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 398 of: Studies in the Upapuranas
398 (of 598)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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THE SAKTA UPAPURĀṆAS 379 the mention of his different names; and in the MandÄra-á¹£aá¹£á¹hi-
vrata an image of a male, made of gold and furnished with
a golden lotus in one of its hands, is to be placed on an
eight-petalled lotus made with black sesamum, and the Sun-
god is to be worshipped in the eight petals with MandÄra
flowers with the mention of his eight names (BhÄskara,
SÅ«rya, Arka, Aryaman, Vasu-dhÄtá¹�, Caṇá¸a-bhÄnu, PÅ«á¹£an
and Ananda) and in the pericarp as Puruá¹£a (Bhav. IV. 40).
Though there are a few vratas in which sectarian spirit
is noticeable, there are many which are free from all kinds
of narrowness and in which more deities than one are to be
worshipped or respected. For instance, in the Aviyoga-
vrata Hari-and-Laká¹£mi, Hara-and-Gauri, BrahmÄ-and-
SÄvitrÄ«, and Ravi-and-RÄjñī are to be worshipped in a
maṇá¸ala (chap. 68); and in the NÄ«rÄjana-dvÄdaśī, as described
in chap. 71, first Hari and then Laká¹£mÄ«, BrahmÄ, Caṇá¸ikÄ,
Aditya, Samkara, GaurÄ«, GaṇeÅ›a, NÄgas, planets, cows,
buffaloes etc. are to be lustrated.
The powers of these vratas have been shown by means
of stories, some of which are based on those of the RÄmÄyaṇa,
the MahÄbhÄrata and the PurÄṇas, 38 but most of which are
later fabrications. In these fabricated stories even, the
central figures are in most cases some renowned princes or
princesses of the epics or the PurÄṇas [viz., Nahuá¹£a, Ila,
Sagara, Aja, Dilipa, YayÄti, Haihaya, KÄrtaviryÄrjuna,
KuÅ›adhvaja (of MithilÄ), SÄ«tÄ, SÄvitrÄ«, Damayanti and
others] or some ancient sages or their wives. The fabricators
of these stories have, in many cases, cared very little for
the limits of possibility. For instance, in chap. 13 the story
of a VaiÅ›ya is given in connection with the BhadropavÄsa-
vrata. It is said that this Vaiśya was reborn as the son of
Sañjaya, king of KuÅ›ÄvatÄ«, and his spittle, stool, urine etc.
37 Viz., Bá¹›hat-tapo-vrata (chap. 12), UmÄ-maheÅ›vara-vrata (chap. 23), and
RambhÄ-tá¹›tiyÄ-vrata (chap. 24), all of which are Saiva. In these ratas the devotees
of Åšiva are given preference.
38 Viz., the stories of VinatÄ and KadrÅ« and of JaratkÄru in chap. 36; the story
of the abduction of TÄrÄ by Soma in chap. 99; the story of Savitri in chap. 102; the
story of the birth of Agastya, and his exploits, viz., his consumption of the demon VÄtÄpi,
his drinking of all the waters of the oceans, etc.; and so on.
