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.
Mythology
135 (of 195)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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605
Mayavati brought him up. The latter, however, was Rati,
who had assumed the form of Mayavati in order to deceive the
Asura, and thus to cause his destruction by Pradyumna.
Eventually, Pradyumna kills Sambara and married Mayavati.267
These and other stories about Kama are given in other works
too.268
Apparantly Pradyumna is but a variant of Kama, or
to be more accurate, a god of love popular in those tracks of
India where the worship of krsna prevailed.2 269 Kama has
also been identified with Mara, the tempter and devil of
Buddhist legend; hence, in later Sanskrit, Mara becomes a
synonym of Kama.270
He is still the subject of a mystery
271 play in South India.
SOMA
Soma, as an intoxicating plant of N.W.India which
was pressed and allowed to ferment (Skr. Su, 'Press', Soma
'the pressing'), is supposed to be the Asclepias acida or
sarcostemma viminale, the expressed juice of which produces
a peculiary astringent, narcotic, and intoxicating effect.
As such it was regarded as a divine power, and as in Mexico
267 A.200; Harivansa 9263 II.
268 Bhagavate III.12.26; VIII.7.323 X.55; XI.4.7; Visnu
V.27-28, Matsya 154. 209-239; 7.13; 100,329; 261:53-6;
191.110; 3.30; 4.12-21; 23.23.
269 ERE. Vol. II, P.808.b
270 Ibid.
271 E.Thurston, Castes and tribes of S.India, iv, 399 ff.
