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.
Religion
78 (of 132)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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743
is not referred to, and even in the Brahmanas while a
particular sanctity attaches to river fords and certain
privileged regions, like the banks of Saraswati, there is
no knowledge either of pilgrimages or holy places. 122
The germ of the idea of pilgrimage is found in the words
of Indra to Hariscandra, "There is no happiness for him
who does not travel; living in the society of men, the
best man often becomes a sinner, for Indra is the friend
of traveller, therefore, wander "123 In the sutras and
ancient smrtis like those of Manu
124 and Yajnavalkya,
tirthas do not occupy a very prominent position.
Gautama 125 however declares that "all mountains, all
rivers, holy lakes, places of pilgrimage, the dwelling
of Rsis, cow-pens, and temples of gods are the places
which destroy sin." In the Mahabharata and the puranas,
they are highly landed. The origin of the modern
practice may be traced to the revival of Brahmanism and its
absorption of local cults.
Every place where a local
spirit was propitiated or worshipped soon came under the
control of a body of local priests, interested in attracting
122 A. Barth, Religions of India.
123 Aitereya Brahmana vii.15.
124 vili. 92.
125 XIX. 14 (SBE ii (1879) 276).
