Saura-purana (analytical study)
by Priyanku Chakraborty | 2019 | 92,293 words
This page relates ‘Nrisimha cult’ 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 3.1 - The Nṛsiṃha cult
The Saura-purāṇa states that after the quelling of Andhakāsura by Kālabhairava, he returned to his abode in the Pātalā along with the Mātṛkās.[1] There he saw the tāmasī from of Viṣṇu viz. Nṛhari, who had taken such incarnation to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu.[2] Seeing Nṛsiṃha, Bhairava embraced him. Then the forms got united and became one.[3]
The Saura-purāṇa describes the oneness of Kālāgnibhairava and Nṛsiṃha:
“kālāgni-bhairavo ya’sau sa eva nṛhari svayaṃ||
bhagavān nṛhariyo’sau sa eva kila bhairava|”[4]
If anybody worship Nṛsiṃha, Bhairava is pleased, and Nṛsiṃha also becomes pleased on them who worship Kālabhairava. Those person who see distinction between them, gets suffering in the hell of dissolution.[5]
In another chapter of the Saura-purāṇa it has been mentioned that Śiva takes the form of Śarabha to subduel Nṛsiṃha.[6] This legend has occurred in the Liṅga-purāṇa, Śiva-purāṇa, Skanda-purāṇa etc.[7] According to the mentioned Purāṇas, the gods became afraid on seeing the ruthless form of Nṛsiṃha. His anger could not be calmed down after destruction of Hiraṇyakaśipu and he threatened to destroy all creation. Then Śiva ordered Vīrābhadra who is the terrible form of Śiva: “ātmano bhairavaṃ rūpaṃ” to control Nṛsiṃha, but he failed. Finally Śiva took the form of Śarabha and he killed Nṛsiṃha. He wore the garment of skin and the head of Nṛsiṃha.[8] The scholars take this legend as a symbolic conflict of the Nṛsimha cult and the Śaivism.[9] However, the Kalika-purāṇa describes that after the destruction of Nṛsiṃha in two parts by Śarabha, the two sages Nara and Nārāyaṇa originated respectively from the man and lion parts of the Nṛsimha.[10]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., 29. 51.
[2]:
Ibid., 29. 52a; 28. 25.
[3]:
“viṣṇorbhāgavatī mūrtiyatrāste tāmasī parā|
atha tāṃ bhairavo dṛṣṭvā mudā tāṃ pariṣsvaje||” Ibid. 29. 52.
[4]:
Ibid., 29. 53b-54a.
[5]:
Ibid., 29. 54b-56.
[6]:
Ibid., 55. 12b-13a.
[7]:
The account of Śarabha and Nṛsiṃha is elaborately described in the Liṅga-purāṇa (1. 96. 4ff). Here Vīrabhadra asked Nṛsiṃha first to calm down, but Nṛsiṃha denied and started to proclaim his (of Viṣṇu-form) glories. In reply, Vīrabhadra also narrated the greatness of Śiva as the superior god than Brahmā and Viṣṇu. But he failed to control Nṛsiṃha. Then Vīrabhadra took the form of great Śarabha. Before him Nṛsiṃha looked like a glow-worm in front of Sun. He separated Nṛsiṃha’s head from his body. Thereafter, being eulogised by the gods, Vīrabhadra told them that, there is no difference between Nṛsiṃha and him. Nṛsiṃha dissolved within him. So, the person who is devoted to Vīrabhadra or Śiva may worship Nṛsiṃha. After destroying Nṛsiṃha, his akin was used as garment of Śiva, and his head was placed in the centre of the muṇḍamālā of Śiva. —
The Puranic approach of sectarian filching is represented here nicely. It is also noteworthy that in the cult of Nṛsiṃha of the southern part of India, developed a counter episode of that Śaiva version. As per the Tantric “kalpa” account, Nṛsiṃha destroyed Śarabha by taking the eightfaced fierce Gaṇḍaberuṇḍa-Nṛsiṃha form. (Gaṇḍaberunda is a mythological two-faced bird which is exhibited in the temple architectures of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, India (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandaberunda). The form of Gaṇḍaberuṇḍa-Nṛsiṃha is the composite one and he worshipped in the Tantric Nṛsiṃha cult (https://animeshnagarblog.wordpress.com).
[8]:
Śiva.p, 3. 11. 10ff. Also see: Phyllis Granoff: “Saving the Saviour: Śiva and the Vaiṣṇava Avatāras in the Early Skandapurāṇa”, Origin and Growth of the Purāṇic Text Corpus, p. 117-19.
[9]:
Phyllis Granoff: Op. cit., pp. 124-25.