Essay name: Studies in the Upapuranas
Author: R. C. Hazra
This book studies the Upapuranas: a vast category of (often Sanskrit) literature representing significant historical, religious, and cultural insights of the ancient Indian civilization. These texts provide rich information, especially on Hinduism covering theology, mythology, rituals, and dynastic genealogies.
Page 352 of: Studies in the Upapuranas
352 (of 417)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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THE MINOR VAI峁AVA UPAPUR膧峁咥S 335 "When, being bound by a multitude of sins, the twice-born peo-
ple will associate with the extra-Vedic people (p膩峁峁囜笉a-jana), then
Kali will grow (in power) (38. 91).鈥�
From the above statements it is evident that at the time when the
B峁沨annaradiya-p. was composed there was a great spread of the extra-
Vedic faiths, especially Buddhism and Tantricism, which seriously
affected the social discipline required for the Dharma rooted in the
Vedas.
Following the Bhagavad-g墨t膩 the 叠峁沨补苍苍腻谤补诲墨测补-辫. (3.78ff.)
encourages selfless work, which is to be done only for the satisfaction.
of Vi峁ａ箛u and not with a desire for the reward. It advises people to
work untiringly and to dedicate all their actions to Vis峁噓 in case they
desire to enjoy their fruits in the next world (3. 77). Like many other
Pur膩峁嘺s this work has a pessimistic view of life and takes the body
to be 'rooted in sin' and 'engaged in doing sinful acts' (31.6). In
chap. 29 it gives an account of the sufferings of the sinners in the
path of Yama and describes Citra-gupta, an officer of Yama, thus:
"pralayambudhi-nirgho峁岣� a帽jan膩dri-sama-prabhah/
vidyut-prabh膩yudhair bhimo dv膩vim艣ad-bhuja-samyutah//
yojana-traya-vist膩ro rakt膩k峁 d墨rgha-n膩sika岣�/
dam峁ａ弓r膩-kar膩la-vadano v膩p墨-tulya-vilocana岣�//
m峁泃yu-jvar膩dibhir yukta艣 citragupto vibh墨峁峁嘺岣�/" (29.50-52a).
"Having a thundering voice like the roar of the ocean at the dis-
solution (of the universe), possessing splendour like that of a mountain
of collyrium, looking dreadful with weapons shining like lightning,
and having twenty-two hands, an extent of three yojanas, red and
well-like eyes, a long nose, and a mouth made dreadful by large teeth,
Citragupta, attended by Death, Fever and others, looks extremely
terrible."
We shall now discuss the date of composition of the present
叠峁沨补苍苍腻谤补诲墨测补-辫.
From the analysis of the contents of this work given above it is
evident that it is a purely sectarian work lacking all the characteristics
of a Mah膩pur膩峁嘺. Its title 'B峁沨ann膩rada' or 'B峁沨ann膩rad墨ya', occurring
