Essay name: Vaishnava Myths in the Puranas
Author:
Kum. Geeta P. Kurandwad
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
The essay studies the Vaishnava Myths in the Puranas by exploring the significance of the ten principal incarnations of Lord Vishnu as depicted in various ancient Indian texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas. The research also investigates the social, political, philosophical, and religious impact.
Chapter 3 - Puranas: Their classification and contents
22 (of 39)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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into six parts called Amsas, each of the them consists of many
chapters. In the first three sections, it deals with creation, recreation,
detailed geography of the earth, and the atmosphere, description of
the solar dynasties, accounts of fourteen manvantaras, names of the
twenty-eight Vyāsa who lived in different ages and divided the Vedas,
rise of the various Vedic schools, duties of the different castes and
also contains valuable information regarding the dynasties of Kaliyuga.
The Viṣṇu Purāṇa is an early work composed most probably in the
last quarter of the third or the first quarter of the fourth century A.D.
Bhāgavata Purāṇa :
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa which is the most popular of the extant
purāṇic works, derives special attention not only as a literacy
production on account of its language style and metre, but also as a
valuable record of the theological and philosophical doctrines of the
Bhāgavata Vaiṣṇavas to whom it exclusively belongs. It consists of
twelve skandhas, and each divided into many chapters. It consists of
eighteen thousand verses in all. It contains description of the castes
and four stages of life, the duties of man, karma yoga, jñāna yoga,
bhakti Yoga. It represents the highest teaching of Paramahamsa.
It clearly states that the knowledge of all system of philosophy.
The creation of the Brahmā is then described and the division of time
is explained. The sixth skandhas contains a variety of legends of
miscellaneous description of Varāha incarnation. The seventh skandha
is occupied with the legend of Prahlāda. The eighth deals with the
manvantaras. Ninth skandha narrates the dynastics of Vaivasvata
Manvantara.
