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.
Philosophy
13 (of 40)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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810
illusion when it states that this world which is Maya was
created from the lord (1.1). Again the Maya of lord Visnu
is compared to dream and Indrajala and is described as one
which could be crossed with great difficulties, which infatuat-
es others (228.20). Elsewhere it is said that the whole world
with its mobile and immobile things is pervaded by the Maya of
lord Visnu, on account of Maya one gets the feelings of 'I'
and 'mine' and it creates the knowledge of 'atman' in the
QU
12 'anatman' things. Those who engrossed in svadharma, worship
lord Visnu get freedom from his 'Maya' and get desired things.
(203.10.15) Once lord Siva is said to create, maintain and
destroy the world with his Maya (129.68). Maya is also describ-
ed as power of lord Visnu (228.17). Thus in some places Maya
is also used in its earlier sense meaning artifice (50.50).
Cosmogony and Cosmology
Cosmological speculations are already met with in
the Rv., though in vedic period, the basis of these speculations
was not a generally adopted theory or mythological conception
as to the origin of the world but widely different ideas
prevailed which later on were developed and combined. In the
period of the Brahmanas and upanisads though there is an
apparent tendency towards close agreement a similar variety of
12 anatmany atmavijnanam sa te maya janardana |
aham mameti bhavo 'tra yaya samupajayate " 203.6-18.
