Condition 7 - Conclusion

The present Saura-purāṇa, an Upa-purāṇa, is the replacement of the earlier Saura-purāṇa, which was referred to as “sāvitra”, “mahadbhūta” and “sarvārtha-sañcaya” in the Purāṇas. The present Saura-purāṇa also referred as the “Āditya-purāṇa” in some texts such as the Śrikarabhāṣya, and even some Manuscripts of this Purāṇa have been titled so. However, the existence of another Āditya-purāṇa has been recorded by R.C. Hazra. The present Saura-purāṇa was composed between c. tenth to twelfth centuries CE. However, some segments of this Purāṇa, such as the account and doctrinal description of Madhuśarman viz. Madhvācārya was added not before the fourteenth centuries CE. This Purāṇa mainly emphasises the holy places of northern and western India, depicts the regions of northern and western India as sacred place, and also expresses special dislike for the regions of Aṅga, Vaṅga, Kaliṅga, Andhra etc. which are easily identified with modern Orissa, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Terengganu etc. Therefore the scholars opine that this Purāṇa most probably was composed in the north-western part of India.

The smṛti-nibandhakāras such as Śridhara and Hemādri of Maharashtra quoted verses of the Saura-purāṇa in their respective works. Many other scholars like Gadādhara, Vijñānabhikṣu, Gopālabhaṭṭa, Śripati and others attest its importance and popularity. Moreover, mention of this Purāṇa can also be found in the “Revā-khaṇḍa” and “Kedāra-khaṇḍa” respectively of the Skanda-purāṇa

The Saura-purāṇa deals with the five major Puranic characteristics i.e. the creation of universe (sarga), dissolution (pratisarga), genealogy of the gods and sages (vaṃśa), description of cycles of ages or the periods of Manus (manvantaras), and accounts of glories deeds of royal dynasties (vaṃśānucarita). Apart from these, like the other Purāṇas this Purāṇa also contains the different vows like kṛṣṇāṣṭamī-vrata, Anaṅgatrayodaśi-varata, Umā-maheśvara-vrata, Pāśupata-vrata, Ulkā-navamī-vrata etc.; śrāddha-vidhis; rules of prāyaścitta; merit of donations; instructions of the duties of four different stages of life; description of different holy places including Vārāṇasī, Narmadā, Ujjain etc.; instructions related to the worship, merit of devotion and the devotees of Śiva, doctrinal or sectarian conflicts as well as harmony among the Vaiṣṇavas, Pāśupatas and Sauras; philosophical discourses; iconography of the god, goddess, gaṇapatis, demi-gods etc. The accounts of the gaṇas and gaṇeśvaras of Śiva are described in this Purāṇa. This Purāṇa also contains of many stotras. Several art forms such as visual arts, music and dance are also found here.

The Saura-purāṇa contains many ākhyānas and upākhyānas. Among them some accounts are probably found only in this Purāṇa, such as the account of Raktāsura described in the forty-ninth chapter. Some of the upākhyānas of the Saura-purāṇa have similarities (obviously with some variations thereof) with the accounts of other Purāṇas, especially the Liṅga-purāṇa, Kūrma-purāṇa etc.

The Saura-purāṇa, in several places mentioned that it exposed the theories and secret meaning of the Vedas, especially of the Vedānta or Upaniṣads. From the study of this Purāṇa, we can understand that, the philosophical concepts, theological ideas of this Purāṇa is very much influenced by the Śvetāśvataropaniṣad.

Thus the Purāṇas claim that they are continuation of the tradition of the Vedas. The Saura-purāṇa also contains huge Vedic elements. Simultaneously, the historical investigation also reveals many elements of the other traditions apart from the Vedic tradition. The Saura-purāṇa is considered as a great resource like the other Purāṇas in respect of Indian religion and culture during the post-Vedic period.

This Purāṇa is a work of the Puranic Pāśupatas or the Smārta Pāśupata Brāhmaṇas who were worshippers of Paśupati viz. Śiva. However, they considered themselves as the Vedic Pāśupatas. 

Their characteristics as glimpsed from the Saura-purāṇa are as follows:

(i). they used to smear their body with ashes or make tripuṇḍra sign on forehead, using the ashes remaining after sacrificial fire; 

(ii). worshipping of śiva-liṅga with various flowers, leaves, fragrances etc.; uttering the five or six syllabled mantra of Śiva; 

(iii.) studying the scriptures like “Śatarudrīya” section of the Yajurveda, Atharvaśiras Upaniṣad and so on; 

(iv). chanting of Puruṣasūkta, Pavamānasūktas and other sūktas or mantras of the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā; 

(v). they ideologically followed the varṇāśramadharma and the instruction of pañcamahāyajñas, however, for the devotees of Śiva, these rules were subject to relaxation; 

(vi). performing of different Puranic vows where some Tantric elements also included; 

(vii). consideration of the Vedas especially the Vedānta or Upaniṣads as the highest authority in aspects of rites, rituals, philosophy and so on; 

(viii) emphasis was given to sannyāsa for the attainment of the supreme knowledge called as “māheśvara-jñāna” or “Pāśupata-jñāna”; 

(ix). emphasis on liberation as per the Advaitic doctrine of the Upaniṣads. Simultaneously, the concept of liberation as per the doctrine of Dvaitavādī schools also reflected in the mention of “sājujya” and “sārūpya” kind of liberations. However, the types of liberation could be interpreted as the different stages of liberation (“kramamukti”) as in the doctrines of Advaita Vedānta.

An endeavour to show the root of the concept of theological aspects of Śiva and the practices of the Pāśupatas in the Vedas is an important phase of the evolution of the Pāśupatism or Puranic Pāśupatism. The Saura-purāṇa has revealed this important aspect. The process of synthesising the rites and rituals of the so called heretic Pāśupatas (which for the Purāṇas related to Śiva are considered as tāmasa Purāṇas) with that of the Vedas, is depicted in this Purāṇa.

The approaches of the Purāṇas as well as the Saura-purāṇa towards the Buddha and Buddhists, Jainas and Ājivakas as found in this text are common facts of the Indian religious history. Like many other Brahmanical Purāṇas the Saura-purāṇa also undermine the so called heretical religious sects. It may be presumed that in the first stage of composition of the Purāṇas, condemnation of the Buddha and his doctrine along with his followers, were a common subject as understood from Kumārila (c. eighth century CE). However, simultaneously from the c. sixth-seventh centuries CE onwards, the Purāṇas started to proclaim the Buddha as the incarnation of Viṣṇu’s Māyāmoha strategically to abolish the originality of the Buddhists. In the third stage the Buddha is generally accepted in the Brahmanical society as an incarnation of Viṣṇu. That stage has influenced some of the Purāṇas like the Matsya-purāṇa etc. along with the Saura-purāṇa, where the instructions of the worship of the Buddha in some vows can be found. Next, it is noteworthy that the position of the Buddha although evolved in the Purāṇas accordingly, but there was no change in denouncing of the Buddhists and their doctrines in the mentioned three stages of the Purāṇas. Though the Saura-purāṇa is a minor Purāṇa and composed after c. ninth centuries CE but still bears the impressions of all the mentioned stages of evolution regarding the position of the Buddha.

The Saura-purāṇa apparently seems to be related with the Saura cult, but Sūrya was only the narrator of this Purāṇa. The glories of Śiva and Pārvati were depicted in this Purāṇa. Therefore, the Saura-purāṇa mainly belongs to the Puranic Pāśupata cult. The rites and rituals of such Pāśupatas are depicted here in very popular manner to be observed by all castes and classes of the society. So, this Purāṇa is much valued for focusing the Puranic aspects of the Pāśupatism or Śaivism.

The concept of the companions of Śiva i.e. the gaṇapatis along with their various aspects depicted in this Purāṇa, which are very important to trace the development of such concept of the gaṇas or gaṇapatis of Śiva. Apart from this theological aspect, the Saura-purāṇa also highlights the iconographic descriptions, which are very important in the field of art and iconographic studies. Hence, from the Gupta period to the mediaeval era representations of the gaṇas are found throughout the Indian subcontinent.

The devotion to Śiva i.e. bhaktivāda is very agreeably flourished in the chapters of this Purāṇa. As regards of devotion, the Saura-purāṇa very nicely makes synthesis of the recognised paths of karma (work), jñāna (wisdom) and yoga (meditation) too. This Purāṇa is also a valuable document in respect to the bhaktisādhana of the Smārta or Puranic Pāśupatas.

In spite of containing the Pāśupata characteristics the Saura-purāṇa also contains the rituals of the Vaiṣṇavas, Sauras, Śāktas and Gāṇapatyas, and also tries to show the oneness of Bhairava and Narasiṃha; Sūrya and Śiva and so on. Such attempts initially might have been made to incorporate these sects and cults in the fold of the Pāśupatism. However, such attempts further led to the cultural and religious synchronisation, as can be noticed in the later texts.

The philosophical concepts which had continued in the Purāṇas did not follow any particular School of Philosophy. The Philosophical speculations of the Purāṇas bear a composite nature of the Philosophical concepts. Sometimes the Purāṇas holds the mutually antagonistic concepts in its same fold. Therefore, it is very difficult to discern the particular philosophical characteristic of the Purāṇas or any individual Purāṇa. In regard to the philosophical aspects, the Saura-purāṇa assimilates the principles of the Sāṃkhya and Vedanta school of thoughts as per the Puranic tradition by proclaiming Puruṣa as the supreme consciousness who is nothing but Śiva or Maheśvara. The process of creation of the universe begins as desired by him.

We find enriched literary elements in the Saura-purāṇa There are frequent uses of upamā alaṃkāra, among other alaṃkāras. The stotras of this Purāṇa are the master pieces of poetic magnificence.

This analytical study in respect of the Saura-purāṇa has been a humble endeavour to unveil the treasure of socio-religious, philosophical, theological and literary elements that lie hidden in this Purāṇa. For the purpose of proper understanding of the history of culture and religion in the Indian subcontinent, the importance of the Saura-purāṇa cannot be denied. We have tried to have a glimpse of the invaluable materials and historical records in course of our discussion regarding the select segments of the unpublished manuscripts of the Saura-purāṇa, and it has been felt that it is highly necessary to undertake a thorough investigation of all the Upa-purāṇas which unlike the Mahā-purāṇas remain deemphasized by the learned scholars till date.