Essay name: Brahma Purana (critical study)
Author:
Surabhi H. Trivedi
Affiliation: Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda / Department of Sanskrit Pali and Prakrit
This is an English study of the Brahmapurana鈥攐ne of the eighteen major Puranas which occupies an important place in the Pauranic literature. This study researches the rich an encyclopaedic material for social, religious, philosophical, mythological, political, geographical and literary study found in the Brahma-Purana.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
47 (of 97)
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47 87
may have been written here.
Saura-Purana, an Upa-Purana of the Br.P.
The Saura-Purana containing 3899 slokas 52 claims
to be a supplement of the Brahma-Purana53.
It states that
the Brahma P. is the first among the Puranas containing ten
thousand slokas and telling many holy stories (Saura P. 9.6).
One who gives Brahma-Purana in dana becomes great in the
Brahmaloka after getting freedom from all the sins.
The Saura-Purana is of great value as regards the
knowledge of saivism, especially of the linga-cult and its
main purpose is to glorify god siva. Thus from the point of
view of contents, there does not seem to be any resemblance
between the Saura P. and the present Br. P.
by Dr.Hazra54
55 The Br. P. itself is considered to be an Upapurana
basing his belief on the information of
Narasimha vajapegin, a Nibandha,-writer of Orissa. But
with due deference to Dr.Hazra, it should be said that the
Br. P., as stated above, fulfills all the requirements of a
mahapurana and there is no reason for its being considered to
be an upapurana. Moreover, the Br.P. is never mentioned in the
52 An. ed.
53 idam brahmapuranasya khilam sauramanuttamam '
Samhitadvayasamyaktam Punyam sivakathasrayam "
Saura, P. 9.13
54 Hazra R.C., Op.Cit., P.146.
55 Vajapeyin Narasimha - *
brahmapuranam ca kalpatarau yad-vakayanyadrtani,tad vyati-
riktam brahmapuranam Purusottama-mahatmyopabrmhitam hemadry
-adinibandha-parigrhitam sista - parigrahadeva Pramaniam,
tad apy upapuranantaragatam eva" - Nitacarapradipa, P.19.
