The Matsya Purana (critical study)
by Kushal Kalita | 2018 | 74,766 words | ISBN-13: 9788171103058
This page relates ‘Vishnu as the Supreme reality’ of the English study on the Matsya-purana: a Sanskrit text preserving ancient Indian traditions and legends written in over 14,000 metrical verses. In this study, the background and content of the Matsyapurana is outlined against the cultural history of ancient India in terms of religion, politics, geography and architectural aspects. It shows how the encyclopedic character causes the text to deal with almost all the aspects of human civilization.
Part 1.2 - Viṣṇu as the Supreme reality
The Matsyapurāṇa in many ways has established Viṣṇu as the Supreme Being. According to the Matsyapurāṇa, Lord Viṣṇu is the God who combines the three functions of creation, nourishment and destruction of the world.[1] Lord Viṣṇu encompasses the universe and sustains it through sattva and the very same Lord destroys the creation for recreation.[2] In the 248th chapters also it is mentioned that the three regions are created by Lord Viṣṇu and annihilated again by His fury.[3] Not only the universe, He is said to have created even Brahmā.[4] The universe exists within the Lord Viṣṇu. He is the sustainer of the Universe. He is the Lord of all things, even of all the devas.[5] He is the gross of the gross and subtle of the subtle. He is unborn, undecaying.[6]
Śukrācārya has praised lord Viṣṇu in the 246th chapter of the Matsyapurāṇa. He tells King Bali that the Lord is holding the earth and therefore this earth sustains fire, water, sky, air and all living beings. He is the sustainer and the sustained.[7] The gods and demons praised Lord as the creator, sustainer and destroyer of the world.[8] He is praised to be the most valiant in all three realms, the most illustrious Mahāvarāha, the most powerful of all the Devas.[9] The Manus, the Dharmarāja, Agni, Vāyu, Clouds, Varṇāśramadharmas, oceans, trees, rivers, dharma, kāma, sacrifices with rituals are all the component parts of Lord Viṣṇu.[10] He is acclaimed both in the Pravṛttimārga and Nivṛttimārga by one’s own karmas.[11]
Lord Viṣṇu always protected other gods also. As for example, Śiva once commited a great sin by lopping of the fifth head of Brahmā. Doing this great mistake he saught the protection of Viṣṇu for pardoning him.[12] This incident proves the relationship between Lord Viṣṇu and Śiva and equally establishes the superiority of Viṣṇu over Śiva. Again in case of Lord Indra it is clearly mentioned in this Purāṇa that Viṣṇu has saved his life in many times. It is said that Indra entered the body of Viṣṇu for protection from Śukra’s mother when she vowed to destroy him.[13] These facts establish the supremacy of Viṣṇu over all other gods.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., 244.26
[2]:
[3]:
Ibid., 248.27
[4]:
Ibid., 244.26
[5]:
Ibid., 244.17-19
[6]:
Ibid., 244.33
[7]:
[8]:
namaḥ sargakriyākartre jagatpālayate namaḥ/ rudrarūpāya sarbāya namaḥ saṃhārakāriṇe// Ibid., 249.38
[9]:
Ibid., 248.12-13
[10]:
Ibid., 248.14-16
[11]:
Ibid., 244.20
[12]:
Ibid., 183.86
[13]:
Ibid., 47.97 ff.