Discussion on the Kalki Purana

Discussion on the Kalki Purana [kalkipurana vimarsah] / By Paranjape Vinayak Sharma ; Deccan College, Poona. / 179-187

[The author here presents a brief introduction to the well known work, the Kalki - Upapurana, which, according to him, is not mentioned in any list of the Upa-puranas, nor is any verse of it found quoted in Dharma-sastra-nibandhas. He tries to ascertain the authorship, time (between 1200-1800 A. D.) and place (Uttar Pradesh) of its composition. The purana consists of 6100 verses and is the most important of all other Upapuranas. To prove the fact that the purana is a Vaisnava one, a number of reasons have been here adduced. By summarising the main theme of the purana he traces out the possible original sources from which the author might have borrowed its subject-matter and reconstructed it in detail through his genius. The work, as the writer holds, appears to be a merely extention or a natural development of the brief account of Kalki, the tenth incarnation of visnu. The story of Kalki is found briefly narrated in many puranas and the writer has made a comparative study of the various Kalki-stories of the puranas in this article.] vedavanmayamiva puranavanmayamapi bharatiyanam pramanatvena angikrtesu granthesu antarbhavati, athapi veda yatha avicchinnaya gurusisyaparamparaya varnamatraksaravikrtim vinadyapi upalabhyante nasti tadrsi sthitih puranavanmayasya iti tu janantyeva sarve | sataso varsani tada tadavasyakah visayah tesu tesu puranesu samavesitah abhuvan ityapi vimarsakanam sarvesam suparicitameva | satyevam purananam desa- kalakartrnirdharanamatyantam kastasadhyamiti tu suspastameva | 1. bharatetihasa samsodhana mandale pathitah nibandhah |

180 puranam - PURANA [Vol. X., No. 2 mahapurananam samkhya astadasa iti tu suniscitameva | tesam pariganana- visaye'pi vayusivapuranayoh vaikalpikam samavesam vihaya nasti anya viprati- pattih | tesam tesam purananam mulam svarupam kidrsam, kada kada va tesam vistarah samanani ityapi tavad varttate'tyantah vipratipannah visayah | evamevosapurananam samkhyavisaye, parigananavisaye laksanavisaye ca daridrsyate 'vyavastha | yato hi matsyapurane kevalam caturnamevopapurananam nirdesah drsyate | tani ca narasimha, nandipuranam, sambapuranamadityapuranam ceti | kurmapurane tavadastadasosapuranani nirdistani | kinca skandapuranasya revakhande kurmapuranad bhinnanyevastadasopa- puranani nirdistani santi | tatrava prabhasakhande tato'pi vibhinnanyupapuranani saksatkurmah | garudapurane tu tebhyo'pi bhinnanam kesamcidusapurananam samavesah drsyate | evamanyesvapi mahapuranesu upapurananam parasparabhinnani namanyupalabha- mahe | prayah samesam samkalane satadhika samkhya syadupapurananam tatra puranesu pariganitanam | kadacidekamevopapuranam namabhedena nirdistam bhavati cettatrapi kanicit prakasitani santi, anyani ca bhavanti hastalikhitanyeva kevalam | kanicittu kevalam namnaiva jnayante | vimarsartham svikrtam kalki puranam tupapuranesvanyatamam tatrapi visnudevatakesu gaunavibhage'sya samavesah karttavyo bhavati | yani prathitani astadasosapuranani santi, tesu nastyantarbhavah kalkipuranasya | prathitanamastadasanamupapurananam nibandhanam tavad khristabdasya pancamasatakamarabhya dasamasatakam yavadabhuditi tu sapramanam sadhayitum sakyate | yatah matsyapuranasya racana khristabdasya sasthe satake asit paripurna iti sarve eva vimarsaka angikurvanti | ataeva matsya- purananirdistanam caturnam narasimhadinamupapurananam nirmitih tato'pi pracinakale asiditi nirdharayitum sakyam | hemadriprabhrtayo dharmasastranibandhakarttarah prayah khristabdasya dvadasasatabdyah arvacinah samullikhanti sviyesu dharmasastra granthesu astadasapuranani, samuddharanti ca tebhyo'pi kamscana svamataposakan samdarbhan | tena ca parinisthitanamastadasanamupapurananam racana dasamasatake khristabdasya paripurna asiditi nirdharayitum sakyate |

July, 1968] kalki puranavimarsah 181 kalkipuranam tavannasti nirdistamupapuranatvena mahapuranesu napi va dharma- sastragranthesu | na caikamapi vakyam kalkipuranagatam samuddhrtam dharmasastragranthesu saksatkurmah | tena ca kalkipuranam stristabdasya dvadasasatabditah uttare kale viracitamiti angikarttavyam bhavati | pra . hajaramahodayah asyopapuranasya pracinatamam hastalikhitam khristabdasya 1005 tame varse likhitamupalabhyate iti spastam nirdisati | tena ca khristabdasya dvadasasatabditah astadasasatakam yavat asyopapuranasya grathanamabhuditi siddhameva | pra . hajaramahodayah sviye upapuranavimarsakhye granthe asya puranasya racana vangadese eva samvrtta ityapi sviyam matam prasthapayati | tatra svamatasadhanartham pradarsitam pramanam tavadetavata yad vangalipilikhitanyeva hastalikhitani asya granthasya upalabhyante, nanyalipilikhitani ityetadrsam bhavati | tatra tu etavadeva vaktum sakyate, yadito'pi paravarttini kale anyalipilikhitam kalkipuranam anyaprante- supalabdham bhavedityasti sambhavana | kincanyadesagatamusapuranamidam naikaih karana- visesaih vinastam syadityapi sambhavyate | samagram ca kalki puranam paryalocya etavattu vaktum sakyam yat puranasyasya lekhakah bhavatyauttara eveti | yato hyatra purane nirdistesu sthalanadiparvatadisu samesamauttaranameva samavesah krto'sti | tatha hi kalkinah janmabhumih sambhalagramah rathaprayah gangayasca madhyadesagatah dillitah catvarimsad yojanani dure muradabadavibhage'sti | talemi mahodayenapi sambhalagramasya ullekhah krto'sti | kalkinakrantah vijitasca desah magadhah idanintanah viharapradesah | bauddhan parajitya kalki prapto'ti himalayam | tatrapi varttate samullekhah haridvarasya | kalki sahayakah maruh suryavamsasamudbhutah sasti rajyamayodhyam nagarim sthitva | kalkinah dvitiyah sahayah devasistu candravamsasamudbhutah hastinapure rajyam karoti | kalkina tapaso'nusthanartham nirdharitam ksetram cakratirtham vilvodakesvaram vetyubhe api bhavatah himalayaparisare kalkinah vidyopadesakah parasuramah agacchati mahendraparvatat | sasidhvanah janmantare'pi gandakyah tire eva vasatim krta- vanasit | tatra purane auttaradesabhinnasya nirdesah kevalam simhaladesasyaiva bhavati | 10

182 puranam- PURANA [Vol. X., No. 2 simhaladuhita padmavati parinita'sti kalkina | tatrapi ca simhalasya viduram sthitih sucita bhavati sukasya kalkinasca gatagatam kurvatah varnanaprasangena | yadi nama puranasyasya lekhako'bhavisyad daksinatyah avasyam daksinadesagatam parvatanadinagaradi avarnayisyat | etavata kalkipuranasya lekhakah uttaradesagatah iti nirnitam bhavati | kalkipuranasya vaisnavatvam pra . hajaramahodayena nirdistam tatra puro nirdistani pramanani avasyam vicaraniyani bhaveyuh | ( 1 ) asya puranasya pratyadhyayam 'anubhagavate ' iti nirdesah prastavanayam casya puranasya bhagavatasyaiva purako'yam granthah iti nirdesasca vaisnavatvam spastam kurutah | 2 ) visnordasanamavataranam varnanam vaisnavatvam puranasya asya sadhayati iti vaktum sakyate | ( 3 ) catvarimsata slokaih samksipta ramasya caritramapi samavesitam purane 'smin vaisnavatvam sthapayati | ( 4 ) simhalarajasuta padmavati visnupujanamevopadisati svayam ca visnu- stotrani gayati | (5) kalkinah vidyopadesah saksat parasuramena eva krtah | (6) kalkinam nigrahayitum parabhavayitum ca prabhavati susanta svapatina sasidhvajena visnubhaktimahatmyadeva | ( 7 ) sasidhvanasutayai, kalkiparinitayai ramayai parasuramenopadistam vratamasi rukminivratameva | ( 8 ) prasangagatam gangadevyah stotramapi vaisnavatvam sadhayitumalam | ( 9 ) santasasidhvanayoh janmantare grdhrayoh satoh gandakyastire mrtyuh nrpakule janmavaptisca vaisnatvamasya paranasyeti sucayati || 'bhale tripundram karmanga ' kesaparyantamujjvala ' miti varnitam tripundramapi vaisnavatvasucakameva |

July, 1968] kalki puranavimarsah 183 etavatopapuranamidam visnudevataya mahatmyam samsthapayitu samvardhayitum ca uttarapradese khristabdasya dvadasasatabditah astadasasatabdim yavadviracitamabhuditi nirdharitam | itah param puranasyasya bahirangaparicayam sampadya antarangam paricayayitum prayatamahe | prathamam tavadatra kalkipurane varnyamanasya kalkinah visnordasamavatarasya puranantaresu kriyamanam varnanameva paryalocayamah visnupurane caturthese ayamamsah upalabhyate | srautasmarttadharme viplavamatyantamupagate ksinapraye ca kalavasesajagatsrastuh caracaraguroradimayasyantamayasya sarvamayasya brahmamayasya vasudevasyamsah sambhalagrama- pradhana brahmanasya visnuyasaso grhe astagunarddhisampannah kalkirupo sakalamleccha- dasyudustacarana cetasamasesanamaparicchinnamahatmyat ksayam karisyati | srimadbhagavate prathamaskandhe trtiye'dhyaye bhavatyayam slokah- 'athato yugasandhyayam dasyuprayesu rajasu | janita visnuyasaso namna kalkih jagatpatih || ' mahabharate vanaparvani 188 tame'dhyaye bhavanti slokah- 'kalki rvisnuyasa nama dvinah kalapracoditah | utpatsyate mahaviryo mahabuddhiparakramah || ' sambhutah sambhalagrame brahmanavasathe subhe | manasa tasya sarvani vahananyayudhani ca || upasthasyanti yodhasca sastrani kavacani ca | sa dharmavijayi raja cakravartti bhavisyati || sa cemam sakalam lokam prasadamupanesyati | utthito brahmano dithah ksayantakrdudaradhih || sa samksepo hi sarvasya yugasya parivartakah | sa sarvatragatanksudran brahmanaih parivaritah | utsadayisyati tada sarvanmlecchaganan dvinah ||

184 puranam - PURANA [Vol. X., No. 2 evamanyesvapi mahapuranesu kalkinah varnanam samu labhyate | sarvatra puranesu samana amsah bhavanti etavantah | (1) kaliyugasyantime bhage kalkinah avataro bhavita | (2) sa kalki adharmam adharmaparamsca mlecchanutsadya dharmam samsthapayisyati | (3) sambhalagramanivasino visnuyasaso brahmanasya grhe utpatsyate kalki (4) navinamasvamaruhya khangena satrun samharisyati iti | evam dirghaparamparaya samagatam puranesu upanibaddham kalkicaritamasritya tasyaiva vistarah kalki puranalekhakena puranakavyadivanmayam paryalocya svabuddhivibhavena krta iti tu suspastam bhavati | tatra prathamikyam bahirangaparyalocanayam karttavyayametavanamsah prathamam manasi nirdharaniyah bhavati | puranamidam nativistrtam | purane'smin santi kevalam 35 adhyayah | tena bhavanti trisu amsesu vibhaktah | tatra prathamem 'se 7 adhyayah, dvitiye'pi 7, trtiye tu varttante 11 adhyayah | granthante'nu- kramanikadhyayasya samnivesah krtah iti tu navinyamiva puranasyasya manyamahe | trtiyemse 11 tame'dhyaye 28 tamah slokah grantha samkhyamaha - sakalasiddhidam loke satsahasram satadhikam | sarvam sastrarthatattvanam saram srutimanoharam || | prathamarthe varnita tavatsamkhya bhavati 6100 parimita | vidyamane mudrite purane mumbapuryam kalikattanagaryam ca prayah bhavati slokasamkhya samana | kalikata- mudritapustake santi 135 prsthani pratiprstham ca bhavanti samanyatah 12 slokah | evam ca ahatya bhaveyuh 1600 slokah | atra sambhavyate lekhakapramadah | mulapathah kadacidevamapi syat "loke sahasram satsatadhikam | lekhakena tu sahasrasatsabdayoh parivrttih krta syat | yadva sampadakena svamatya evam parivartana krtam bhavet | tasya nirnayastu hastalikhitasya paryalocanena karttavyo bhavet | eva- mapi parikalpayitum sakyam yat vistrtam 6100 slokatmakam kalkipuranam syat pracinam | idanimupalabhyamanam tu tasyaiva granthasya samksipta avrttih bhavatiti | puranasthabahirangaparicayam sampadya antarangaparicaye karttavye upapuranasya laksanamadhikrtya karttavyo'sti vicarah |

July, 1968] kalki puranavimarsah 'sargasca pratisargasca vamso manvantarani ca | vamsanucaritam caiva puranam pancalaksanam || iti || ' 185 yadyapi puranamiti samanyah sabdah laksanasloke'tra nirdistah tathapi mahapuranapara eva svikarttavyo bhavati | yato hi sargadini pancalaksanani sarvesu mahapuranesu upalabhyante eva | kinca upapuranesu kesucidapi pancapi laksanani sargadini nopalabhyante | evamtve upapuranasya kincit svatantram laksanamavasyakam bhavati | tasya laksanasya gavesanayam krtayamapi nopalabhyate tavata tadrsamusapurana- laksanamasmabhih | yadi sargasca pratisargascetyadi laksanameva upapurananamapi samgama- niyamityucyate kenacittadasi samgamayitum na sakyate yato hi kalkipurane pancasu laksanesu sargadisu kevalam vamsanucaritamupalabhyate | trtiyemse caturthe'dhyaye maroh kalkinah sahayabhutasya rajnah utpattim varnayata candravamsiyanam rajnam varnanam purane- 'smin samavesitamasti | evam ca vamsanucaritamekam laksanam svikrtya pancalaksana- tmakam puranalaksanam katham samgamaniyamiti tu cintyameva | kalki puranagatayah kathayah samksepo'tra vacakanam krte pradarsyate- visnuyasasah patni sumatih asuta caturhastam balakam | prarthanasamanantaram ca samanyam manusam rupam ghrtam balakena | maharsibhirupadistah visnuyasah kalkiti nama cakara putrasya | parasuramena svayamupanitah kalki vilvodakesvaraksetre samkara- maradhya varamavrnot | prathamena varena vayujavam devadattamasdham dvitiyena vedamayam sukam, trtiyena ca vajrasaram khangam lebhe | grham pratinivrtte kalkini sukah svecchaya bhramyan simhaladesam jagama | simhaladuhita padma sivena 'kalkinah bharya bhuya ' ityanugrhita | rajakanyam ca tam savikarena cetasa pasyatah purusasya stritvaprapti- rasi sivenodghosita | nrpena kanyayah svayamvare samayojite rucirasvadayah rajanah svayamvararthamagatah sasprham rajakanyam pasyantah stritvam prapuh | rajaduhita- yasca satitvena vyaharan | samagram vrttantam rajakanyayah vijnaya tamasvasya prati- nivrttah suka kalkinam simhalam desamaninaya | padmayah kalkinasca vrtta vivahe kalki sambhalagramamindrajnaya visvakarmana visalanagararupena viparinamitam pratya- jagama | vivahasaukhyamanubhuya kokatam desamabhigamya kalki ninam yuddhe tad bhrataram

186 puranam - PURANA [Vol. X,, No. 2 suddhodanam tadanuyayinah bauddhamsca parajigye | tatasca mlecchastribhirakrantah kalki tasam sastrani samstambhayamasa | mlecchannihatya ca kalki cakratirthe snatva haridvare ksetre gangayam snatva balakhilyadinam rsinam pidam parihartum kuthodarim raksasim samjahara | gacchata kalena ca kalkinah maruna devapina ca samgatamabhut | atrantare dandina kenacana vanite krtayugasya prarambhe visakhayupena rajna pracoditah kalki digvijayaya pratasthe | tatra ca prathamam kalim vinasya tatsahayayoh kokavikokayoh vinasam sapadi mustidvayaghatena sampaditavan karuki| sasidhvajam parajitya tasya kanyam ramam pariniya kalki nagapurim kancanim pravisat | tatra ca visakanyam mocayitva svargam pranidhaya tam | digvijayat pratinivrttah kalki svapituh visnuyasasah yajnanusthane sahayyamakarot | yajnanusthanam parisamapya visnuyasah visnulokam nagama | parasuramenopadistam rukminitratamanusthitavatyah ramayah putrapraptim srutva prasannah kalki svakiyam avatarakarya samjahara | upari samksepato nirdistayam kathayam drstiksepamatrenaiva puranasyasya lekhakena kalkicaritamupabrmhayitum ke va amsah puranantarebhyah uddhrtah santi iti jnatum sakyate puranakathaparicayavata kenapi vidusa | tasyaiva dinmatram pradarsanam atra kurmah | 1 - kalkinah sivopasanam varatrayapraptisca mahabharatagatayah pasupatastra - kathayah svikrta syaditi spastam bhavatyeva | 2 -- khadgena sahaiva asvaratnasya sukrasya ca praptih ityayamamsah lekhakena banabhattaviracitayah kadambaryah tanmulabhutat kathasaritsagaradva samgrhitah iti sambhavyate | 3 - simhalesakanyayah padmaya upayamanam tu harsaviracitaratnavali- natikatah svikrtam syallekhakena iti varnayitum sakyam | 4 - sukrasya dautyam sarvatha anukaroti damayantikatham iti tu anivedita- masi jnayate eva |

July, 1968] kalki puranavimarsah 187 5 - padmavatyah sabhilasadarsanamatrena purusasya stritvapraptih iti kalpana tu navineva bhati | bhagavate tavadaranyavisesam pravistasya nrpasya stritvalabhah upavarnitah | tasmadeva ca svikrtah syadayamamsah iti kalpayitum sakyate | 6 - kokavikokayoh kalisahayayoh sahodarayoh purane'sminnullikhitah | ekasya vadhe sampadite'si aparah kascana visesah darsanamatrena mrtam bhrataram ujjivayati iti prayah kathamso'yam mahabharatagatayah narasamghakathayah sphuritah syatkaveh iti cintayamah | tatra idamasi anusamdheyam | krsneneva brahmana atra purane akasavanidvara kalki bodhitah sapadyeva ubhabhyam mustibhyam kokavikokayoh danavayoh sirasi praharam krtva tau ghatitavaniti | 7 - sasidhvajakhyanam tu samagrameva mahabharataduddhrtya kavina atra samnivesitam iti tu suspastameva | 8 - sapabhrastayah gandharvaduhituh visakanyatvapraptih kalkidarsanena sapanmuktisca tasyah ahalyakatham smarayati iti vaktum susakam | 9 - kuthodari kalamjarapatni vindhyahimacalau vyapya sthita | tasyah stanat ksiranadi prabhavat | tasyah nihsvasamatrena vyaghrasimhadayo'pi bhasmasada- bhuvannatavya saha | sasainyasya kalkinah kuthodarya evodare samavesah krtah | khadgena tasya udaram vidarya kalki sasainyah bahiragamat | iyam samagra katha tavat tratika, putana ramayanagata ca raksasi ityetasam samuditanam samgrahena nirmita bhavet | 10 -- sambhalagramasya visvakarmana ramyanagaritvaprapanam tavat mayasurena nirmitayah nagaryah kathayah svikrtam syaditi sambhavyate | evam ca puranasyasya lekhakena mahapuranagatam samksiptam kalkicaritam pracinavanmayagatanam vividhanam kathamsanam svabuddhivibhavena samyojanena parivardhita- miti suniscitam bhavati |