4. Worship and Mythology of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻

Markandeya Purana (Study)

by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words

This page relates 鈥榃orship and Mythology of Vishnu鈥� of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.

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4. Worship and Mythology of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻

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Lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 is another form of 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 which is the popular lord among the Hindu society. 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 is generally described as possessor of four arms and four hands, holds 艣补峁卥丑补, cakra, 驳补诲腻 and padma.^[1] The term 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 is derived from the root vi峁� i.e. to pervade.^[2]

Almost all the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 prescribe 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 as a great god. According to 笔补诲尘补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 is the supreme god identified with 叠谤补丑尘腻. The great 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 preserved the whole world. For the creation of the world, Brahman the supreme power produced 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 from the left side of his body. According to the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻pur膩峁嘺, lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 created the world which exists on his body. He is the cause of continuance and cessation of the world. According to 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 is the greatest god among the three gods.^[3] The 础颈迟补谤别测补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 declares 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 as the highest God among all the gods.^[4] The God 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 occupies a prominent position in the Hindu pantheon. Lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 rides on 骋补谤耻岣峚, a form of half bird and half man and he wears yellow garments.^[5]

Lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻鈥檚 Theory of Incarnation

The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, describes in the earlier chapter about the theory of 颁补迟耻谤惫测奴丑补 of lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻. In the beginning of this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺, the four wise birds told Jaimini about the doctrine of Supreme Being called 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 and about his four forms for which he is called 颁补迟耻谤惫测奴丑腻迟尘补苍.^[6] Lord 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 has both the aspects 蝉补驳耻峁嘺 and 苍颈谤驳耻峁嘺. Both of these exist in his four forms, viz. 痴腻蝉耻诲别惫补, 艢e峁�, a Pradyumna and Aniruddha.

These four forms (尘奴谤迟颈)^[7] are described as鈥�

a) 痴腻蝉耻诲别惫补鈥�

The first form of 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 is called 痴腻蝉耻诲别惫补 which is inscrutable (补苍颈谤诲别艣测补) and bright (艣耻办濒补). He is covered with garlands of flame. For the devotees he is the highest goal, both far and near. He transcends attributes and it is seen devoid of egoism. His shape, colour etc. are imaginary, not real.^[8]

b) 艢别峁鈥�

艢别峁 is the second form of 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺. He supports the world with his head. He is known as having the quality of darkness.^[9]

c) Pradyumna鈥�

Pradyumna is the third form of 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 which means active. He is considered as full of the quality of goodness (sattvodrikta) and he preserves the creatures and establishes dharmas.^[10] Later on, it is stated that this third form of 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 i.e. Pradyumna incarnates himself where adharma rises up and dharma declines.^[11] For the preservation of the world, Lord 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 incarnates himself as 痴补谤腻丑补, 狈峁泂颈峁僪补, 痴腻尘补苍补 and Mathura.^[12] He also incarnates as 顿补迟迟腻迟谤别测补 which is mentioned in this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺.^[13] The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also mentions other forms of Lord 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺, viz, 础艣惫补艣颈谤补蝉, 鲍迟迟补谤补办耻谤耻惫补谤峁蝉, 碍奴谤尘补, 痴补谤腻丑补, Matsya in the 叠丑补诲谤腻艣惫补, 叠丑腻谤补迟补, 碍别迟耻尘腻濒补 etc.^[14]

d) Aniruddha鈥�

Aniruddha is the fourth form of the Lord 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺. This form abides in water. He lies on a serpent bed. He has the quality of passion and is always active.^[15] The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also describes that 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 is the creator, preserver and destroyer of the whole universe.^[16] He is without the beginning or end i.e. an膩dinidhana (8.240); 补尘峁泃补 (4.37) and also beginning of the world i.e. Ja驳补诲腻di (4.38). Even lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 is immense than the great (4.38).

He is also described as,

笔耻谤耻峁 i.e. the Universal,
艢腻艣惫补迟补 i.e. eternal,
Avyaya i.e. unchanging,
Aprameya i.e. unknowable (4.36),
础驳耻峁嘺 or Nirgu峁嘺 i.e. attributeless (4.37; 1.13;4.31).

He is called triguna because he subsists in four form and divided into three 驳耻峁嘺蝉 viz. var墨峁ａ弓ha, 驳补谤颈峁ａ弓丑补, 惫补谤别峁噛补 i.e. the most choice, venerable and excellent respectively.^[17]

He is also known as:

Aja i.e. unborn (4.38),
Acyuta (78.6),
Vibhu i.e. all pervading (78.72),
笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍 i.e. the highest soul (8.240).

He is also dwell in the heart i.e. h峁泃ako峁璦raguh膩sin (8.240). He is called 笔谤补产丑补惫颈峁ａ箛耻 i.e. Lord of the gods (4.36). Thus Lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 is attributed with various names and epithets.