The Date of the Puranas

The Date of the Puranas / Prof. Siva Datt Gyani, M. A., Ph. D., / Mahakosala Mahavidyalaya, Jabalpur. 213-219

[ purananam racana kasminkale'bhuditimam prasnamavalambya vidusam gavesanam dirghakalatpravrttamapi naikamatyaya prakalpate, yatastesam vivecanasya na ko'pi sthira adharo drsyate, lekhe'smin ayam prastava upanyasto yad ekaikasah purananya- nupagrhya tesu pratipaditanam visayanam tulanatmakavimarsena apeksikakalakramasya mimamsa yadi kriyeta tarhi bahusah phalavati bhavet ] The problem of the date of the Puranas is very intriguing and controversial. No particular date or period can be assigned to a particular Purana, but the problem of the date may best be solved by evolving a chronological setting for the Puranic literature in general, special attention being paid to the individual Puranas. The Puranic scholars have tackled in their own way this aspect of the Puranic studies. Scholars from Wilson to Pargiter as also subsequent writers in the field did not try to study the evolution of the Puranic literature as a class by itself. They took into consideration individual Puranas, and discussed their chronology in their own way, thus arriving at divergent results. The earlier scholars stressing on the sectarian and religious matter in the Puranas assigned a very late date to them. Colebrooke relying on the tradition that Bopadeva, the grammarian, was the author of the Bhagavata Purana assigns it to about the 13th century A. D. Vans Vennedy thinks that like the Bhagavata the other Puranas must be of an equally modern date as the Puranas are always held to be eighteen and in most of the Puranas the names of the eighteen including the Bhagavata are enumerated. Wilson 2 realised the difficulty of solving the problem of the 1. Asiatic Researches, Vol. VIII, p. 467; Miscellaneous Essays, Vol. I, p. 104. 1. Researches into the Nature and Affinity af ancient and Hindu Mythology, ch. IV, pp. 19-22; 2. Vishnupurana Vol. I, Preface, p. XVI;

214 puranam - PURANA [Vol. I, No. 2 date of the Puranas and thinks that they are works of different ages compiled under different circumstances. He takes into consideration the religious matter in the Puranas smacking of the popular forms of Hinduism, which, in his opinion, took shape not earlier than the 8th or 9th century A. D., the probable date of Sankaracharya, and were, perhaps finally established during the period when Ramanuja (12th cent A. D.), Madhvacharya (13th cent. A. D.) and Vallabhacharya (16th cent.) flourished. Thus, he assigns to them 'a very modern date.' According to him, the Vishnu-purana may be assigned to about A.D. 1045. But this view may not be tenable as Alberuni' writing in A. D. 1030 gives a list of the eighteen Puranas as occurring in the Vishnupurana. Bana, the author of the Harsha-charita 2 (about A. D. 620) refers to a Purana described by Pavana or Vayu. Dr. Fuhrer thinks that Bana had used the Agni, Bhagavata and Markandeya Puranas as well as the Vayu.3 Discovery of a Bengal manuscript of the Skanda Purana written in the Gupta script shows that the Purana was iu existence in the 7th cent. A. D. References to the Puranas occur in the Milindapanho (earlier than 300 A. D.). Buhler collected many early quotations from and references to the Puranas and pointed out that the account of the future kings in the Vayu-Purana, Vishnu-Purana, Matsya-Purana and the Brahmanda-Purana seems to stop with imperial Guptas and their contemporaries. Thus the Puranas, at least the earlier ones, may have been finalised during the Gupta period. Pargiter interprets the word Bhavishya occurring in the Vayu, Brahmanda and Matsya as the Bhavishya-Purana and not mere 'future' as Keith' thinks, and suggests that the Bhavishyapurana in its early form was the original authority from which the Vayu, the Brahmanda and the Matsya derived their dynastic lists, and the Vishnu and the Bhagavata are the later condensed 1. Sachaus Translation, Vol. I, pp. 130, 131, 264. 2. Cowell and Thomas: Transaction, p. 72. 3. Transactions of the VIth Oriental Congress, Vol. III, p. 205. 4. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, (London), 1903, p. 193. 5. Sacred Books of the East Series, Vol. XXXV, pp. 6, 247. 6. Indian Antiquary Vol. XXV, 1896, p. 323. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, London, 1914, pp. 1021-31.

Feb., 1960] THE DATE OF THE PURANAS 215 redactions based on the same.¹ As for the date of the Puranas, Pargiter takes into account the historical data available in the Matsya, Vayu, Brahmanda, Vihsnu and Bhagavata, and thinks that the first compilation of the historical matter may have been made in the reign of the Andhra king Yajnasri about the end of the second century A. D. According to him, the first certain compilation was made in the original Bhavishya-purana about A.D. 260; soon after which it was incorporated in the Matsya-purana. This account was extended to the rise of the Gupta Kingdom before the year 335 A. D., which augmented compilation is what the Vayu and Brahmanda contain, and the Vishnu and the Bhagavata have condensed. A critical perusal of the Bhavishya account occurring in the Matsya³ Purana clearly shows that the account ends with the Andhras, Gardabhillas, Sakas, Gurundas, Yavanas, Tusharas Mlechchhas, Abhiras and Kilakilas. This clearly reflects the political conditions of India after the down fall of the Kushanas in the second and third century A. D. The Matsya account, thus, ends with the mere mention of Kilakila kings and no manuscript of the Matsya contains anything later. The Andhra kingdom fell about A.D. 236; thus the Matsya account brings the historical narrative down to about the middle of the 3rd century A. D. and no further. The Vayu Brahmanda, Vishnu and Bhagavata carry the narrative to the rise of the Guptas. The Guptas are mentioned as reigning over the country comprising Prayaga, Saketa (Ayodhya) and Magadha, that is exactly the territory ruled over by Chandragupta I (A. D. 319-20 to 329-30) of the Gupta dynasty. The Nagas, Manidhanyas, and others are also mentioned as contemporaries of the Guptas ruling over the neighbouring countries. The account takes no note of Samudragupta's conquests and the Gupta empire. Thus it may be concluded that the account was closed soon after the commencement of the Gupta era or by A.D 4. 335. 1. Pargiter Dynasties of the Kali Age, Introduction, pp. VII-IX. 2. Ibid., pp. XII, XIII; V. A. Smith: Early History of India (Fourth edition), p. 24. 3. Chapter. 273.17-26. 4. Pargiter Dynasties of the Kali Age, Introduction, p. XII.

216 puranam - PURANA [Vol. I, No. 2 According to S. M. Edwardes¹, the Puranas in some shape were already authoritative in the 4th century B. C. on the basis of a reference to Purana in Kautilya's Arthasastra, which directs the king to spend his afternoon in the study of Itihasa comprising Purana, Itivritta, Akhyayika, Udaharana, Dharmasastra and Arthasastra. Jackson thinks that Megasthenes was acquainted with part, at least, of a Puranic cosmogony and with a Puranic description of the upper and lower world. It is a fair conclusion that he had before him the same Purana that has already been shown to have existed from the Vedic times to the second century B. C.; and the contents of which are more or less, reproduced in the more primitive parts of the existing Puranas. The common source of the Puranas, therefore, was compiled not later than the last quarter of the 4th century B. C. Macdonell³ regards the Puranas as old, perhaps, earlier than the Mahabharata and the Mauusmriti. In his opinion, they are connected by many threads with the old law-books (Smritis) and the Vedas, representing probably a development of older works of the same class. R. C. Hazra has tried to fix up the approximate date of the additions of the Dharmasastra matter to the Puranas. In the case of the Markandeya, Vayu, Brahmanda, Vishnu, Matsya and Bhagavata such additions were made during the 3rd to the 7th century A. D. A critical examination of the views of varions scholars as stated above would clearly show that the problem of the date of the Puranas is far from solved. But a critical examination of the references to Puranic literature in other works and a close study of the process of development in the light of the contents of the Puranas would supply us a chronological setting for the Puranic literature as a whole. 1. V. A Smith: Early History of India (4th edition), p. 24. 2. Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Centenary Memorial Volume, p. 72. 3. A History of Sanskrit Literature, p. 299. 4. Puranic Records on Hindu Rites and Customs, pp. 174-177.

Feb. 1960] THE DATE OF THE PURANAS 217 The earliest reference to Puranic literature in the sense of a literary composition is to be found in the Atharvaveda, 1 where the Puranic literature is mentioned along with Rik, Saman, It is also Chkandas and Yajus as produced from Uchchhishta. associated with Itihasa, Gatha, and Narasamsi. This clearly shows that there existed during the period represented by the Atharvaveda, a definite literary form going by the name of the Purana. In the same Veda a reference to Puranavid (one possessing a knowledge of Purana) also occurs which may be associated with Purana. The word occurs also in the Mahabharata and the Puranas in the sense of a person wellversed in the Puranic lore. In the Brahmanas, the Puranic In the Gopatha literature is referred to in several places. In the Brahmana, the Vedas are described as produced along with Kalpa, Rahasya, Brahmana, Upanishad, Itihasa, Anvayakhyana and Purana. In the Satapatha Brahmana, Purana is mentioned with the Vedas and other forms of literature as produced from the breath of Mahabhuta, the Primeval Being. In the same Brahmana, at another place, Adhvaryu is described as reciting Purana, and daily study of the Puranic literature along with other branches of learning is recommended. In the Upanisads also, the Puranic literature is referred to in several places. In these references, Purana is mentioned along with other branches of learning. In the Sutra literature clear and definite references are found to the Puranic literature." The Grihyasutras generally lay down that during the period of impurity due to a relative's death, the accounts of those who enjoyed longevity and the stories from the Itihasa-Purana should 1. II, 40, 420%; 2. Matsya, 60. 1, Padma, Patalakhanda, III, 46, 50. 3. I, 10 4. XIV, 6, 100, 1 5. XIII, 4, 3, 13; XI, 5. 7, 9; XI, 5, 6, 8, 6. Jaiminiya Up. I, 53 Brihadaro nyakop. 11. 4, 40; IV, 1, 2, IV, 5, 11; Chhandogyop. III, 4, 1 III, 2, 4, VII, 2, 1; VII, 7, 1; Taittiriya Ar. II, 9. 7. Sankhayana Grihya I, 2, 11; Sankhayana Srauta XVI, 2, 27; 1, 6, 19, 13; 1, 10, 19, Gautama Dharma, I, 8, 6; II, 2, 19, Apastamba Dharma, 7; II, 9, 23, 3-6; Apastamba Grihya, XIV, 4; Paraskara Grihya. I, 15, 7.

218 puranam - PURANA [Vol. I, No. 2 be heard. More definite information about the Puranic literature is obtained from the Apastamba Dharma-sutra, where verses are quoted from a certain Purana which also occur in the Manusmriti. Then again the same Sutras³ make a definite reference to a passage from the Bhavishyat Purana. In the words of Buhler the passage would run-"They (the ancestors) live in heaven until the (next) general destruction of created things. (After the destruction of the world, they stay again in heaven, being the seed of the new creation)." Kautilya in his Arthasastra mentions Purana under ItihasaVeda which includes Itivritta, Akhyayika, Udaharana, Dharmasastra and Arthasastra also, and this Itihasa-Veda is assigned an equal position with the Atharvaveda (the three Vedas Rik, Yajus and Saman being separately mentioned as scriptures). The Arthasastra further, refers to Itivritta and Purana as necessary to set a king right, who goes astray; it also refers to a Pauranik, whose function was to recite Purana to him. In the epics, too, several references occur to the Puranic literature. The Mahabharatas refers to a Purana proclaimed by Vayu. The Buddhist literature is aware of the existence of the Puranic literature. From the 7th century onwards the Digambar Jainas began to compose their own Puranas.10 With the progress of time, the Puranic literature became so popular that even the Dravidian south adopted it in its literature: The term Purana 1. Asvalayana Grihya. IV, 6, 8. 2. IV, 248-249, C. F, Apastamba Dharma. I, 6, 19, 13; I, 10, 29, 7; Pargiter Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, Chap. III, Indian Historical Quarterly Vol. VIII (Dec. 1932), pp. 749-750. 3. II, 9, 24, 5 6. 4. Sacred Books of the East Series, Vol. II, p. 158. 5. I, 3, 1, 5, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Lon.) 1914, p. 1022. 6. I, 5; V, 3, 6. 7. Ramayana, IV, 62, 3; Mahabharata, I, 1, 40; I, 5, 2; I, 5, 6-7. 8. III, 191, 16. 9. Lalitavistara calls itself a Purana. Passages in the Saddharma pundarika, Karanda-vyuha and Mahavastu resemble those in the Puranas. 10. Winternitz: A History of Indian Literoture, Vol. II, pp. 417-504. 11. Indian Historical Quarterly, Vol. VIII (Dec. 1932) pp. 746-766,

Feb., 1960] THE DATE OF THE PURANAS 219 in the sense of 'semi-legendary and legendary tales' is mentioned in the Silppad dikaram and the Manimeklai which mentions the Vishnu Purana as Kadavaluananpuranam. The Puranic teachings were freely adopted by the Nayanmars and Alavars who preached them throughout Tamil-land. The Linga Purana was wellknown during this epoch. Besides, the Siva, Linga, Matsya, Kurma, Bhagavata, Markandeya, Devibhagavata, Vishnu and Garuda were all translated into Tamil. These references to the Puranic literature occurring in the works dating from the later Vedic period to the seventh century of the Christian era clearly show that during this long period of several centuries, there existed a definite literary form called Purana embodying old traditions, stories etc., which in course of time attained religious sanctity. In most of the earlier references, the word Purana occurs in singular and not in plural as is the case at a subsequent period. This suggests that Purana was originally one but at a later stage it assumed its multifarious form. All this naturally involved a long process of development spreading over many centuries (circa B. C. 1000-circa A. D. 700). (To be continued) 1. XIII, 1, 98. 2. Indian Historical Quarterly, Vol. VII, No. 2, pp. 370-371, 14