refers the word ‘Purāṇa ’ in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa and Gopatha Brāhmaṇa (Gopatha Purvavāga 2/10, 1/10; Śatapatha 11/5/6/8, 11/5/7/9, 14/6/10/6 etc.).

We get many examples of Purāṇa in the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka (Prapāthaka2, Anuvāka 1), Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣada (2/4/11), Chāndogya Upaniṣada (7/1/2, 4; 7/2/1) etc.

Many Sūtragranthas also mention about the Purāṇa . We get the reference of Purāṇa in the Āśvalāyana gṛhyasūtra (3/3/1) and Āpastambadharma sūtra (2/23/35, 2/9/23/3–6, 2/9/24/6).

The Mahābhārata also follows the Purāṇas . Almost in all the parvas or episodes of the Mahābhārata indicates the necessity of the Purāṇas . We find the examples more of Purāṇas in the Anuśāsana Parva , Ādiparva (5/2, 1/240, 1/86) and Vana-parva (191/16) of the Mahābhārata.

Anuśāsanaparva mentions–

purāṇaṃ mānavo dharmaḥ sāṅgovedaścikitsitam |
ājñāsiddhāni catvāri , na hantavyāni hetubhiḥ ||

Like the Mahābhārata the Ādikāvya Rāmāyaṇa also mentions about the Purāṇa in its Ayodhya and Bāla Kānda .

ityuktvāntaḥ puradvāramājagāma purāṇavit | (Ayodhya 15/18)
ityuktvā tu rahaḥ sūto rājānamidamabravīt ||
śruyatāṃ yat purāvṛttaṃ purāṇeṣu yathāśrutam || (Bāla 9/1)

Kauṭilya strongly refers the Purāṇa in his book the Arthaśāstra. He mentions the Purāṇa and accepts the Purāṇa’s thought in many verses. Such as–

sāmargyajarvedāstrayastrayī atharvavedetihāsavedau ca vedaḥ |
  Arthaśāstra (1/3)

There are also mentioned about the Purāṇa in the Dharmasmṛti . Gautama Dharmasūtra mentions about the Purāṇa in the verse 8/4–6, 11/21 etc. Vyāsamṛti refers the Purāṇa in the verse 4/45, 1/5. There are also example of Purāṇa in the Uśanassmṛti (3/34).

We find the example of Purāṇa in the Manusmṛti (3/232)–

svādhyāyaṃ śrāvayet pitrye dharmaśāstrāṇi caiva hi |
ākhyātānītihāsāṃśca purāṇāni khilāni ca ||

Yājñavalkasmṛti (1/45-46, 1/101, 3/189) also mentions about the Purāṇas .

Purāṇa has a good relation with many philosophical treaties. We find in the Kumārila’s ‘Tanta Vertical ’ many example and data which are related with the Purāṇa. Ācārya Śaṃkara also accept many data from the Purāṇa in his written commentary. He mentions various types of Purānic verses in his commentary. Such as–‘Lalitatriśatī’ of Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa .

In spite of these, there are so many later Sanskrit literary works too which have been inspired by the Purāṇas . Such as–Mankha’s ‘Śrīkānthacarita ’,Ratnākara’s ‘Haravijaya ’, Jayadratha’s ‘Haracarita ’ etc. All the above mentioned literary creation have been influenced by the Vāyu, Śiva or Skanda Purāṇa .

The ‘Nātyaśāstra ’, timeless creation of Bharata Muni, has been also inspired by the Agni-Purāṇa , as the Purāṇa are full of information of the poetic works and dramaturgy (Agni Purāṇa 336–347). We find many verses of Agni Purāṇa in the ‘Nātyaśāstra ’.

Not only these but also the legendary Sanskrit scholars like Kālidāsa, Bhāsa, Bhavabhuti, Vāṇabhatta and more have written their timeless book influenced by Purāṇa . Kālidāsa’s Abhijñānaśākuntalam derives ideas from the Padma Purāṇa, Vikramorvarśīyam from Viṣṇu or Matsya Purāṇa, Kumārasambhava from Skanda-Purāṇa, Raghuvaṃśa [Raghuvaṃśam] from Agni and Matsya Purāṇa etc. There are also noticeable the influence of the Padma Purāṇa in the Bhavabhuti’s Uttarrāmacarita , Bhāgavata Purāṇa in the Bhāsa’s Bālacarita , Bhāgavata Purāṇa in the Māgha’s Śiśupālavadha , Vāyu and Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa in the Bāṇabhatta’s Kādambarī and Harṣacarita etc. In spite of these there are also so many Sanskrit literary works in which Purānic impact is clearly noted, such as–Candakauśika of Kṣemīśvara, Kṛṣṇakarṇāmṛta of Vilvamangala, Gītagovinda of Jaydeva etc. There are also many Campukāvya which are inspired by Purāṇa like Bhāgavatacampu of Abhinava Kālidāsa, Gopālacampu of Jīvagosvāmi, Ānandavṛndāvana Campu of Kavikarṇapura, Nṛsiṃha Campu of Keśavabhatta, Pārijataharana Campu of Śeṣakṛṣṇa, Svāhāsudhākara Campu of Nārāyaṇabhatta etc.

There are some Bengali literary works too which purānic impact is purely noticeable. Śrīkṛṣṇavijaya of Māladharvasu is influenced by the BhāgavataPurāṇa . Vrajānganā of Madhusudana Dutta is inspired by also the Bhāgavata Purāṇa . Śrīkṛṣṇakīrtana by Badu Candīdāsa is also derived from Purāṇa . Bengali Mangala Kāvyas are basically created to inspire by Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa , such as Manasāmangala of Vijayagupta, Candīmangala of Mukundarāma Chakrovarty, etc. Rabindranath Tagore also inspired by Purāṇa and wrote a poem, ‘Madanavasma ’.

Some Ayurvedic books also accept the Purānic theory. A good example of purānic influence on medical science is Aśvinī Kumara’s ‘Cikitsā sāratantra ’ which is derived from the Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa .

The proposed Ph.D. thesis has been focused in the following points. The chapter one intends an introduction where a brief discussion on the theme of the entire study has been prepared. The chapter two deals about History, classification of History, relation between History and Purāṇa , what is historical elements, descriptions of the historical elements etc. so on so forth. The chapter three speaks about Historical elements in the Mahā-Purāṇas . Chapter four describes the Geographical History in the Matsya Purāṇa viz .; ‘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. The chapter fifth is focused on the study of the Cultural history in the Matsya Purāṇa viz.; family, women, prostitution, marriage, niyoga, Varṇa (Caste), Antyaja, mixed caste, four āśramas, debt, education, Politics (type of king, Sāma-Dāma-Danda-Bheda), war and weapons, Religion and rituals, iconography etc. The chapter six deals with the Human history in the Matsya Purāṇa where we have discussed about 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 which shall be analyzed in the present Ph.D. thesis.