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 410 of: Studies in the Upapuranas
410 (of 598)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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THE S膧KTA UPAPUR膧峁咥S 391 as speaking to a king, is also found in the sections on tila-
dhenu-d膩na and 艣arkar膩-dhenu-d膩na, ascribed to the 'Bhavi-
syottara' in Apar膩rka's commentary, pp. 306 and 312-3
respectively. But in Var膩ha-p., chap. 111 (which corres-
ponds to Bhavi峁ottara, chap. 161) one Hot峁� is the speaker.
This Hot峁� is introduced in Var膩ha-p. 99. 75 ff. as speaking
to his royal patron Vin墨t膩艣va. Now, as Bhavi峁ottara,
chap. 161 has its parallel in Var膩ha-p, chap. 111 and as the
verses on 艣arkar膩-dhenu-d膩na, ascribed to the 'Bhavi峁ottara'
in Apar膩rka's commentary, pp. 312-3, are found in Var膩ha-p.,
chap. 103 (in which Hot峁� is the speaker, and not Vin墨t膩艣va),
it is highly probable that Vin墨t膩艣va was the speaker in the
earlier Var膩ha-p., that the Padma-p. (S峁涐梗峁璱-kh., chap. 31,
verses 105ff.) borrowed some portions of this earlier Varaha-p.
and changed the position of Vin墨t膩艣va to a king to whom his
priest spoke on the different kinds of donations, and that
the present Var盲ha-p. borrowed these portions from the
Padma-p. and developed these borrowed portions with
further additions63. We have already said elsewhere that
chaps. 99-112 of the present Var膩ha-p. seem to have been
added later. So, we may hold that the present Var膩ha-p.
derived its chap. 111 not direct from the earlier Var膩ha-p.
but through the Padma-p. (S峁泂ti-kh.).
As regards Var膩ha-p., chaps. 39 (verses 15ff.)-50, which
agree with Bhavi峁ottara, chap. 83 and which were added
to the present Var膩ha-p. at the time of its composition, or
rather compilation 65, we may suppose that they were taken
direct from the earlier Var膩ha-p., from which verses must
have been retained in the present Var膩ha". It is, however,
more probable that Bhavi峁ottara, chap. 83 was taken at a
later date from the present Var膩ha-p., because in Mitra and
Aufrecht's Mss of the Bhavi峁ottara we find a few chapters*7
which have been taken from the present Var膩ha-p.
$3
* For the probable indebtedness of the present Var膩ha-p. to the Padma-p. (S峁涐梗ti-
kh.), see Hazra, Puranic Records, p. 101.
鈥淗azra, Pur膩峁噄c Records, p. 101.
** Ibid., p. 101.
"See Vol. I, pp. 237-8.
*7 For these chapters see infra.
