The Markandeya Purana (Study)

by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words

This page relates ‘The Meaning and Definition of Purana’ of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.

1.2: The Meaning and Definition of Purāṇa

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The word purāṇa signifies ‘old traditional story’: purāṇam ākhyānaṃ.^[1] The main object of the compilation of the Purāṇas is to preserve old traditions that come down from remote antiquity. In the Nirukta the definition of purāṇa is found as purā navaṃ bhavati^[2] i.e it was new in the days of yore. The Vācaspatyam [Vācaspatya] describes the word purāṇa as purā bhavaṃ and purā nīyate i.e. which remains in the past and deals with the past.^[3] The word purāṇa is used in the sense of a literary branch without any specification whatsoever, in the Yājñavalkyasmṛti.^[4]

Most of the Purāṇas manifest its own meaning. According to the Vāyupurāṇa, purāṇa signifies that which lives from ancient times.^[5] The Matsyapurāṇa describes the Purāṇas as purātanasya kalpasya purāṇāni vidurbudhāḥ i.e. containing the records of past events.^[6] The Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa explains that Purāṇas existed in ancient times.^[7] As like as the Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa, the Padmapurāṇa also gives the similar meaning i.e. Purāṇa desires or likes the past.^[8] Amarasiṃha, the author of the Amarakoṣa, gives the meaning of purāṇa as purāṇe pratanapratnapurātanacirantanāḥ i.e the word purāṇa stands for old narrative.^[9] The Śabdakalpadruma also state that Purāṇa was in ancient times.^[10]