Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana
by Chaitali Kadia | 2021 | 91,183 words
This page relates 鈥楥haracteristics of Purana鈥� of the study on the historical elements of the Matsya-purana: one of the eighteen Mahapuranas which are Sanskrit texts that have preserved the cultural heritage, philosophy, religion, geography, etc of ancient India. This Matsyapurana was originally written in 20,000 verses and deals with topics such as architecture, ancient history, polity, religion and philosophy.
Characteristics of 笔耻谤腻峁嘺
After knowing about the meaning of word 鈥�笔耻谤腻峁嘺 鈥� the next important thing about the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 is its characteristic. Somewhere are mentioned five and somewhere are ten characteristics of 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 .
1) According to the 笔补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺:
There are five characteristics of 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 , named 鈥�笔补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺 鈥� according to the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 (3/6/24). The relationship between 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 and 笔补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺 is very deep and ancient.
The 鈥�笔补帽肠补濒补办峁ａ箛补鈥� is define by a 艣濒辞办补 鈥�
sarga艣ca pratisarga艣ca 惫补峁兣沘 manvantar膩ni ca
惫补峁兣浤乶耻肠补谤颈迟补峁� caiva 辫耻谤腻峁嘺峁� 辫补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺尘 ||
The 笔补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺 or five characteristics are available almost in all 笔耻谤腻峁嘺s . The relation between 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 and 鈥�笔补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺 鈥� is so deep that this word 鈥�笔补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺 鈥� applied with 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 in 鈥�础尘补谤办辞峁 鈥� without any explanation and hesitation. 22
Sarga:
It is called that when the 鈥�驳耻峁嘺 鈥�dissolved with the nature becomes angry then the 鈥�mahat tatva 鈥檌s created. Three types of 鈥�补丑补峁僰腻谤补 鈥�-鈥�蝉腻迟惫颈办补 , 谤腻箩补蝉补 , 迟腻尘补蝉补 鈥� are created from this 鈥�mahata tatva 鈥�. After that 鈥�辫补帽肠补迟补苍尘腻迟谤补 鈥�, 鈥�辫补帽肠补颈苍诲谤颈测补 鈥� and 辫补帽肠补产丑耻迟补 are created from these three 鈥�补丑补峁僰腻谤补 鈥�. This sequence of creation is named 鈥�sarga 鈥� (Sarga).
Pratisarga:
鈥�pratisarga 鈥�(Pratisarga) means disaster, the opposite meaning of 鈥�sarga 鈥�. In the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 pratisarga is replaced by the word 鈥�辫谤补迟颈蝉补峁僣补谤补 鈥� (痴颈峁ａ箛耻 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 1/2/25).
In the 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑腻驳补惫补迟补 鈥�pratisarga 鈥� is replaced by the word 鈥�蝉补峁僺迟丑补 鈥� (12/7/17)鈥�
naimittaka岣� prak峁泃ikonitya 膩tyantikolaya岣� |
sa峁僺theti kavibhi岣� prokt膩 caturdh膩sya svabh膩vata岣� ||
There are four types of disaster鈥�naimittika , 辫谤腻办峁泃颈办补 , nitya and 腻迟测补苍迟颈办补 |
痴补峁兣沘:
r膩j帽膩峁� brahmapras奴t膩n膩峁� 惫补峁兣沘straik膩liko'nvaya岣�
(叠丑腻驳惫补迟补 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 12/7/16).
The past, present and the future lineages of those kings which is created by the Lord Brhm膩, are called (痴补峁兣沘) 惫补峁兣沘 . Though according to the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 the 惫补峁兣沘 (痴补峁兣沘) means the dynasties but this theory is wrong because according to the other 笔耻谤腻峁嘺s the word 鈥�惫补峁兣沘 鈥檋as expressed the lineages of many sages also.
Manvantara:
manvantara manurdev膩 manuputr膩岣� 蝉耻谤别艣惫补谤补岣� |
峁涐梗ayo'艣膩vat膩r膩艣ca hare岣� 峁峁卾idhamucyate ||
叠丑腻驳惫补迟补 (12/7/15).
Manu, God, son of Manu, Indra, 厂补辫迟补谤峁 and the 补惫补迟腻谤补蝉 of God, these period of six featured is called 鈥�manvantara 鈥� (Manvantara). There is a specific Manu as an owner or master of each 鈥�manvantara 鈥� (Manvantara). 顿别惫补迟腻, Son, 厂补辫迟补谤峁, Indra and the God himself help those Manu to fulfill their work.
痴补峁兣浤乶耻肠补谤颈迟补:
惫补峁兣浤乶耻肠补谤颈迟补峁� 迟别峁Ｄ佱箖 惫峁泃迟补峁� 惫补峁兣沘dhar膩艣ca ye |
(叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 12/7/16).
鈥�惫补峁兣浤乶耻肠补谤颈迟补鈥� ([惫补峁兣浤乶耻肠补谤颈迟补m]) means the description of the aforesaid dynasties and their origins. Dynasties means not only the king but also the sages鈥� blood or lineages. Though there are the many descriptions about the kings more than the sages.
In the political science there is a new meaning of the 鈥�辫耻谤腻峁嘺峁� 辫补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺尘 鈥檞hich is totally different from the aforesaid meaning.
蝉峁涐梗峁璱 -辫谤补惫峁泃迟颈 -蝉补峁僪腻谤补 -dharma -尘辞办峁辫谤补测辞箩补苍补尘 |
brahmabhirvividhai岣� prokta峁� 辫耻谤腻峁嘺峁� 辫补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺尘 ||
In this verse 蝉峁涐梗峁璱 , pravatti , 蝉补峁僪腻谤补 , dharma and 尘辞办峁辫谤补测辞箩补苍补尘 are the 鈥�辫补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺 鈥� | 鈥�dharma 鈥� is accepted as an indivisible character of 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 . The word 鈥�dharma 鈥�(Dharma) indicates that the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 is full of religious issues.
2) According to the 12th skanda of the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补:
On the other hand, there are ten characteristics of 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 in the 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑腻驳补惫补迟补 and the Brahmavaivarta 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 . The ten characteristics are mentioned in the two chapters of 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑腻驳补惫补迟补 . This is notable that there are the differences between the ten characteristics of two sides in the 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑腻驳补惫补迟补 by only in word not in meaning.
According to the 12th skanda of the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 the ten characteristics are鈥�
sarga艣c膩tha visarga艣ca 惫峁泃迟颈 谤补办峁Ｄ乶tar膩峁噄 ca |
va峁兣沷 惫补峁兣浤乶耻肠补谤颈迟补峁� 蝉补峁僺迟丑补 hetur补辫腻艣谤补测补岣� ||
叠丑腻驳惫补迟补 12/7/91. 蝉补谤驳补岣� (Sarga)
2. vi蝉补谤驳补岣� (Bisarga)
3. 惫峁泃迟颈岣� (叠峁泃迟颈)
4. 谤补办峁Ｄ� (搁补办峁Ｄ�)
5. 补苍迟补谤腻峁噄 (础苍迟补谤腻峁噄)
6. 惫补峁兣沘岣� (痴补峁兣沘)
7. 惫补峁兣浤乶耻肠补谤颈迟补 (痴补峁兣浤乶耻肠丑补谤颈迟补尘)
8. 蝉补峁僺迟丑补 (厂补峁僺迟丑腻)
9. 丑别迟耻岣� (Hetu)
10. 补辫腻艣谤补测补岣� (础辫腻艣谤补测补)
Sarga:
This is not different for the foregoing 鈥�sarga 鈥� | That is to say the 鈥�sarga 鈥� means the creation of the universe.
Visarga:
鈥�visarga 鈥� means the creation of life. A seed is produced from the other as well as an organism or a life is produced from the another鈥搕his system is known to us as (visarga ) Bisarga. By the grace of the most-high the Lord 叠谤补丑尘腻 created various types of life in which process is called 鈥�visarga 鈥� (Bisarga).
Thus (Bisarga) 鈥�visarga 鈥� is a creation without any disaster.
vi蝉峁涐梗峁璱岣� = 惫颈惫颈诲丑腻 蝉峁涐梗峁璱岣�, na tu vaipar墨tyena 蝉峁涐梗峁璱岣� 辫谤补濒补测补岣� |
痴峁泃迟颈:
惫峁泃迟颈rbh奴t膩ni bh奴t膩n膩峁� car膩峁嚹乵acar膩峁噄 ca |
k峁泃膩 svena n峁沺膩峁� tattra k膩m膩ccodanay膩pi v膩 ||
叠丑腻驳惫补迟补 12/7/13
For living life uses which material like rice, wheat etc. they are called as 鈥�惫峁泃迟颈 鈥� (叠峁泃迟颈) in the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 . Some of this (叠峁泃迟颈) 鈥�惫峁泃迟颈 鈥� are accepted by the life habitually and some of this is accepted for the scripture command. But the intention of both of two causes is same.
搁补办峁Ｄ�:
鈥�谤补办峁Ｄ� 鈥� describes the incarnations of 笔补谤补尘补辫耻谤耻峁. To set up Dharma or religion the God takes avatara (incarnation) in each period or era. After that the God save all the life to defeat all the tyrants. The God takes the avataras not only to defeat the anti-Vedas but also to create pleasure in the devotee鈥檚 heart. The devotees cogitate about the God and then they become free from all the sorrow of life. Thus the God saves his fans.
础苍迟补谤腻峁噄:
鈥�补苍迟补谤腻峁噄 鈥� is the same subject of aforesaid 鈥�manv补苍迟补谤腻峁噄 鈥� (Manvantar膩ni) which explained the time of six characters that is Manu, Devata, Son of Manu, Indra, saptar峁 and the avataras of Lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻.
痴补峁兣沘:
鈥�惫补峁兣沘鈥� also is the same thing which is said at first in the 鈥楶ancalak峁峁嘺鈥�.
痴补峁兣浤乶耻肠补谤颈迟补:
This is also the same subject as 鈥�惫补峁兣浤乶耻肠补谤颈迟补m 鈥� (Va峁兣浤乶ucaritam) in the five characteristics.
厂补峁僺迟丑补:
鈥�蝉补峁僺迟丑补鈥� means the opposite subject of 鈥�sarga 鈥� (Sarga), the theory of creation like 鈥�pratisarga 鈥� (Pratisarga).
Hetu:
heturj墨vo'sya sarg膩deravidy膩karmak膩raka岣� |
ta峁� c膩nu艣ayina峁� pr膩huravy膩k峁泃amut膩pare ||
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 (12/7/18) 26
The word 鈥�hetu 鈥� (Hetu)clears its meaning as life. Life or organism is the cause of creation of universe. According to the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺s all the life is responsible for the creation and disaster through their deeds.
础辫腻艣谤补测补:
vyatirek膩nvayo yasya j膩gratsvapna蝉耻峁辫迟颈峁 |
m膩y膩maye峁 tad brahma j墨va惫峁泃迟颈sv补辫腻艣谤补测补岣� ||
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 (12/7/19)
鈥�补辫腻艣谤补测补鈥� (础辫腻艣谤补测补) is the highest definition of 鈥�brahma 鈥� (Brahma). Life has three stages鈥�箩腻驳谤补迟补 , svapna and 蝉耻峁辫迟颈 . In this three stages exists 鈥�caitanya 鈥� (Perception) which is called gradually 鈥�惫颈艣惫补 鈥�, 鈥�taijasa 鈥� and 鈥�辫谤腻箩帽补 鈥�. This wiz situation is called 鈥�补辫腻艣谤补测补 鈥� (础辫腻艣谤补测补).
3) According to the 2nd skanda of the 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑腻驳补惫补迟补-笔耻谤腻峁嘺:
On the other side there are also mentioned about the ten characteristics of 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 in the last ten chapters of 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑腻驳补惫补迟补鈥檚 second skanda. The ten characteristics of this second skanda is not different from the ten of the previous twelfth skanda. Rather they are synonymous. Differences are only verbal.
The characteristics are鈥�
atra sargo visarga艣ca sthana峁� 辫辞峁峁嘺m奴迟补测补岣� |
manvantare艣膩nukath膩 nirodho muktir腻艣谤补测补岣� ||
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 (2/10/1)1. sarga
2. visarga (Bisarga)
3. sthana (厂迟丑腻苍补尘)
4. 辫辞峁峁嘺 (笔辞峁峁嘺尘)
5. 奴迟补测补 (弄迟迟补测补)
6. manvantara (Manvantaram)
7. 墨艣腻苍耻办补迟丑腻
8. nirodha
9. mukti
10. 腻艣谤补测补
Sarga:
鈥�sarga 鈥� means the same character of aforesaid Sarga which is mentioned in the twelfth skanda of 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑腻驳补惫补迟补 and the 笔补帽肠补濒补办峁峁嘺.
Visarga:
鈥�visarga 鈥� means also the same concept of 鈥�pratisarga 鈥� (Pratisarga) and the 鈥�visarga 鈥� (Visarga) of twelfth skanda.
Sthana:
鈥�蝉迟丑颈迟颈谤惫补颈办耻峁囜弓丑补惫颈箩补测补岣� 鈥欌赌撯赌�sthana 鈥� or 鈥�sthiti 鈥� is the conquest of Lord Vaikuntha. There are so many subjects in this characteristics like how many people are there in a 叠谤补丑尘腻峁囜笉a? How they live? To obey which dignity there are stability in a 叠谤补丑尘腻峁囜笉a etc.
笔辞峁峁嘺:
鈥�迟补诲补苍耻驳谤补丑补岣� 鈥�辫辞峁峁嘺m 鈥� means the grace or kindness of Lord.
弄迟迟补测补:
鈥�办补谤尘补惫腻蝉补苍腻岣� 鈥�奴迟颈 鈥� means desire for work. For doing any work there creates a desire which defends us to accept any please, grace, sympathy etc. 鈥�办补谤尘补惫腻蝉补苍腻 鈥� (desire for work) is a fastening to avoid any temptation or greediness. There are two types of desire or 鈥�惫腻蝉补苍腻 鈥欌�揼ood as 鈥�艣耻产丑补 鈥� and bad as 鈥�a艣耻产丑补 鈥�.
Manv补苍迟补谤腻峁噄:
鈥�蝉补诲诲丑补谤尘补岣� 鈥� manvantara 鈥� is mentioned as a specific form of time. There are many explanations about the puranic time in this part.
莫艣腻苍耻办补迟丑腻:
avat膩r膩nucarita峁� hare艣c膩sy膩nuvartin膩m |
sat膩m墨艣akath膩 prokt膩 n膩n膩khy膩nopab峁涐箖hit膩岣� ||
The meaning of this part is the story about the God and his avataras. After one manvantara comes the another as well as after one 鈥�Kalpa鈥� comes the another. Thus were created one by one. People, animal, creature etc. all the organisms are in this creation episode but they all want to free from it.
When the all life understand and accept the 鈥�濒墨濒腻 鈥� (dalliance/sport) of Lord then they will be free from this fastening.
苍颈谤辞诲丑补岣� 苍颈谤辞诲丑辞'蝉测腻苍耻艣补测补苍补尘腻迟尘补苍补岣� saha 艣aktibhi岣� ||
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 (2/10/6)
鈥�苍颈谤辞诲丑补岣� 鈥� (Nirodha)means disaster. When the soul dies with its all strength, all is over from this domestic life. 鈥�nirodha 鈥檃nd 鈥�pratisarga 鈥� is the same subject.
Mukti:
尘耻办迟颈谤丑颈迟惫腻'苍测补迟丑腻 谤奴辫补峁� 蝉惫补谤奴辫别峁嘺 惫测补惫补蝉迟丑颈迟颈岣� ||
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 (2/10/6)
When organisms die then they become free from any binding and they assume their original form that is called 鈥�sacconanda 谤奴辫补 鈥� | So 鈥�mukti 鈥� (Mukti) means the liberty from all earthen sorrow.
膧艣谤补测补:
膩bh膩sa艣ca nirodha艣ca yata艣c膩dhyavas膩yate |
sa 腻艣谤补测补岣� para峁� brahma param膩tmeti 艣abdayate ||
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补 (2/10/7)
鈥�腻艣谤补测补 鈥� (膧艣raya) means Paramabrahma, the all mighty God. After death all the soul takes shelter in the Paramabrahma. Thus the organism melt in the 鈥�辫补谤补尘腻迟尘腻 鈥�.
Not only 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑腻驳补惫补迟补 but also Brahmavaivarta 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 has mentioned about the ten characteristics. On the other side there are five characteristics of 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻笔耻谤腻峁嘺 (3/6/24), M膩rka峁囜笉eya 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 (134/13), Agni 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 (1/14), Bhavi峁a 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 (2/5), Var膩ha 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 (2/4), Skanda 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 (Prabh膩sa Kha峁囜笉a 2/84), Kurma 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 (笔奴谤惫腻谤诲丑补 1/12), Garu岣峚 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 (膧肠腻谤补 碍腻峁囜笉补 2/28) too.
From these all characteristics we can know about the total figure of the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 . Characteristics are the only subject which introduce fast about the thing or material. From the characteristics we can know that the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺s expressed from start to end. Sarga, Pratisarga elaborate to us about our query of creation of world. Then we can know our heritage kingdom from Va峁兣沘 and Va峁兣浤乶ucaritam.We also know about our culture, dignity, religion and how to live with peace. So these all vast explanation of us and our life represent 笔耻谤腻峁嘺s by the characteristics.