Contents (Summary) of the Kalikapurana

The Kalikapurana consists of ninety chapters. The work begins with a salution to Purusottama Hari and his illusive Maya. The contents of the Kalikapurana are as follows : $103. Hazra, Studies in the Upapuranas, Vol. 2, p. 9.

40 The first chapter contains the birth of Kamadeva, Brahma's creation of Daksa and other Prajapatis, the ten sages named Marici, Atri etc. and the birth of a damsel named Sandhya. The second chapter describes various names of Kamadeva given by the sages. Brahma gives boon to Madana to become all powerfull. Madana being endowed with the newly acquired power, wants to test it on Brahma and others. Brahma is put to shame by Sankara. The third chapter narrates Brahma's curse on Madana. But on Madana's entreaty Brahma tells that he will regain his body by the grace of siva. This chapter also describes Madana's acceptance of Rati as his wife. The fourth chapter relates that Brahma requests Madana to capture Lord Siva under the influence of love. Vasanta is born. Brahma gives assurance that Madana will be able to influence Siva with the help of Vasanta, Srngara, Bhavas Havas and sixty four arts, already created by him. The fifth chapter deals with Daksa's penance, Brahma's eulogy to Visnu maya to fascinate siva and to become latter's spouse.

41 The sixth chapter contains the consent of Visnumaya to be born as Daksa's daughter and to fascinate siva. Brahma creates Ganas and appoints them as Madana's assistants. The seventh chapter describes how Madana, with the help of Vasanta follows siva to the Himavat, Meru, Natakesvara and Kailasa. But he cannot dissuade sive from mediMadana wants to take a fresh attempt with the help tation. of the Ganas. The eight chapter includes Daksa's prayer to Kali. Kali wears dark complexion appears before him with a lion as her mount. The birth of sati and Narada's blessing on sati are also described in this chapter. The ninth chapter describes the worship of siva by sati offering particular articles on particular days of different months. Brahma and Visnu request sive to marry for the sake of the good of the world. sive wants to know about his suitable bride. Brahma names sati, the daughter of Daksa. Siva agrees and Madana is glad to hear their conversation. The tenth chapter deals with sati's vrata. Siva grants Sati's prayer and wants to take her as his wife. Sati advises siva to take permission from her father

42 Daksa. Siva askes Brahma to arrange the marriage. Brahma meets Daksa, has his consent. The eleventh chapter narrates the marriage procession of siva. Daksa gives away his daughter Sati to Sambhu at an auspicious moment. Brahma looks at the face Therefore, of Sati with amorous desire again and again. siva wants to kill Brahma. Daksa, Narada and Visnu tries to appease him. The twelveth chapter describes the identity of the three gods Brahma, Visnu and siva. Visnu convinces siva giving him the description of the creation of the world. The thirteenth chapter deals with the unity of Brahma, Visnu and siva, based on the principles of the origin of the Universe. The fourteenth chapter relates siva's love sport with sati in the folds of the Himalayas, Kailasa and Mahakos prapata. The fifteenth chapter describes the rainy reason of the Himalayas. sati prefers Kailasa and has lived there for ten thousand divine years.

43 The sixteenth chapter presents the gorgeous description of the great sacrifice of Daksa, where every one is invited except siva and sati. Sati insulted by her father gives up her life with the process of yoga. The seventeenth chapter includes the destruction of the sacrifice of Daksa by siva. The eighteenth chapter shows that siva becomes mad sanaisvara holds siva's tear and throws on with grief. Jaladharake mountain. Lastly Brahma, Visnu and sanaiscara enter sati's dead body, cut into pieces and make these pieces fall at certain holy places on earth. The nineteenth chapter deals with the story of the birth of the lake sipra and the river sipra. The story of Vasistha and Arundhati is also introduced here. The twentieth chapter describes the mountain Candrabhaga and the river of the same name and narrates the story of Daksa's curse on the Moon. The twentyfirst chapter speaks of the removal of curse from which Candra suffers for a long time. The twentysecond chapter deals with the birth of Arundhati.

44 In the twentythird chapter presents the childhood of Arundhati at the hermitage of Medhatithi and her marriage with Vasistha. The twentyfourth chapter contains the prayer to Yogamaya to withdraw herself from siva. Visnu gives siva the insight in to the intricacies of creation, preservation and destruction. This chapter also contains the description of great dissolution. The next seven chapters present the following matters respectively The primary creation by Visnu in the form of Varaha, the description of secondary creation, the manvantara, descrimination between permanence and inpermanance of the world, the Varaha incarnation of Visnu, the fight between Varaha and Sarabha and the story of Yajna Varaha. Next three chapters (i.e. chs. 32-34) deals with (1) the untimely deluge (akalapralaya) and Visnu's incarnation as Fish to save the Vedas, (ii) the story of the fish incarnation, and (iii) the legend of the tortoise incarnation at the end of the akalika-pralaya. The thirtyfifth chapter refers siva had given up his Sarabha body at the request of Brahma. The rites and rituals of the Kapalikas are mentioned here.

45 The Naraka myth has been presented in next five chapters i.e., from thirty sixth to fortieth chapters, Naraka was bornout of co-habitation by Varaha-Visnu with Prathivi. In course of time after Ravana and other Raksaaas were killed Prithivi gave birth to a son at the sacrificial ground of Janaka. Pr thivi requested Janaka to bringup this son until he attained youth. When Naraka was about to complete his sixteen years, Naraka was united with his father Visnu and mother Pr thivi. Visnu anointed Naraka as the king of Pragjyotisa and instructed him to behave like a worthy king. But towards the end of the Dvapara age Naraka acquired friendship with Bana, son of Bali and began to disrespect not only the Brahmins, but also Visnu and Kamakhya. Once Vasisthe came to visit Kamakhya, but Naraka refused to admit him in. Vasistha cursed him and accordingly Kamakhya disappeared from his kingdom. The mother earth being unable to bear the burden of the demons, prayed Brahma, siva and Visnu to remove her burden. As a result Visnu incarnated himself as Krsna, went to Pragjyotisa and killed Naraka in a fierce battle. Bhagadatta, the son of Naraka was anointed as the king of Pragjyotisa. The fortyfirst chapter relates the story of sati's rebirth as Parvati, daughter of the Himalaya.

46 Demon In the fortysecond chapter, Himalaya worships Sambhu. Parvati, with utmost sincerity serves siva entertaining the hope of becoming siva's consort. Taraka begins to tyrannise the three worlds. According to Brahma's suggestion, all the gods tried to get a son from siva and Parvati, who will be strong enough to kill Taraka. At Indra's request, Madana manages to dissuade sive from penance and unite him with Parvati. But he had to sacrifice his life as he was reduced to ashes by the fire of siva's third eye. Another four chapters (i.e. from fortythird to fourty sixth) relate Uma's penance to get, siva as her husband, marriage of siva and Parvati, their happy conjugal life, the story of ardhanariswara, i.e. Gauri's attainment of half of Siva's body, identity of Vetala and Bhairava and also the birth of Skanda. Chs. fortyseventh and fourtyeight presents the birth of Candrasekhara. Mahadeva was born the son of king Pausya, the grandson of Daksa and named Candrasekhara. Parvati's rebirth as the daughter of Kakutstha with the name Taravati and her svayambara. The fortyninth chapter relates the birth story of citrangada, the daughter of the heavenly nymph Urvasi by the king Kakutstha.

47 The chapter fifty describes the birth of Bhairava and Vetala. The fiftyfirst chapter, the sage Kapota tells Vetala and Bhairava the entire incident leading to their birth, the difference between Ksetra and Pitha, the most sacred Pithas of Kamarupa, Vetala and Bhairava got five syllable mantra from Visistha and the worship of samkara by Vetala and Bhairava. The cluster of seven chapters from fiftysecond to fiftyeighth is called the Mahamayakalpa, in which the ritual procedures of worshipping goddess in the form of Mahamaya is prescribed. Then the image of Mahismardini is introduced in a vigorous style and the propitiating methods of Agni, Brahma, Bhavani, Ganesa, Ananta etc. are presented in the ch. fiftyninth. chapter. The Durgamahotsava is the theme of the next The sixtyfirst chapter deals with methods of the of autumnal worship/eighteen handed, sixteen handed and ten handed Mahisasuramardini known respectively as Ugracanda, Bhadrakali and Durga. The story of Sumbha and Nisumbha is told.

48 Etymology of the word Kamakhya, her glory, worship of Kamakhya and Bhuvanesvari, Tripura, sarada and the merit of worshipping the mother goddess in her various menifestations form the subject matter of four chapters (from ch. sixtysecond to sixtyfifth). Ch. sixtysixth produces important matters regarding the mudras or hand gestures to be practised during the worship. Next four chapters, (i.e. ch. sixtyseventh to seventieth) present long lists of offerings and sacrifices including fruits, animals, human, cloths of various material and so on. The seventyfirst chapter explains the three modes of paying obeisance. The power of the amulet called Kamakhyakavaca has been disclosed by Mahadeva to Betala and Bhairava in the Ch. seventysecond. Matrkanyasa, i.e., the letters of the alphabet are to be super imposed on different limbs of the body one by one, forms the subject of the next chapter. Worship of Tripura in different ways finds place in seventyfourth and seventyfifth chapters. The next chapter describes the achievement of siddhi by Vetala and Bhairava. A cluster of four chapters i.e.. (chs. seventyseventh to eightieth) is a diversion from the flows of

49 ritual prescriptions and it takes up the description of the pilgrimages of the North-West Kamarupa. Every sacred place has been introduced here sometimes with a little history or sometimes with a little geographical information. The eightyfirst chapter relates the story of the spread of Vamacara tantricism in Kamarupa as a result of Vasistha's curse. The eightysecond chapter narrates the story of the birth of Lauhitya (i.e. the river Brahmaputra) from Amogha, wife of the sage santanu. The eightythree chapter deals with the emergence of Lauhitya. This chapter narrates how Rema Jamadagnya obliged the father's order and severed the head of his mother with his axe. Rama go to the Brahmakunda and take his bath. He also dugout a channel with his axe and brought down the Brahmaputra. The eightyfourth chapter is on sadacara and the eightyfifth on the rajadharma. The description of the method of Pusya-snana (ceremonical bath taken by a king on the star pusya) is meant for warding off various kinds of evil which is the subject matter of the chapter eighty sixth.

50 Another two chapters i.e. (ch. 87 th and 88 th) present the description of Sakradhvajotsava, ceremony of hoisting a flag staff in honour of Indra to be performed by a king and the performance of Visnuyajna. The Kalikapurana ends with the description of the dynasty of Bhairava and Vetala in the 89 th and 90 th chs. respectively.