Saura-purana (analytical study)
by Priyanku Chakraborty | 2019 | 92,293 words
This page relates ‘Buddhist elements mentioned in different Puranas’ of the study on the Saura-Purana—an important Upapurana associated with the Puranic Pashupata sect of Shaivism—and offers crucial insights into the socio-religious, philosophical, and cultural history of India. The study further delves into the oral, literary, and archaeological context of Purana literature (such as the Saurapurana), highlighting its intricate connections with Vedic and Tantric traditions.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 3 - Buddhist elements mentioned in different Purāṇas
[Full title: The Buddha, Buddhism and the Buddhists as mentioned in different Purāṇas]
We have discussed that, according to Kumārila condemnation of the Buddha is a general characteristics of the Purāṇas, but interestingly, the Buddha has been included in the list of ten incarnations of Viṣṇu in the most of the Purāṇas including the Mahābhārata of Vyāsa.
Vaiyāsika Mahābhārata:
The “Śānti-parva” of the Mahābhārata, Kumbhakonam (south Indian) edition, mentions the incarnations of Viṣṇu including the Buddha.[1] [2] The other verses describe the Buddha as the son of Śuddhodana. He is shaved-headed, having white teethes and he wears the cloths of red ochre colour. The purpose of that incarnation is to delude the men. After appearing of the Buddha-incarnation the Śūdras become powerful and all men have become Buddhists dressed with the red-ochre coloured cloths. Nobody will study the Vedas, nor will do the sacrifices like agnihotra etc.
When the Vedas and the Smṛtis depart, the world will be filled with unholy mixed-religions:
“kāṣāya-vastra-saṃvīto muṇḍitaḥ śukladantavān|
śuddhodanasuto buddho mohoyiṣyāmi mānavān||
śūdrāḥ śuddheṣu bhujyante mayi buddhtva-māgate|
bhaviṣyanti narāḥ sarve buddhāḥ kāṣāya-saṃvṛtāḥ||
anadhyāyā bhaviṣyanti viprā yāgavivarjitāḥ|
agnihotrāṇi sīdanti guru-pūjā ca naśtati||
... evaṃbhūtaṃ jagatsarvaṃ śruti-smṛti-vivarjitaṃ|
bhaviṣyanti kalau pūrṇe hyaśuddho dharma-saṃkaraḥ||”[3]
But in the same edition there are verses which do not include the Buddha as the incarnation of Viṣṇu.[4] However, mention of the Buddha as incarnation is not available in the other renowned editions (BORI, Vangīya edition etc.) of the Mahābhārata.
The Mahābhārata sates that in the Kali age people will forsake worship of gods and will worship the feretories i.e. the Buddhist stūpas:
The Harivaṃśa also states:
“eḍūkacihnā pṛthivī na devagṛhabhūṣitā|
bhaviṣyati yuge kṣiṇe tad-yugāntasya lakṣaṇam||”[6]
Āgneya-purāṇa or Vahni-purāṇa:
This Purāṇa does not provide any list of the incarnations of Viṣṇu which includes the Buddha, nor gives any reference in this regard.
Moreover, it censures the Buddhists during the description of the Kali-age, saying that:
“śukladantā jitākṣāśca muṇḍāḥ kāṣāyavāsasaḥ|
śūdrā dharmaṃ vadiṣyanti sākṣāt-buddho-pajīvinaḥ||”[7]
Brahma-purāṇa:
The Brahma-purāṇa mentions the Buddha in an eulogy of Viṣṇu with his different incarnations, by Indra: “namo’stu buddharūpāya”,[8] while the two-hundred-thirteenth chapter of the same Purāṇa describes the other incarnations of Viṣṇu without the Buddha.
Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa:
Madhavācārya refers to the following verses from the Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa in his commentary on 1. 3. 24 of the Bhāgavata-purāṇa:
“mohanārthaṃ dānavānāṃ vālarūpī pathe sthitaḥ|
putraṃ taṃ kalpayāmāsa mūḍhabuddhir-jina-svayaṃ|
tataḥ sammohayāsa jinādyānsurāṃśakān|
bhagavān-vagbhi-rugrābhir-ahiṃsāvācibhir-hariḥ|”[9]
Agni-purāṇa:
The Agni-purāṇa describes the Buddha incarnation of Viṣṇu and his mission as follows:
“vakṣye Buddha-vatārñca paṭhataḥ śṛṇvato'rthadam|
purā devāsure yuddhe daityair-devāḥ parājitāḥ||
rakṣa-rakṣeti śaraṇaṃ vadanto jagmurīśvaram|
māyāmoha-svarūpo’sau śuddhadana-suto'bhavat||
mohayā-māsa daityāṃ-stāṃ-styājitān veda-dharmakam|
te ca bauddhā babhūvurhi tebhyo anye veda-varjitāḥ||
ārhataḥ so’bhavat paścādā-rhatānakarot parān|
evaṃ pāṣaṇḍino jātā veda-dharmādi-varjitāḥ||
narakārhaṃ karma cakru-rgrahīṣyantya-dhamādapi|
sarve kaliyugānte tu bhaviṣyanti ca saṅkarāḥ||
dasyavaḥ śīlahīnāśca vedo vājasaneyakaḥ|
… mānuṣān bhakṣyayiṣyanti mlecchāḥ pārthivarūpinaḥ||
kalki viṣṇuyaśaḥputro yājñavalkya-purohitaḥ|
utsādayiṣyati mlecchān gṛhitāstraḥ kṛtāyudhaḥ||”[10]
In a certain period, the gods were defeated by the demons and thereafter they went to Viṣṇu to get rid of this peril. Then the Māyāmoha of Viṣṇu took birth as the son of Śuddhodana, and he deluded the daityas from the Vedic path. Thus the Buddhists originated. Later on, he misled other demons, so they became Ārhatas to demise the Vedic ways. All of them would be associated with the heinous activities in the Kali age. During this time the foreign rulers of this country also will become the cannibals. Then Viṣṇu would take incarnation as Kalkī, son of Viṣṇuyaśa, and Yājñavalkya would be his purohita. The purpose of Kalkī incarnation is to destroy these foreigners. So, the mentioned verses of the Agni-purāṇa confirms the purpose of the incarnation of the Buddha and the origin of Buddhists and Ārhatas i.e. Jains.
In the context of the descriptions of the images of ten-incarnations, the Purāṇa states that, the image of the Buddha should be clam. He is long-eared, fair-complexioned. He wears beautiful garments and seated in an upward lotus.
He exhibits varada and abhaya-mudrā by both of the hands:
“śāntātmā lambakarṇaśca gaurāṅga-ścāmvarāvṛtaḥ|
ūrdhva-padmasthito buddho varadābhaya-dāyakaḥ||”[11]
This Purāṇa shows its respect towards the Bodhi tree of Gaya:
Vāmana-purāṇa:
This Purāṇa does not mention the Buddha, but mentions most probably the Bodhi-tree of Gayā (Bodhagayā) as the tree of great sin and after the killing of demon Mura, Viṣṇu hewed the tree of “great sin” with a veritable sharp axe and become famous as Gadādhara:
“khyāti jagāmātha gadādhareti mahāghā-vṛkṣasya śitaḥ kuṭhāraḥ||”[13]
Liṅga-purāṇa:
The name of the Buddha has occurred there among the ten incarnations of Viṣṇu:
“matsyaḥ kūrmo’tha vāraho nārasiṃho'tha vāmanaḥ|
ramo rāmaśca kṛṣṇaśca bauddhaḥ kalkī tathaiva ca|”[14]
Vāyu-purāṇa:
This Purāṇa does not includ the Buddha as Viṣṇu’s incarnation. However, the seventy-eighth chapter of this Purāṇa, during the description of śrāddhavidhi, has stated that if the “nagnas” (naked one) i.e. the non-believers (who are not covered by the Vedas) of the Vedas would see the objects of śrāddha-ritual, these would become useless. The Vāyu-purāṇa called roughly the Ājīvakas, Jains and Buddhists as “pāṣaṇḍas” or “nagnas”.[15]
The Purāṇa praises the Bodhi tree of Gayā as the combined form of Brahmā-Viṣṇu and Śiva.[16]
Viṣṇu-purāṇa:
The purpose of the Buddha incarnation as well as the story of origination of the heretics (“pāṣaṇḍas”) i.e. the Buddhism and Jainism in the Viṣṇu-purāṇa are as follows: Being defeated by the asuras in a war in ancient time, the gods went to the abode of Viṣṇu. Being pleased by the eulogy of the gods, Viṣṇu consequently produced Māyāmoha from his own body.[17] Then Māyāmoha who was naked, shaved-headed and held a peacock-feather in hand, went to the banks of Narmadā, where the asuras were staying. He addressed some of them with pleasing words tand preached he dharma of the naked i.e. Jainism.[18]
Next, to the remaining demons, this Māyāmoha put on raktāmbara (red cloths), painted his eyes with collyrium (“..raktāmbaradhṛk māyāmoho’ñjitekṣaṇa”), and condemned Vedic sacrifices and preached ahiṃsā i.e. Buddhism, with very pleasant words:
“svargārthaṃ yadi bāñchā vo nirvāṇā-rthaṃ athāsurāḥ|
tadalaṃ paśughātadi-duṣṭa-dharmair-nibodhata||”[19]
He advised to observe the world as a flow of consciousness (Vijñānavāda theory of the Buddhists):
“vijñānamayaṃ evaitadśeṣamavagacchatha”.[20]
As a result of the preaching of the Māyāmoha the asuras soon left the Vedic religion and became weak.
They started to censure the Vedas, the Brāhmaṇas and the Vedic sacrifices for killing animals:
“kecid vinindāṃ vedānāṃ devānāmapare dvija|
yajña-karma-kalāpasya tathānye ca dvijanmanā||”[21]
The Viṣṇu-purāṇa condemns the anti-Vedic pāṣaṇḍins as they are habituated to live on the food given by others (“parānnabhojī”). It also states that the sight of them is sinful. The conversation with them, according to this Purāṇa, is strictly prohibited.[22]
Matsya-purāṇa:
The Viṣṇu-purāṇa’s story of the delusion of the demons by Māyāmoha, who has been revealed from Viṣṇu’s own body, seems to be a fabricated-form of the story, which is found in the Matsya-purāṇa[23]
According to this Purāṇa, once the son of Raji became very powerful by virtue of their penance and deprived Indra of his heaven. Then Indra sought the help of Bṛhaspati who first increased the power of the gods through various rituals and thereafter he deluded the sons of Raji by preaching them the non-Vedic religion of the Jina[24] :
“.. mohayāmāsa rajiputrāṇ bṛhaspati|
jinadharmaṃ samāsthāya veda-bāhyaṃ sa vedavit||”
Consequently, the son of Raji gave up the Vedic religion and got the way of the hetuvādins, and were killed by Indra.[25]
The Purāṇa states that the ninth incarnation of Viṣṇu as a beautiful-bodied, the Buddha was occurred to destroy the system of religion and to delude the demons:
“kartuṃ dharma-vyvasthānamasurāṇāṃ praṇāśanaṃ|
buddho navamako jajñe tapasā puṣkarekṣaṇaḥ||
devasundararūpeṇa dvaipāyanapuraḥsaraḥ|”[26]
The Buddha has been mentioned in the list of the incarnations of Viṣṇu:
“matyaḥ kūrmo varāhaśca narasiṃho’tha vāmanaḥ|
rāmo rāmaśca kṛṣṇaśca buddhaḥ kalkīti ca kramāt||”[27]
This Purāṇa also describes that, during the performance of the worship in the Nakṣatrapuruṣa-vrata, one has to touch the forehead of Vāsudeva’s image with the mantra:
Garuḍa.purāṇa:
This Purāṇa has included the Buddha among the ten incarnations of Viṣṇu:
“daitya-rākśasa-nāśārthaṃ matsyaḥ pūrvaṃ yathābhavat|
kūrmo varāho nṛharir-vāmano rāma ūrjitaḥ||
yathā dāśarathī rāmaḥ kṛṣṇo buddho’tha kalkāpi|”[29]
According to the Garuḍa.purāṇa, to delude the envy of the faithful theist, the Buddha, son of Jina (probably indicates, jina-mārga) will appeare in the province of Kīkaṭa[30] (Gaya, Bihar) in the beginning of the Kali-age.[31]
In another place of the same Purāṇa it has been said that, Vāsudeva incarnates as the Buddha to mislead the malice of the gods:
Kūrma-purāṇa:
The Kūrma-purāṇa does not mention the Buddha as incarnation. However, there are some prohibitions which have been directed mainly against the Jains and Buddhists, who are the most formidable rivals to the Brāhmaṇas in the field of gifts.
The Purāṇa instructs that a person versed in laws should not offer even water to an infidel, a rationalist, the Pāṣaṇḍins etc.:
“na vāryapi prayaccheta nāstike hetuke'pi ca|
na pāṣaṇḍeṣu sarveṣu nāveda-vidi dharmavit||”[33]
Bhāgavata-purāṇa:
The Bhāgavata-purāṇa states:
“tataḥ kalau saṃpravṛtte sammohāya suradviṣāṃ|
buddho nāmnā-ñjana-sutaḥ kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati||”
This verse is almost the same as the above-mentioned verse of the Garuḍa.purāṇa[34], only the name of the Buddha’s father is read here as Añjana.[35] The purpose to incarnate the Buddha is to delude people by his beautiful appearance and by preaching the religion of heretics.
This Purāṇa also describes:
“devadviṣaṃ nigama-vartmani niṣṭhitānāṃ pūrbhimayena vihitābhiradṛśyaturbhiḥ|
lokān ghanatāṃ mati-vimohaṃ ati-pralobhanaṃ veṣeṃ vidhāye bahu bhāṣyata aupadharmaṃ||”[36]
In the sixth skandha the Buddha is described as deceiver of the heretics:
“… buddhastu pāṣaṇḍagaṇa-pramādāt prapātu|”.[37]
Varāha-purāṇa:
This Purāṇa enlisted the Buddha in the list of ten incarnations of Viṣṇu.[38]
In another place of the Varāha-purāṇa, Viṣṇu has been eulogised by mentioning his ten incarnations including the Buddha:
This Purāṇa, mentioning various incarnations, says that they are to be worshipped in various months and for various gains. In the context of the Kalki-dvādaśi vow, the Purāṇa suggests to worship the Buddha who desires to attaining beautiful form: “rūpakāmo yajed Buddha”.[40]
Padma-purāṇa:
A slightly different story of Māyāmoha of the Matsya-purāṇa and Viṣṇu-purāṇa are assembled in the “Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa” of the Padma-purāṇa[41] Here by the praise of Bṛhaspati, Viṣṇu produced his Māyāmoha and gave him to delude the demons from the Vedic religion. Māyāmoha preached[42] the Ārhata-dharma (i.e. Jainism) and the Vijñānavāda (i.e. Buddhism) in his two different forms, the naked one, and one putting on the redclothes respectively.
Māyāmoha emphasised on mokṣa-dharma, compassion to all living beings:
“vrajaddhvaṃ cottamaṃ sthānaṃ mokṣamārgañca yaṃ budhāḥ|
vindanti bhaktibhāvena tapoyuktāstapasvinaḥ||
akṣeṣu nigraho yatra dayā bhūteṣu sarvadā|”[43]
By the influence of his preaching all the demons left the Vedic religion and took the “ṛṣi-dharma” and started to live at the bank of Narmadā after becoming monks. As a result Indra again enjoyed the heaven peacefully.
The “Bhūmikhaṇḍa” of this Purāṇa (Anandasrama Edition ed.) mentions the Buddha during the eulogy of the incarnations of Viṣṇu (more than ten):
“namo kṛṣṇāya buddhāya namo mlecchapraṇāśine|”[44]
In the “Uttarakhaṇḍa” of the Padma-purāṇa, the ten incarnations of Viṣṇu including that of the Buddha occurs in many places, such as, 68. 51;[45] 72. 27;[46] and 76, 11.[47]
The Purāṇa eulogised Viṣṇu including the Buddha along with other incarnations:
“namo'stu buddha-devāya”.[48]
The “Uttarakhaṇḍa” also describes the purpose of the Buddha incarnation and his doctrine accordingly. The Buddha had conquered all, including the gods and goddesses by meditation. He is now adorable to the world. He wins the world with wealth and prosperity, and not by arms. He deludes the demons by swerving them from the Vedic way, and by keeping the meaning of the Vedas concealed from them. The Buddha, son of Śuddhodana, preaches the Śunyavāda, which is free from four kinds of netting of human-know-ability (catuṣkoṭi-vinirmukta). He introduced the prajñāpāramitā or he is the god of prajñāpāramitā. He is the god of the scriptures of the heretics.
The Sanskrit texts goes thus:
“buddho dhyānajitā-śeṣa-devadevī-jagatpriyaḥ|
nirāyudha jagajjaitraḥ śrīdhano duṣṭa-mohanaḥ||
daitya-veda-bahiṣkartā vedārtha-śruti-gopakaḥ|
śauddhadani-dṛṣṭa-diṣṭaḥ sukhadaḥ sadasampatiḥ|
yathāyogyākhilakṛpaḥ sarva-śūnyo’khile’ṣṭadaḥ||
catuṣkoṭi-pṛthaktvatva prajñā-pāramiteśvaraḥ|
pākhaṇḍa-veda-mārgeśaḥ pākhaṇḍaśruti-gopakaḥ||”[49]
In another chapter of the same khaṇḍa it has been stated that Viṣṇu became the Buddha and preached the Buddhist’s evil scriptures to destroy them (the demons):
“daityānāṃ nāśanārthāya viṣṇunā buddharūpiṇā|
bauddha-śāstramasat proktaṃ nagna-nīla-paṭādikam||”[50]
The Māyāvāda of the Advaita Vedānta school of Śaṃkara is also called as falsescripture of the crypto-Buddhist’s:
“māyāvādamasacchāśtraṃ pracchannaṃ bauddhamucyate|”[51]
The “Kriyāyoga-sāraḥ” of the “Uttarakhaṇḍa” of the Padma-purāṇa expresses homage to the Buddha as “namo buddhāya śuddhāya sakṛpāya namo namaḥ”,[52] during the pārāyaṇa worship along with the other incarnations of Viṣṇu.
It has been said there that, the heretics will be organized in the age of Kali and the Brāhmaṇas will put on red-clothes (i.e. become the Buddhists) and act like the Śūdras:
“pāṣaṇḍā-saṃghabaddhāśca bhaviṣyanti kalau yuge|
raktāmvarā bhaviśyanti brāhmaṇāḥ śūdra-dharmiṇaḥ||”[53]
Skanda-purāṇa:
The list of the ten incarnations of Viṣṇu including the Buddha occurred in the “Revā-khaṇḍa” of the Skanda-purāṇa[54] In replying to the queries of Yudhiṣṭhira about the work and activities of the ten incarnations (“buddharūpeṇa kiṃ vāpi kalkinā kiṃ kṛtaṃ vada”[55]), Mārkaṇḍeya describes those in detail.
About the incarnation of the Buddha, he says that the ninth incarnation of Viṣṇu i.e. the Buddha will be clam by nature. The whole world will be deluded by him, when Viṣṇu takes that form of the Buddha.
The texts goes as thus:
“tathā buddhatvamaparaṃ navamaṃ prāpsyate’cyutaḥ|
śāntimān deva-deveśo madhuhantā madhupriyaḥ||
tena buddharūpeṇa devena parameṣṭhinā|
bhaviṣyati jagatsarvaṃ mohitaṃ sacarācaraṃ||”[56]
In the “Avantikśetra-māhātmya” of the “Āvantyakhaṇḍa” of this Purāṇa it has been stated that having gone to Vaikuṇṭha, the abode of Viṣṇu, the gods praised Viṣṇu mentioning his incarnations including the Buddha:
“namo buddhāya śuddhāya”.[57]
The “Kumārikā-khaṇḍa” of the “Māheśvara-khaṇḍa” of the Skanda-purāṇa describes the Buddha, son of Hemasadana and Añjanā, as an incarnation of Viṣṇu. Among all the incarnations he is having almost all the virtues.[58]
It it is also said there that, possessed by the goddess Tārā,[59] the Buddha will destroy the numerous Buddhists, who are themselves the destroyers of the Vedic ways and performers of the sinful activities:
“dakṣiṇasyāṃ tathā tārā saṃsthitā sthāpitā mayā|
… anayāviṣṭadehaśca bud(d)ho bauddhān haniṣyati|
koṭiśo vedamārgasya dvāṃsakāṇ papa-karmiṇaḥ||”[60]
The “Kāśīkhaṇḍa” of the Skanda-purāṇa contains a long account of Buddhist Pūṇyakīrti, Vijñānakaumudī (parivrājikā)[61] and Vinayakīrtī (disciple of Pūṇyakīrtī).[62] To extinct dharma in the reign of king Divodāsa, the gods Viṣṇu, Lakṣṃī and Garuḍa took beautiful forms of the mentioned Buddhists i.e. Pūnyakīrti, Vijñānakaumudī and Vinayakīrtī respectively at the northern part of Kāśī (i.e. supposed to be Mṛgadāva, presently Sarnath). They preached the doctrine of Buddhism, such as, the concept of dvādaśa-āyatana[63]; refutation of the creator of the universe[64]; compassion and not to harm others (abhayadāna) as the highest dharma[65]; importance of four kinds of dānas[66]; equality of all human beings; condemnation of the caste system;[67] and the Vedic animal-sacrifices[68] etc. However these descriptions presented there are not exact to the Buddhist texts. This Purāṇa apparently mixed up with the doctrine of the Cārvākas. The Purāṇa describes that the three Buddhists are knowledgeable, welldressed, soft and gentle-spoken, but still they are experts in the mantras and Tantric activities like stambhana, vaśīkaraṇa etc. and also specialised in the use of maṇis and medicines.[69] They show many magical powers to the people to win over their faith. As a result to such kind of various exertions, the citizens (“puravāsī”) irrespective of the princess, courtiers, women of dwelling houses of king and the mass people of Kāśī became convinced towards Buddhism and thus misery and sin entered there.[70]
Naradīya or Nārada-purāṇa:
This Purāṇa eulogised Viṣṇu thrice including his ten incarnations comprised of the Buddha:
(a). “kṛṣṇāya vedakartre ca Buddha-kalki-svarūpiṇe”;[71]
(b). “kukupati-vana-pāvakā-khilejyāstrapa-kālāsita-vastra Buddha-kalkin”[72]
(c). “buddhāya kalkirūpāya kṣetrajñayā-kṣrāya ca”.[73]
Bṛhannāradīya-purāṇa:
This Purāṇa refers to some verses about the Buddhists and the abode of the Buddhists (seems to be Buddhist vihāras). The Purāṇa alerts that for a dvija, who enters into the abode of the Buddhists even in great misery, no absolution is envisaged even by performing hundreds of expiations. The Buddhists are called as pāṣaṇḍins (heretics), thus they are aspersers of the Vedas. Therefore a dvija should not see them, as they are expelled from dharma. A dvija is not supposed to enter into a Buddhist abode or vihāra knowingly and even unknowingly. The heretics go to hell and suffer there perpetually.
The verses of this Purāṇa are as follows:
“bauddhālayaṃ viśedyastu mahāpadyapi vai dvijaḥ|
tasya vai niṣkṛti-rnāsti prāyaścitta-śatairapi||
bauddhāḥ pāṣṇḍinaḥ proktā yato veda-nindakḥ|
tasmād dvijastānnekṣeta yadi vedeṣu bhaktimān||
jñānato’jñānato vāpi dvijo bauddhālayaṃ viśet|
jñātvā vai niṣkṛtir-nāsti śāstrānāṃ eṣu nirṇaya||
eteṣāṃ papa-bāhulyān-narakaṃ kalpa-koṭiṣu|
ete pāṣṇḍinaḥ proktāsta-smādeṣāṃ na niṣkṛtiḥ||”[74]
Viṣṇudharma-purāṇa:
This Purāṇa mentions the Buddha as an incarnation of Viṣṇu. In the age of Kali he will incarnate as the Buddha, son of Śuddhodana. He will preach the doctrine of Buddhism and give emphasis on kindness. After him the Śūdras also will start to preach dharma. The world will be filled up with eḍuka[75] i.e. the stūpas (of the Buddhists) instead of the deva-temples.[76] The perspective to see the world will be controlled by the philosophy of the skandhas[77] and the Śūdras will be served by the Śūdras after the Buddha.[78]
In the same Purāṇa, the Buddha has been clearly identified with the Māyāmoha originated at the malevolent rite (kṛtyā) performed by the demons to abolish the gods.[79] This Purāṇa frequently denounces of the Pāṣaṇḍas especially the Buddhists.[80]
Narasiṃha-purāṇa:
There are some chapters (thirty seven–fifty four) in this Purāṇa which deal with the stories of the incarnations of Viṣṇu, but no stories about the Buddha is described.
However, the Narasiṃha-purāṇa mentions the following incarnations (eleven) of Viṣṇu in the thirty-sixth chapter:
- Matsya,
- Kūrma,
- Varāha,
- Narahari,
- Vāmana,
- Paraśurāma,
- Dāśarathi Rāma,
- Balarāma,
- Kṛṣṇa,
- Buddha and
- Kalkī.
There is also a line which mentions Buddha:
Devībhāgavata-purāṇa:
This Purāṇa mentions the names of Viṣṇu’s ten incarnations including the Buddha.[82]
There god Brahmā and Śiva salute god Viṣṇu by mentioning his ten incarnations including the Buddha:
“duṣṭa-yajña-vighātāya paśu-hiṃsā-nivṛttaye|
bauddharūpaṃ dadhau yo’sau tasmai devāya te namaḥ||”[83]
Besides this, the Purāṇa mentions the Tantric Buddhists (“cīna-mārgya-ratā”), Jains etc., who are not respectful to the Vedas.[84]
The mention of Nīla-sarasvatī (i.e. Buddhist Tārā) indicates the spread of the Tantric Buddhism in China:
Those Brāhmaṇas who are associated with the Buddhist scriptures and have respect towards the Buddhists are pronounced as the “brāhmaṇa dhamāḥ”.[86]
Though the Buddhists, Jains etc. are scholars, they introduce the sinful activities:
“… bauddha jainastathāpare|
paṇḍitā api te sarve durācāra-pravartakāḥ||”[87]
This Purāṇa denounces the Buddhists on several occasions saying that the Vedic religion and the caste-system have been destroyed by the Buddhists etc.[88] [89]
Devī-purāṇa:
In this Purāṇa, Brahmā eulogises Viṣṇu mentioning the names of his ten incarnations including the Buddha, robbed with red-clothes:
“śuddha-sadbhāva-bhāvāya śuddha-buddha-tanūdbhava|
rāgadveṣa-vinirmukta rakta-vāso namo’stu te||”[90]
The same Purāṇa mentions that the shave-headed or red-robed persons are bearers of inauspicious signs.[91] Speaking to or seeing the heretics, who are expelled by the śāstras, are prohibited.[92] The Purāṇa states that, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva had employed Gaṇeśa to create obstacles. Due to his worthiness, one can see the inauspicious, unholy and most detrimental signs, such as, the shaved-headed person or the clothes of colour of red ochre (i.e. the Buddhists).[93] Thus, the sight of the Buddhists in even dreams was considered as forbidden as per the Devī-purāṇa
The eighty-eighth chapter of this Purāṇa refers to the Buddhist pāṣaṇḍas who worship the Mātṛkās according to their own way (i.e. Tantric worship).[94]
Bhaviṣyottara-purāṇa:
The Bhaviṣyottara-purāṇa gives the list of ten incarnations of Viṣṇu including Buddha in many places (4. 63. 23; chapter eighty-three; 190. 6b-7a), except one list (76. 44). This Purāṇa informs us that, during the dīvālikotsava the lamps were to be lighted in the evening in the temples of Śiva, Cāmuṇḍā, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Bhairava, Siddhārtha-Buddha and others.[95]
Bṛhaddharma-purāṇa:
The “Madhya-kāṇḍa” of this Purāṇa states that the incarnation of Viṣṇu as the Buddha occurred for deluding people:
And after that the earth would be filled up with the persons, who animus the dharma. This Purāṇa here placed the Buddha before Kṛṣṇa[97], while the nineteenth chapter of the “Uttara-khaṇḍa” places him after Kṛṣṇa.
According to this Purāṇa, the Vedic religion will be preoccupied by the religion of the heretics in the Kali- age.[98]
They will compose their śāstras in Prakrit language in an unrecognised manner:
“śāstraṃ prākṛta-bhāṣābhiḥ kalpayitvā hyaśāstrataḥ”.[99]
The Purāṇa describes an interesting account related to the refutation of the Buddhists.[100] When Kṛṣṇa would leave the earth, the reviling Buddhists would like to promote their own faith, which was expelled from the pale of all religions.[101] To refute their doctrine Viṣṇu and Śiva were born as Kumārīla and Śaṃkara respectively.[102] They refuted the philosophy of the Buddhists by means of the Nyāya system of school and the remaining Buddhists were forcibly burnt.[103] After destroying them Śaṃkara wrote many eulogies (stavas) of the god and goddess.[104]
Kalki-purāṇa:
This Purāṇa elaborately describes the destruction of the Buddha including Śuddhodana, Māyādevī and the Buddhists by Kalkī in the sixth and seventh chapters in the second part.[105] There, Kīkaṭa (Gayā) is portrayed as the prime centre of the Buddhists.[106]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
“matsyaḥ kūrmo’tha vāraho nārasiṃho’tha vāmanaḥ| ramo rāmaśca kṛṣṇaśca bauddhḥ Kalkī tathaiva ca||” Mahābhārata (Kumbhakonam edn.),
[2]:
348. 2b-3a.
[3]:
Mahābhārata, Śāntiparva, 12. 348. 42-45, 47.
[4]:
Śāntiparva, 339, 103-4. Also see: R. S. Bhattacharya: “Buddha a Depicted in the Purāṇas”, Purāṇa, vol. 14, No. 2, 1982.
[5]:
Mahābhārataṃ, 3. 190. 65. See: Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri: Purāṇakoṣa, p. 800.
[6]:
Harivaṃśaṃ, 3. 161. 64. See: Ibid., loc. cit.
[7]:
Vahni-purāṇa or Āgneya-purāṇa, 29. 40. According to R. C. Hazra this Purāṇa is the earlier form of the extent Agni-purāṇa The text of the Vahni-purāṇa or Āgneya-purāṇa has been published from the Asiatic Society, Kolkata.
[10]:
Agni-purāṇa, 16. 1-8.
[11]:
49. 8.
[12]:
Ibid., 115 37b.
[13]:
Vāmana-purāṇa, 50. 16.
[14]:
Liṅga-purāṇa, 2. 48. 31b-32a.
[15]:
Vāyu-purāṇa, 78. 24, 27, 30, 32 etc. The 79. 25 prescribes both after seeing these nagnas i.e. the heretics. In the Viṣṇu.p, to reply the queries of Maitreya, Paraśara depicts the origin of the nagnas from the Māyāmoha of Viṣṇu, from which the Buddhists also originated (3. Chap. 17 & 18). — Also: “trayī samasta varṇānāṃ dvija saṃvaraṇaṃ yataḥ| nagno bhavatyujhitāyāmatastasyāmasaṃśayam||” (Viṣṇu.p, 3. 17. 6) or — “nagnāste tairyatastyaktaṃ trayīsaṃvaraṇaṃ bṛthā|” (Ibid., 3. 18. 34b)
[16]:
“…..mahābodhitaruṃ namet|| namaste aśvattha-rājāya brahma-viṣṇu-śivātmane| bodhidrūmāya kattṛnāṃ pitṛṇāṃ taraṇāya ca||” Ibid., 11. 26b-27.
[17]:
Viṣṇu.p, 3. 17. 9 cf.
[18]:
Ibid., 3. 18. 1-11.
[19]:
Ibid., 3. 18. 15.
[20]:
Ibid., 3. 18. 14-17.
[21]:
3. 18. 20-24.
[22]:
Ibid., 3. 18. 98-100.
[23]:
R. C. Hazra: Studies in the Purāṇic Records on Hindu Rites and Customs, p. 24.
[24]:
The Harivaṃśa also states that, Bṛhaspati deluded the sons of Raji by composing some heretical works for them (Harivaṃśa, 1. 28. 29). This story is found elaborately in the Padma-purāṇa, “Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa”, chapter thirteen also. The word “Jina” not only means the Jainas, but also the Buddha (“jina” or “jinasūta”, Garuḍa\.purāṇa, 1. 1. 32b, Kalki.p, 2. 7. 4, 9 etc.) or the Buddhists. Also the Saura-purāṇa, 38. 52.
[25]:
Matsya-purāṇa, 24. 42-49.
[26]:
Ibid., 47. 247.
[27]:
Ibid., 285. 6b-7a.
[28]:
Ibid., 54. 19a.
[29]:
Garuḍa\.purāṇa, 1. 86. 10-11.
[30]:
Yāska declares in Nirukta that Kīkaṭa was the name of a non-Āryan region. Later Kīkaṭa is given as a synonym of Magadha in the Purāṇas. (A. A. Macdonell & A. B. Keith: Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, p. 169). Śrīdharasvāmī, the commentator of Bhāgavata-purāṇa says: “buddha avatāramahatara iti añjanasya sutaḥ añjanasutaḥ iti pāṭhe añjano’pi sa eva kīkaṭeṣu madhye gayāpradeśe”. It is also to be noted that the province of Magadha or the southern part of present Bihar state is a place where a huge archaeological remains of Buddhist establishment belonging to the ancient and early-medieval period have been discovered.
[31]:
“tataḥ kalestu sandhyāste sammohāya suradviṣām| buddho nāmnā jinasutaḥ kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati||” Garuda.p, 1. 1. 32.
[32]:
1. 149. 39a.
[33]:
Kūrma-purāṇa, 2. 26. 68.
[34]:
Garuda.p, 1. 1. 32.
[35]:
Bhāgavata-purāṇa, 1. 3. 24.
[36]:
Ibid., 2. 7. 87.
[37]:
Ibid., 6. 8. 19.
[38]:
[39]:
Ibid., 113. 27b-28a.
[40]:
Ibid., 48. 22a.
[41]:
Padma-purāṇa, Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa, 13. 341-411.
[42]:
These verses also almost similar to the Viṣṇu.p, 3. 18.
[43]:
Padma-purāṇa, Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa, 13. 191-192a.
[44]:
Bhūmikaṇḍa, 18. 66b.
[45]:
“matsyaṃ kūrmaṃ ca varāhaṃ narasiṃhaṃ ca vāmanam| rāmaṃ rāmaṃ ca kṛṣṇaṃ buddhaṃ kalkinaṃ namo’stute||” Padma-purāṇa (Anandasrama Edition ed.), Uttarakhaṇḍa, 68. 51.
[46]:
“matyaḥ kūrmo varāhaśca narasiṃho’tha vāmanaḥ| rāmo rāmaśca kṛṣṇaśca buddhaḥ kalkīti tena smṛtaḥ||” Ibid. (Anandasrama Edition ed.), 72. 27.
[47]:
[48]:
Padma-purāṇa (Anandasrama Edition ed.), Uttarakhaṇḍa, 31. 15a.
[49]:
Ibid. (Anandasrama Edition ed.), 72. 279b-282.
There are some variations in Bengal (Nababharat) edition: —
“buddho dhyānajitā-śeṣa-devadevo-jagatpriyaḥ|
nirāyudha jagajjaitraḥ śrīdharo duṣṭa-mohanaḥ||
daitya-veda-bahiṣkartā vedārtha-śruti-gopakaḥ|
śauddhadanir-daṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ sukhadaḥ sadasampatiḥ|
yathāyogyākhilakṛpaḥ sarva-śūnyo’khile’ṣṭadaḥ||
catuṣkoṭi-pṛthaktatvaṃ prajñā-pāramiteśvaraḥ|
pākhaṇḍa-veda-mārgeśaḥ pākhaṇḍaśruti-gopakaḥ||” (Ibid., Uttarakhaṇḍa, 71. 275b-278)
[50]:
Ibid., Uttarakhaṇḍa, 236. 6.
[51]:
Ibid., Uttarakhaṇḍa, 236. 7a.
[52]:
Padma-purāṇa, Kriyājoga-sāraḥ, 10. 94a.
[53]:
Ibid., 26. 20b-21a.
[54]:
“mucyate sarvapāpebhyo daśa-janmānu-kīrtanāt ||
matyaḥ kūrmo varāhaśca narasiṃho’tha vāmanaḥ|
rāmo rāmaśca kṛṣṇaśca buddhaḥ kalkī ca te daśaḥ||” Skanda-purāṇa, Revākhaṇḍa, 151. 3b-4.
[55]:
, 151. 6b.
[56]:
Ibid., 151. 21-22.
[57]:
Ibid., Āvantyakhaṇḍa, Avantīkṣetra-māhātmya, 42. 14 b.
[58]:
“māgadhe hemasadhanāt-añjanyāṃ prabhaviṣyati| viṣṇoraṃśe dharmapātā bud(d)haḥ sākṣāt svaṃ prabhuḥ|| tasya karmāṇi bhūrīṇi bhaviṣyanti mahātmanaḥ| catuḥṣṭiṃ sa varṣāṇi bhuktvā dvīpāni sapta ca|| bhaktebhyaḥ svayaśo muktvā divaṃ paścād gamiṣyati| sarveśāṃ cāvatāraṇāṃ guṇaiḥ samadhiko yataḥ|| — tato vakṣyanti taṃ bhaktyā sarva-pāpaharaṃ bud(d)haṃ||” Ibid., Māheśvara-khaṇḍa, Kumārikā-khaṇḍa, 40. 255b–259a.
[59]:
Tārā is the famous goddess of the Buddhists. In the Buddhist texts she has been described as the Mother of all the Buddhas: “tārāṃ praṇamya mahatīṃ jananīṃ jinānāṃ…” (Sādhanamālā, vol. 1, no. 98, p. 200). Sometime she mentioned as the “prajñā” of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. There are iconographical and theological assimilations between the Buddhist Goddess Tārā and Brahmanical Puranic Durgā (D. C. Bhattacharyya: Studies in Buddhist Iconography, pp. 12-13ff.
[60]:
Skanda-purāṇa, Kumārikā-khaṇḍa, 47. 12a, 13b-14a.
[61]:
It is noteworthy to mention that, the imagery of the Parivrājikā reminds the iconographic features of the Buddhist goddess Prājñāpāramitā.
The Purāṇa depicts as:
“śrī parivrājikā jātā nitarāṃ subhagākṛtiḥ|
yamālokya jagatsarvaṃ citranystamivāsthitam||
viśvayoniṃ jagaddhātrīṃ nyasta-hastāgra-pustakām|”
(Śrī takes the form of a Buddhist nun. The world became enchanted after looking at her beauty. She holds manuscripts in her hands.) This description reminds the iconographical features of Prajñāpāramitā. The manuscript of Prajñāpāramitā is a main attribute to the goddess Prajñāpāramitā (see: Sādhanamālā, vol. 1, sādhana nos. 152, 153, 157, 159 and so on).
[62]:
Skanda-purāṇa, Kāśī-khaṇḍa, 58. 71-134.
[63]:
“pañca karmendriyāṇyeva pañca buddhīndrīyāṇi ca|
manobuddhiriha proktaṃ dvādaśāyatanāni vai||” Ibid., 58. 103.
In context of the philosophical aspects of the Buddhism, Haribhadrasūrī describes the twelve āyatanas as follows:
“pañcendriyāṇi śabdādyā viṣayāḥ pañcamānasam|
dharmāyatanametāni dvādasāyatanāni ca||” (Saḍdarśanasamuccaya, kārikā 8)
[64]:
“anādi-siddhaḥ saṃsāraḥ katṛ-karma-vivarjitaḥ” etc. Ibid., 58. 83a and so on.
[65]:
“dharmo jīvadayā-tulyo na kvāpi jagatītale|
tasmāt sarva-prayatnena kāryā jīvadayā nṛbhiḥ||
... ahiṃsā paramo dharmo ihoktaḥ pūrvasūribhiḥ|” Ibid., 58. 95, 97a and so on.
[66]:
[67]:
“mukhavāhūrupajjātaṃ cāturvarṇyamihoditaṃ| kalpaneyaṃ kṛtā pūrvairna ghoṭeta vicārataḥ|| eksyāñca tanau jātā ekasmād yadi vā kvacit| ctvāra-stanayā-stat kiṃ bhinna-varṇattvaṃ apnuyuḥ|| varṇā-varṇa-viveko’yaṃ tasmānna pratibhāsaate|| ato bhedo na mantavyo mānṣye kenacid kvacit||” Ibid., 58. 124-126. — Also “mudhā jati-vikalpo’yaṃ lokeṣu parikalpyate| mānuṣye sati sāmānye ko’dhamaḥ ko’tha cottamaḥ||” Ibid., 58. 120.
[68]:
Ibid., 58. 108-110.
[69]:
[70]:
Ibid., 58. 111, 129, 136.
[71]:
Naradīya or Nārada-purāṇa, 1. 62. 54.
[72]:
Ibid., 2. 29. 42.
[73]:
Ibid., 2. 32. 36.
[74]:
Bṛhannāradīya-purāṇa, 14. 69-72.
[75]:
Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri: Purāṇakoṣa, vol. 1, p. 800.
[77]:
[78]:
The text goes like:
“tataḥ kaliyuge ghore samprāpte’vja-samudbhava |
śuddhodana-suto buddho bhaviṣyāmi vimatsaraḥ||
bauddhaṃ dharmaṃ upāśritya kariṣye dharmadeśanam|
narāṇāṃ atha nārīṇāṃ dayāṃ bhūteṣu darśayan||
raktāmvara-vyāñjitāṅgāḥ praśānta-mānasaṃ tathā|
śūdrā dharmaṃ pravakṣyanti mayi buddhatvaṃ āgate|
eḍuka-cihnā pṛthivī na deva-gṛha-bhūṣitā|
bhavitrī prāyaśo brahman mayi buddhatvaṃ āgate|
skandha-darśana-mātraṃ hi paśyantaḥ sakalaṃ jagat|
śūdraḥ sūdreṣu dāsyanti mayī buddhatvaṃ agate||” etc.
(R. C. Hazra: Studies in the Purāṇic Records on Hindu Rites and Customs, p. 144.)
[79]:
Ibid., p. 146.
[80]:
Chapters 25, 66, 73, 105 and so on. See: Ibid., p. 143.
[81]:
Ibid., 61. 46-49.
[82]:
Devībhāgavata-purāṇa, 4. 8. 31-32.
[83]:
Ibid., 10. 5. 13b-14a.
[84]:
Ibid., 12. 8. 3-4.
[85]:
Ibid., 7. 38. 13.
[86]:
[87]:
Ibid., 12. 9. 96a.
[88]:
[89]:
28 etc.
[91]:
Ibid., 13. 24.
[92]:
Ibid., 27. 18; 33. 61a.
[93]:
“..muṇḍāṃśca paśyati kāṣāya-vāsa-vāsasaścaiva”, Ibid., 69. 3. Almost same thing also described in the Yājñavalkya-saṃhitā: — “vināyakaḥ karmavigna-siddhayrthaṃ viniyojitaḥ| gaṇānāmādhipatye ca rudrena brahmaṇā tathā|| tenopasṛṣṭo yastasya lakṣaṇāni nibodhata| svapne’vagāhate’tyarthaṃ jalaṃ muṇḍāṃśca paśyati|| kāṣāyavāsasaścaiva…” 1. 271-273a.
[94]:
Ibid., 13. 88. 2b-3a.
[95]:
Bhaviṣyottara-purāṇa, 140. See: R. C. Hazra: Studies in the Upapurāṇas, vol. 2, p. 384.
[96]:
Bṛhaddharma-purāṇa, 2. 11. 72.
[97]:
Ibid., 2. 11. 72.
[98]:
Ibid., 3. 19. 12.
[99]:
Ibid., 3. 19. 14. The Buddhist scriptures like Dākarṇava, Caryāgīti-koṣa composed in — Prakrit in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent during early-medieval period. The — Bṛhaddharma-purāṇa also was composed in Bengal about 1200 CE. Hence, the author of this Purāṇa might be familiar with the Prakrit Buddhist texts.
Ibid., 3. 19. 20-25.
“tyakte kṛṣṇena bhukhaṇḍe bauddhāḥ kecid vidūṣakāḥ| svamataṃ sthāpayiṣyanti sarva-dharma-bahiṣkṛtam||” Ibid., 3. 19. 20.
Ibid., 3. 19. 22-23.
“ubhau tau bauddha-saṃghasya naiyāyika-matena ha| nivārayiṣyanti valād te mariṣyanti dāhitāḥ||” Ibid., 3. 19. 24.
Kalki-purāṇa, 2. 6. 40-45 and 2. 7. 1-52.
“senāgaiḥ parivṛtaḥ prayayau kīkaṭaṃ puram| buddhālayaṃ suvipulaṃ veda-dharma-bahiṣkṛtam||” Ibid., 2. 6. 40b-41a.