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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Medieval era Sanskrit text, one of eighteen major Puranas}}<br />
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{{Hindu scriptures}}<br />
The '''''Brahma Purana''''' ({{lang-sa|ब्रह्मपुराण}} or {{lang|sa|ब्राह्मपुराण}}; {{IAST|Brahma-Purana}}) is one of the eighteen major [[Puranas]] collections of [[Hindu]] texts in Sanskrit Language.{{Sfn|Dalal|2014|p=80}} It is listed as the first Maha-Purana in all the anthologies, and therefore also called Adi Purana.{{Sfn|Dalal|2014|p=80}}{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=155}} Another title for this text is Saura Purana, because it includes many chapters related to Surya or the Sun God.{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|p=xxvii}} The Brahma Purana is actually just a compilation of geographical Mahatmya (Travel Guides){{Sfn|Glucklich|2008|p=146}}{{efn|Quote: "The Earliest Promotional Works Aimed At Tourists From That Era Were Called ''Mahatmyas''."{{Sfn|Glucklich|2008|p=146}}}} and sections on diverse topics.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=154-156}}{{Sfn|Hazra|1940|pp=145-156}}<br />
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== History ==<br />
The extant Brahma Purana is likely different from the original one. [[R. C. Hazra]] concluded that it is not the real one, but an [[Upapurana]], which it was known as until the 16th century. Many of its verses are actually taken from the other Puranas. [[Moriz Winternitz]] concluded only a small part of it belongs to the older one. Since it mentions the existence of the [[Konark Sun Temple]] built in 1241, most of the chapter on pilgrimage sites in Orissa couldn't have been written before the 13th century.{{Sfn|Gietz|1992|p=530|ps=, with note 2945}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|p=xxvii-xxix}}{{Sfn|Winternitz|1922|pp=511-512}} The surviving manuscripts comprise 245 chapters.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=155}} It is divided into two parts: the Purvabhaga (Former Part) and the Uttarabhaga (Latter Part).{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=154-156}} The text exists in numerous versions, with significant differences, and the text was revised continually over time.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=154-156}} Further, the Brahma Purana likely borrowed numerous passages from other Hindu texts such as the [[Mahabharata]] and Puranas such as the Vishnu, Vayu, Samba, and Markandeya.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=155}}{{Sfn|Hazra|1940|pp=145-156}}<br />
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Sohnen and Schreiner published a summary of the Brahma Purana in 1989.{{Sfn|Bailey|2003|p=146}}{{Sfn|Söhnen|Schreiner|1989}}<br />
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== Content ==<br />
[[File:Godavari River.png|thumb|left|upright=0.9|The Brahma Purana Dedicates A Majority Of Its Chapter To Describing The Geography, Temples And Scenes Around The Godavari River And Of Odisha.{{Sfn|Hazra|1940|pp=145-156}}]]<br />
The text is notable for dedicating over 60% of its chapters on description of geography and holy sites of Godavari River Region, as well as places in and around modern [[Odisha]], and tributaries of [[Chambal River]] in [[Rajasthan]].{{Sfn|Dalal|2014|p=80}}{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=155-156}} These travel guide-like sections are non-sectarian, and celebrates sites and temples related to [[Vishnu]], [[Shiva]], [[Devi]] and [[Surya]].{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=155}} The coverage of [[Jagannath]] ([[Krishna]], Vishnu-Related) temples, however, is larger than the other three, leading scholars to the hypothesis that the authors of extant manuscripts may have been authors belonging to [[Vaishnavism]].{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=155}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|p=xxviii-xxix}} Its presentation of the [[Konark Sun Temple]] is notable.{{Sfn|Dalal|2014|p=80}}<br />
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The text also describes the [[Continent|Seven Continents]] (Sapta-[[Dvipa]]) and sub-continents of the world, though some other land mass are not mentioned, those which are mentioned are called:<ref>{{Cite web|last=www.wisdomlib.org|date=2018-03-17|title=Seven Continents (Sapta-Dvipa) [Chapter 16]|url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/brahma-purana-english/d/doc216086.html|access-date=2021-10-18|website=www.wisdomlib.org|language=en}}</ref><br />
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* Jambu—It is the central one of the seven continents surrounding the Mountain Meru, so called either from the Jambu trees abounding in it or from an enormous Jambu tree on Mount Meru visible like a standard to the whole continent. Sec S. M. Ali, Op. cit., chapters V-VII on Jambudvipa.<br />
* Saka can be identified with Malaya, Siam, Indo-China and Southern China or the South-Eastern corner of the land mass of which Jambudvipa occupied the centre.<br />
* ''Kusa'' contains Iran, Iraq and the south-western corner of the land mass round Meru.<br />
* ''Plaksa'' identified with the basin of Mediterranean since Plaksa or the Pakhara tree is the characteristic of warm temperate or Mediterranean lands identifiable with Greece and adjoining lands.<br />
* ''Puskara'' covers the whole of Japan, [[Manchuria]] and the south-eastern [[Siberia]].<br />
* ''Salmala''—the tropical part of Africa bordering the Indian Ocean on the West. It includes Madagascar which is the Hariṇa of the Puranas and the Samkhadvipa of some other writers who write similar scriptures.<br />
* ''Kraunca'' represents by the basin of the [[Black Sea]].<br />
* ''Upadvipas'' (Sub-Continents): 1) Bharata 2) Kimpurusa 3) Harivarsa 4) Ramyaka 5) Hiranmaya 6) Uttarakuru 7) Ilavrta 8) Bhadrasva and 9) Ketumala. According to P.E. (p.&nbsp;342) there are eight long mountain ranges which divide the island Jambu into 9 countries which look like nine petals of the lotus flower. The two countries of the north and south extremities (Bhadra and Ketumala) are in a bow-shape. The four of the remaining seven are longer than the rest. The central country is known as Ilavrta.<br />
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Out of 245 chapters, 18 chapters of The Brahma Purana cover the [[Cosmology]], Mythology, [[Genealogy]], [[Manvantara]] (Cosmic Time Cycles) and topics that are required to make a text belong to the Puranic genre of literature. Other chapters cover [[Sanskara (rite of passage)|Sanskara (Rite Of Passage)]], summary of [[Dharmasastra]], its theories on the geography of earth, summary of [[Samkhya]] and [[Yoga]] theories of [[Hindu Philosophy]], and other topics.{{Sfn|Dalal|2014|p=80}}{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=154-156}} While many chapters of The Brahma Purana praise temples and pilgrimage, chapters 38-40 of the text, a part of embedded Saura Purana, present arguments that are highly critical of the theistic theories and devotional worship proposals of 13th-century [[Madhvacharya]] and [[Dvaita]] Vedanta sub-school of Hindu philosophies.{{Sfn|Winternitz|1922|p=512}}{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=221|ps=, with footnote 385}}{{Sfn|Jahn|1900|pp=90-106}}<br />
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{{Quote box<br />
| quote = <poem><br />
Shiva Is [[Atman (Hinduism)|Atman]] (Soul, Self).<br />
</poem><br />
| source = —''Brahma Purana''{{Sfn| Winternitz|1922|p=512}}<br />
| bgcolor = #FFE0BB<br />
| align = right<br />
}}<br />
The [[Padma Purana]] categorizes Brahma Purana as a [[Rajas]] Purana, implying the text is related to Brahma,{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|p=12}} but extant manuscripts have nothing to do with Brahma.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=154-156}} Scholars consider the Sattva-Rajas-Tamas classification as "Entirely Fanciful" and there is nothing in this text that actually justifies this classification.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=21}}<br />
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The manuscripts of travel guide to Godavari-River Region from this Purana is found as a separate text, and is called Gautami-Mahatmya or Godavari-Mahatmya, while the one corresponding to Rajasthan region is called Brahmottara Purana.{{Sfn|Dalal|2014|p=80}}{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=155-156}} The tradition and other Puranas assert The Brahma Purana had 10,000 verses, but the surviving manuscripts contain between 7,000 and 8,000 verses exclusive of the Brahmottara Purana supplement which adds between 2,000 and 3,000 verses depending on different versions of the same text.{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|p=xxvii}}<br />
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== See also ==<br />
*[[Bhagavata Purana]]<br />
*[[Vishnu Purana]]<br />
*[[Shiva Purana]]<br />
*[[Markandeya Purana]]<br />
*[[Gudi Padwa|Gudhi Padwa]]<br />
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== Notes ==<br />
{{notelist}}<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|15em}}<br />
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== Bibliography ==<br />
{{refbegin|2}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Bailey |first1=Gregory |editor1-last=Sharma |editor1-first=Arvind |title=The Study of Hinduism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npCKSUUQYEIC |year=2003 |publisher=University of South Carolina Press |isbn=978-1-57003-449-7}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Dalal |first1=Rosen |year=2014 |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-8184752779 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Gietz |first1=K P |display-authors=etal |title=Epic and Puranic Bibliography (Up to 1985) Annotated and with Indexes: Part I: A - R, Part II: S - Z, Indexes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kgpLBpUCufwC&pg=PA870|year= 1992 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |isbn=978-3-447-03028-1}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Glucklich |first1=Ariel |title=The Strides of Vishnu: Hindu Culture in Historical Perspective: Hindu Culture in Historical Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KtLScrjrWiAC |year=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-971825-2}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Hazra |first1=Rajendra Chandra |title=Studies in the Puranic Records on Hindu Rites and Customs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jar4V3piCeQC |year=1940 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass (1987 Reprint) |isbn=978-81-208-0422-7}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Jahn |first1=W |year=1900 |title=Das Saurapuranam: ein Kompendium spaetindischer Kulturgeschichte und des 'Sivaismus' |location=Strassburg |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |ISBN=978-3111154480 |language=de}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Rocher |first1=Ludo |author-link=Ludo Rocher |title=The Purāṇas |date=1986 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |location=Wiesbaden |isbn=978-3447025225}}<br />
* {{cite book |last1=Söhnen |first1=Renate |last2=Schreiner |first2=Peter |title=Brahmapurāṇa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J2c6-tAt4vwC |year=1989 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |isbn=978-3-447-02960-5}}<br />
* {{cite book |last= Wilson |first=H. H. |author-link= Horace Hayman Wilson|title=The Vishnu Purana: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition (Volume 1: Introduction, Book I) |year=1864 | url=https://archive.org/stream/vishnupurnsyst01wils#page/n3/mode/2up | publisher=Read Country Books (reprinted in 2006) |isbn=1-84664-664-2}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Winternitz |first=Maurice |author-link= Moriz Winternitz |title=History of Indian Literature Vol 1 (Original in German, translated into English by VS Sarma, 1981) |year=1922 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass (Reprint 2010) |location=New Delhi |isbn= 978-8120802643}}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
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== External Links ==<br />
*[https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/brahma-purana-english The Brahma Purana] English Translation By G. P. Bhatt, 1955 (Includes Glossary)<br />
*[http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_purana/brahmapur.pdf Brahma Puran], Sanskrit Manuscript, Archived By SanskritDocuments.Org<br />
*[http://sarit.indology.info/brahmapurana.xml?view=page Brahma Purana (Sanskrit, IAST-Translit)], SARIT Initiative, The British Association For South Asian Studies And The British Academy<br />
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170819192355/http://www.cognise.org/brahma-purana/ Brahma Puran], Sanskrit, English, Hindi, Bengali And Telugu<br />
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{{Puranas}}<br />
{{Jagannath}}<br />
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[[Category:Puranas]]<br />
[[Category:Surya]]<br />
[[Category:Vaishnava texts]]<br />
[[Category:Hinduism in Odisha]]</div>UpdateBot