Brihaddharma Purana

2020-05-02T12:59:58Z

2409:4070:2E97:D34F:F5FD:4225:E25E:8154:

{{Hinduism}}
The '''Brihaddharma Purana''' ({{lang-sa|बृहद्धर्म पुराण}}, {{IAST|Bṛhaddharma Purāņa}}) is a [[Hindu]] religious text, which classified itself (I.25.26) as the last of the 18 [[Upapurana]]s. The extant text comprises three ''khaņḑa''s (parts): ''pūrvakhaņḑa'', ''madhyakhaņḑa'' and ''uttarakhaņḑa''. On the basis of its usage of Sanskrit words with unusual meaning and Sanskrit proverbs popular in [[Bengal]], a number of modern scholars believe that this text was written in Bengal. According to R. C. Hazra, a modern scholar, this text was composed in the second half of the 13th century.<ref name="Rocher1986">{{cite book|last=Rocher|first=Ludo|editor=Jan Gonda |title=A History of Indian Literature |volume=Vol.II, Epics and Sanskrit religious literature, Fasc.3|year=1986|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|location=Wiesbaden|isbn=3-447-02522-0|pages=164–6|chapter=The Purāṇas}}</ref> He classified it as a non-sectarian ''Upapurana''.<ref name=Hazra>Hazra, R. C. (1962, reprint 2003). ''The Upapuranas'' in S. Radhakrishnan (ed.) ''The Cultural Heritage of India'', Vol.II, Kolkata:The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, {{ISBN|81-85843-03-1}}, p.285</ref>

==Editions and translations==

The first printed edition of this text was published by [[The Asiatic Society]], [[Calcutta]] (1888–97), as a part of their ''Bibliotheca Indica'' series. It was edited by [[Haraprasad Shastri]]. In 1894, the Vangavasi Press, Calcutta published another edition of this text along with a Bengali translation by Panchanan Tarkaratna, who edited it. In 1915, a free and abridged English translation by Syama Charan Banerji was published from [[Lucknow]] by the Indian Commercial Press as the first volume of its ''Rambles in Scripture Land'' series.<ref name="Rocher1986"/>

==Contents==

The ''pūrvakhaņḑa'' and ''madhyakhaņḑa'' of both the Asiatic Society and the Vangavasi edition have 30 chapters. While the ''uttarakhaņḑa'' of the Asiatic Society edition comprises 14 chapters, the Vangavasi edition comprises 21 chapters and R. C. Hazra considers these additional 7 chapters (15-21) as the essential part of the text.<ref name="Rocher1986"/>

===The ''pūrvakhaņḑa''===

The ''pūrvakhaņḑa'' begins at the [[Naimisha Forest]], with [[Ugrasrava Sauti|Suta]] reporting to the sages assembled there about [[Vyasa]]'s discourse to [[Jabali]] on ''[[dharma]]'' and its constituent parts: ''satya'', ''daya'', ''shanti'' and ''ahimsa''. In answer to Jabali's next question, Vyasa advises him about the ''gurus'' (teachers) in general and particularly the ''gurus'' occupying the highest position, one's parents. He illustrated his views on one's duty to his parents with a narrative of hunter Tuladhara and his advice to [[brahmin]] Kritabodha. In chapters 5-30, Vyasa, in answer to another question of Jabali, describes the ''[[Tirtha (Hinduism)|tirtha]]''s (sacred places), reporting it as a conversation between goddess [[Rudrani]] and her two associates, Jaya and Vijaya. The description starts with a song of praise to [[Ganga (goddess)|Ganga]] and it includes the origin and sanctity of ''tulasi'' (''Ocimum tenuiflorum'') plant and the ''bilva'' (''Aegle marmelos'') tree. It also comprises descriptions on ''kalatirtha''s (auspicious times), which include auspicious times for [[Devi]] worship and studying religious texts.<ref name="Rocher1986"/>

===The ''madhyakhaņḑa''===

The ''madhyakhaņḑa'' begins with Jabali's request for further information about Ganga. Vyasa answers his question in the form of a conversation between sage [[Śuka]] and his disciple [[Jaimini]]. The first chapter describes the creation as the ''yoga'' (union) of [[Brahma]] and the ''prakriti'' of the three ''[[guṇa]]''s of Brahma, [[Vishnu]] and [[Shiva]]. The second chapter has a brief description about [[Daksha]] and his daughter [[Dakshayani|Sati]]. It is followed by a detailed narrative of Daksha, Shiva and Sati from the chapter 3 onwards, which ends in selection of [[Kamarupa]] as his abode by Shiva after Sati's ''[[yoni]]'' fell there, when her body was cut to pieces by Vishnu. In chapter 11, Sati appears before Shiva, who was in a meeting with Brahma and Vishnu and predicts that she will reincarnate as Ganga and [[Uma (goddess)|Uma]]. Chapters 12-28 deal with the narratives of Ganga from her birth as daughter of Himalaya and Mena. Chapter 14 describes about [[Narayana]]'s instruction of music to sage [[Narada]] as a related story. These narratives related to Ganga are briefly interrupted in chapter 23, which describes the birth of Uma as the second daughter of Himalaya and Mena. Chapter 29 describes [[Manu (Hinduism)|Manu]]s and [[manvantara]]s and the kings belonging to solar and lunar dynasties. The last chapter (chapter 30) narrates the story of birth of [[Ganesha]] and his acquiring the head of an elephant.<ref name="Rocher1986"/>

===The ''uttarakhaņḑa''===
The ''uttarakhaņḑa'' starts with the discussion about ''[[dharma]]''. A general discussion on ''dharma'' followed by the specific ''dharma''s to be followed by the people belonging to four ''[[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]]''s during their various stages of life (''[[Ashrama (stage)|ashramas]]''). This discussion includes a passage supporting the [[Sati (practice)|practice of Sati]] which mentions that it is the obligation of a widow to follow her husband in death (Chapter 8, 8-10). The following chapters deal with a number of ''[[vrata]]''s, hymns to the [[Navagraha]] deities, the four ''[[yuga]]''s and the narrative of [[Vena (Hindu King)|Vena]] which includes his creation of 36 mixed castes, whose members were later assigned specific trades by the Brahmins during the reign of Vena's son [[Prithu]].<ref name="Rocher1986"/>

The chapters 15-21, which are only found in the Vangavasi edition describes the story of [[Krishna]]'s birth and the role played by Devi in it. They also comprise a description of [[Kali Yuga]]. The text ends with a eulogy of the Purana, describing it as a [[Vaishnava]], [[Shaiva]] and [[Shakta]] [[shastra]] (21.5).<ref name="Rocher1986"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/brihaddharma-purana-abridged Brihaddharma Purana] English translation (abridged) by Syama Charan Banerji [proofread] (includes glossary)

{{Puranas}}

[[Category:Puranas]]

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Brihaddharma Purana