The Kalika Purana (literary study)
by Dilip Kumar Goswami | 1997 | 31,244 words
This essay studies the literary aspects of the Kalikapurana, a vital Sanskrit text rich in social, philosophical, and historical content. While previous studies focused on socio-cultural dimensions, this work aims to evaluate the Kalika-purana’s literary merits through various thematic chapters, addressing areas like Rasas and Chandas. The Kalikap...
Chapter 7 - Ethical value of the Kalikapurana
Question may arise, why should we go for an ethical study of the Kalikapurana while going to assess its literary merits. In fact, a literary product can be considered a 'good' work with all its qualifying capacities, but such a piece can be considered a 'great' work when it conveys certain high ideals to the society. The discussions carried on in the previous chapters prove that the Kalikapurana though a technical treaties contains a lot of literary element. The Kalikapurana besides a metrical composition displays all the essential qualities of a Kavya. All the literary efforts in the ancient India were meant to deliver some moral lessons. Following such a tradition, the Kalikapurana also propagates certain moral conducts in the society. Before going to sort out the ethical elements from the Kalikapurana, it will be needful to understand what ethics is ? The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics states that "Its subject matter is human conduct and character, not as natural facts with a history and casual connexions with
154 other facts, but as possessing value in view of a standard 1 or ideal". The Longman Dictionary mentions 2 "The science which deals with morals". R.L. Devi says "ethics is the study and evaluation of human conduct in 3 light of moral principles". The meaning of the ethics is laid down by the Oxford English Dictionary * ethics means the science of morals", 4 es Like some other social and philosophical disciplines, ethics is not to be treated as a separate study in Indian context. Morality, in fact, is regarded as a necessary ground of social and religious competance. An ethical note prevails in the whole range of Sanskrit literature. It is indeed true that every literary effort in ancient India was made to deliver the massage of morality among the masses. And this effort is more conspicuously displayed in the Puranas. As the Puranas are religious in character and as they are related to a typical story telling device, hence it can reach the people easily and therefore Puranas are accepted as the postulates of morality by the 1. 2. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, 5. p.414. Longman, Dictionary of Contemporary English, p. 346. 3. R.L. Devi, Ethics, Preface 4. Oxford English Dictionary, Vol. 3 . p. 329.
155 Moreover, the Puranas Indian People. The main aim of the Puranas is to attract the attention of the common people. are meant for teaching good conduct and behaviour to the people. They prescribe laws and customs for leading a healthy life. It is interesting to observe that a large portion of the total literary output of ancient India have got some ethical value. For example, the Roveda, the great Mahakavyas the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the Upanisads and the Puranas are full of moral codes. This ethical character of the ancient literary works influences every Indian in every step of their lives. In particular, ethical characters have impressed upon moral conducts deeply. Also lives of greatmen remind us that their lives were moulded and their moralities determined under influences from the Vedas, Puranas, Upapuranes, Upanisads and so on. The Kalikapurana is not an exception to it. It contains lot of akhyanas having moral lessons. such ethical values can be sorted out under independently as being discussed below. Almost every Purana teaches general conducts which are to be followed by every member of a society and particularly by the house-holders. The Kalikapurana teaches the householders to control the emotions and passions like anger,
156 envy, pride etc. When Mahadeva gets transformed to linga due to his depression for the absence of sati, the gods advised him to giveup his sorrow in this way sokahkrodhasca lobhasacakamomohah paratmata / Irsyamanou vicikitsa krpasuya jugupsata // dvadasaite buddhinasahetabo manaso maich // 18.31-822 Melancholy, anger, attachment, sexurge, mind, slavery, envy, pride, suspicion, pity, arrogance and condemnation are the twelve sins which are the causes of the loss of wisdom of the heart. In another verse, Brahma, the creator speaks of fourteen types of vices, which prevent knowledge. sokolobhah krodhamohou ca himsa mano dambho madamohapramodah / irsyasuyaksantirasatyata ca caturdasa jnananasa hi dosah // 19.7 The fourteen deficiences that obstruct wisdom are sorrow, covetousness, anger, perplexity, violence, selfconceit, deceit, arrogance, bewilderment, carelessness,
157 envy at other's success, fault finding nature, impatience and falsehood. When a man can conquer these fourteen types of vices, he becomes a wiseman. The Kalikapurana also suggests as to the behaviour of a husband. A sweet home is possible only through the mental understanding of both husband and wife. Otherwise, a home becomes a place of suffering and bitterness. In this regard the following ethical voice is found in the Kalikapurana tosayet satatam bharyabidhivatpanipiditah / tasam tustya tu kalyanamakalyanamato'n yatha // 20.59 Married wives should be pleased and well behaved also says by their husbands. 5 In this regard Manusmrti thus strinam sukhodyamakruram vispastatha manoharam / mangalyam dirgnavarnantamasirvadabhidhanavat // In the Kalikapurana Daksa advised Candra to take responsibility of all his wives and behave them equally 5. Manusmrti, 2.33.
158 samam vartasva bharyasu baisamyamtvam parityaja / vaisamye bahevo dosa brahmana parikirtitah // 20.31 O Candra, treat equally all your wives, giveup your unequal treatment, the discrimination (meted out to wives) involves many faults, it is stated by Brahma. Another suitable ethical code is found in the mouth of Candra's wives except Rohini that bahudarah puman yastu ragadekam bhajetstriyam / sa papabhakstrijitas ca tasyas oucam sanatanam 20-54 It a polygamous person due to attachment co-habits with only one among his wives, he becomes a henpecked husband, a sinner and always unclean. This type of practice is not prevalent now a days but in a polygamous society, this statement must had the some moral value. It is a religious work with a prophecy on spiritual It glorifies Goddess in her various manifestaupliftment. tions. A devotee with sincere devotion for her can pave his way to final liberation. The Kalikapurana recomends the nine different methods of practising bhakti as we have already discussed in the chapter on the Rasa (see pp. 107-139 ". By practising these methods a devotee should find deep attachment with the Supreme Lord. He should be true to his devotion.
159 It is interesting to note that the Puranas have laid down ethical norms mainly for the married woman with husband and not for unmarried girl and widow. All the Puranas hail the chastity of woman. Woman's primary duty is towards her husband. The Kalikapurana also proclaims that a physically and mentally chaste lady is adorable through the ages. The Kalikapurana cites the example of the graceful lady Arundhati who is hailed due to devotion to her husband. The character of a woman is highly valued in the Kalikapurana says that a lady devoted to her husband or a widow of good character is entitled to spin the sacred thread kanya ca kartayet sutram pramada ca patibratta / vidhava sadhusia va duhkhasila na kartayet // 59.49 It It is a common feature of almost all the Puranas that they devote one or more chapters to enumerate rajadharma. The Kalikapurana discusses rajadharma in detail and prescribes moral codes for kings. In ch. 84, sage Aurba discloses before king Sagara the secrets of success of a king through moral strength. The sage Aurba emphasises on the control of five sense organs by a king. In a very beautiful simile it says that the five sense organs are the five horses, the body is the chariot, the soul is the hero in the chariot, the knowledge is the whip and the mind is the charioteer.
160 pancendriyani pancasvah sariram ratha ucayate/ atma rathi kasa jnanam sarathirmana ucayate // 84.18 A king should tame well the horses (sense organs) keep the charioteer (the mind) under his control and hold the whip (the knowledge) properly, so that he can keep his body firmly. asvan sudantankurvit sarathim catma no vasam kasa drdha sada karya sarirasthirata tatha // 84.19 character. The Kalikapurana put much emphasis in building up a strong It says a king should practise virtues such as patience, resoluteness, effort, elloquency, discretion dexterity, perserverence, charity, friendlyness, gratefulness, truthfulness, purity, firmdecision, good conduct, worship of the preceptor and gods, absence of envy and anger. dhrtih praglabhyamutsaho vakpatutvam vivecanam / dakstvam dharayisnutvam dana maitrikrtajhata // drdhsasanata satyam saosam mativiniscayam/ parabhiprayaveditvam caritram dhairyamapadi // klaesadharanasaktisca gurudevadvijarcanam / anasuya haykopitvam gunanetannr po'bhyaset// 84. 30-32.
161 The king should destroy the excess of lust anger, greediness, merriment, pride and ardent passion. kamah krodhasca lobhasca harso mano madastatha / etantisayan raja satruniva visata yet // sevyah kale samyuktao te lobhagarvao vivarjayet // 84.39 The Kalikapurana proclaims that the truth is the supreme resort satyamekam parayanam. raksaniyam sada satyam satyamekam parayanam / ksamam tejasvitem caive prastava nrpe aceret // 84.49 b. 50 a. The king is advised also to control his senses including the mind while enjoying the earthly pleasure. He has also been advised to persuic his knowledge and mental powers which would help him to be firm. He should seek his own welfare by controlling his organs and placing himself in the path of knowledge. tathendriyani nratirvisayanam perigrahe / svavasyani prakurvita mano jnanam drdham tatha// ato nrpah svaindriyani vasekrtva manastatha/ jnanemargamadhisthaya prakurvita manohitam // 84. 22.24.
162 The Kalikapurana further states (84.30) that the king becomes easily vulnerable to his enemies if he is not equipped with adequate knowledge of the sastras and not self controlled. He should, besides, cultivate a number of good qualities of head and heart if he desires to overcome his enemies and became sucessful in the administration of his kingdom. He should not indulge in seven great faults arising out of mrgayasakti, dyutakrida, atyantastrisambhoga, panadosa, arthadusan, vakparusya and danda parusya. He should uphold truth and become truthful, should forgive and become truthful, should forgive and become strong as the situation. The Kalikapurana lays special emphasis on king's duties to himself, to his family, to brahmanas and to the society at large. Quite in keeping with the fourfold aim of life, the king is advised to strive for the realisation of the three fundamental aims (trivarga): dharma-artha-kama, paving the way for the fourth one: moksa. The responsibility of the rulers in maintaining the social order (varngrama) is also emphasised in the Kalikapurana satkarmasuniyunjita raja vipransamantatah / tathaiva ksatriyadimsca sve sve dharme niyojayet // 85.6
163 The king should place the four varnas in their respective social positions and those who deviate from their own status or dharma should be restrained and be re-instated in their original ones. One can relish the taste of nectar from a few sweet words uttered by some one. Therefore Visnupurana says a speaker should never indulge in harshness rather one should greet his friends and foes with sweetest of words priyamevabhidhatavyam sastu nityam dvisatsu ca (10. 24.16). In the same tune the Kalikapurana says vaknarusyam ca sarvatra naiva kuryat kadacana / 84. 492 It is interesting to note that the Kalikapurana prescribes offering of liquor to goddess at the time of worshipping Kamakhya. sitasammisritam dattva suram madhusamanvitam / deviloke ciram sthitva raja ksititale bhavet // 70.21 If a devotee offers liquor mixed with sugar and honey to the goddess, he resides in the abode of the goddess for a long time and then becomes a king on the earth. But while enumerating sadacara the Kalikapurana itself says that one must not be an addict to liquor.
164 bhoktabyam svzecchaya bhuyo na kuryallobhamasave 84.25 a The eating is unavoidable, therefore he should eat; and must not be an addict to liquor. It is because drinking is the cause for doing prohibitted things and giving up the right action. akaryakarane bijam krtyanamca vivarjane / 84.45 Even a habitual drunkard is to be punished with death sentence. rukmasteyi surapasca brahmaha gurutalpagah / atmanam ghatayedyastu tasya punyapradovadah // The killing of a old-thief, a habitual drunkers a brahmana killer, one who commits adultery with the wife of the preceptor (or father) and one who intends to commit suicide (their assassination) turns out to be virtuous act. Boons and curses are pronounced profusely in the Kalikapurana These can be pointed out as a technique used by the poet of the Kalikapurana to render moral teachings. In this stories acts of virtue are always rewarded with boons and those of vice are condemned with curse by which consequences of good and evil deeds are warned again and again by analysing them with the help of illustrations in stories. In the Kalikapurana
165 it is seen that Dakse attained boon by the grace of Mahamaya. In the same way the story of the citrangada reveals that results of good deeds are always good. On the otherhand Candra had to suffer from the curse of Daksa for doing misbehaviour to his wives except Rohini. such other stories of curse are found in the Kalikapurana, i.e. the curse of Vasistha to Naraka, the curse of Parvati to Bhrngi and Mahakala etc. The Puranas are abound in the subhasitas. The subhasita is generally, though not strictly, a wise saying having an object of teaching practical wisdom or moral lesson. These are found scattered all over the Sanskrit literature right from the Vedas and Upanisads. Puranas contain a large number of them. It has already been mentioned that subhasitas are sometimes defined as puranesvitihasasu tatha ramayanadisu vecanam sarabhutam yattatsubhasitamucyate. It must be admitted that all the subhasitas found in the Puranas are not composed by the Purana writers. Some are collected from other sources like Hitopadese Mahabharata etc. and are used to fit in their own purpose. The Kalikapurana also exhibits the same feature and provides moral lessons with the help of wise sayings. The Kalikapurana like other Puranas emphasises on the welfare of the others. It says -
166 ekasya yatra nidhane probrtie dustakarinah / bahunam bhavati ksemam tasya punya prodo vadhah // 20, 43. when the killing of one wicked person is meant for the welfare of many, by killing him one earns virtues. Happiness of sorrow comes to every living being including man, these two move in cyclic order like a wheel. In fact nobody can avoid it. However, the wise always adopt protective measures against such happenings. In this regard Kalikapurana says nahi manyustvaya karyah sukhe duhkhe saririnam / cakravet parivartate naitabhyam kou'pi hiyate // param tatra pratikarah karyodhirairvibhutaye / 39. 45-46 a We should respect elders. In this regard, the Kalikapurana mentions a valuable saying through the mouth of Uma. mahatmanam ca yo nindam srnoti kurute'thava // tayoragah samam purvam maya tatamukhacchutam / 43, 92 b-93 a Both of them equally share the sin, he who reviles the great soul and he who listen to it. found in the Bhavabhuti's writ ing's. Similar verse is Anybody should
167 not speak ill of respectable person. Such condemnation brings sins to both the speaker and the hearer. It is a generalised valuable saying, essential for every one. The noble ones donot transgress the limit of decency. In this regard the Kalikapurana speaks na sandhyavatibhedena pravartante' trasajjanah 44. 3 a One should not be rediculed because of one's law caste, joblessness (poverty), bad appearance, lack of generosity and one having one limb less or one more. In this regard the Kalikapurana says jatihinam vrttihinam rupahinam daksinam / hinangamtiriktangam tena dosena naksipet // A few examples quoted above can prove that the Kalikapurana has taken the responsibility to impart moral knowledge It has certain message for the society, to it's readers. which has been considered quality of a good poetry.