Essay name: Purana Bulletin
Author:
Affiliation: University of Kerala / Faculty of Oriental Studies
The "Purana Bulletin" is an academic journal published in India. The journal focuses on the study of Puranas, which are a genre of ancient Indian literature encompassing mythological stories, traditions, and philosophical teachings. They represent Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit and cover a wide range of subjects.
Purana, Volume 1, Part 2 (1960)
106 (of 150)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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208
啶啶班ぞ啶｀ぎ啷� - [pur膩峁嘺m - ] 笔鲍搁膧狈础
[Vol. I, No. 2
universal rejoicing amongst their kith and kin. In spite of the
naval risks stout hearts were resolved to face them and many a
young man of undaunted spirit left their home in search of
oceanic markets, inspired by the thought of earning wealth
through their own efforts. The belief became common
that a sea-voyage alone fetched sufficient wealth. B膩峁嘺 speaks
of this motif (Harshacharitra, VI p. 189;
楼楼楼露 = AYZMA隆 according to Sankara), and also refers to the
massive wealth of the four oceans falling to the share of a
person of courageous resolution ( 啶氞い啷佮 啶膏ぞ啶椸ぐ啶膏啶啶むじ啷嵿く 啶啶むた啶膏啶ぞ啶班じ啷嵿く 啶ぞ啶溹え啶�
[catu岣� s膩garasa峁僢h奴tasya bh奴tisa峁僢h膩rasya bh膩jana峁�
] 4 b. VI, p. 191). He refers also to the magic oint-
ment which applied to the feet secured peregrination over the
oceanic islands (褔, ib. VI, p. 194). In the
Mrichchhakatika, the Vid奴shaka overwhelmed by the exceeding
wealth in Vasantasena's house expresses his surprise by asking if
the Courtezan also indulged in the shipping trade (H
啶ぞ啶ㄠお啶距い啷嵿ぐ啶距ぃ啶� 啶掂す啶ㄠ啶むた, [y膩nap膩tr膩峁噄 vahanti, ] Act. IV).
In this context the
formulated as a
befitting religious ceremony for those fortunate ones who came
back from their oceanic trip loaded with gold and jewels of
which a share they disposed of in pious charities. A well was
selected to represent the oceans and there the ceremonies were
performed. The nam械 褔褔褔 for such wells was thus justified.
With this background in mind, it struck me that the five
big commercial cities of Madhyade艣a in the Gupta period, viz.
Mathura, Prayaga, V膩r膩峁嘺s墨, Pataliputra and Ujjayini, which
appear as the starting point in the motif of the sea-voyage in the
story literature of that period, should each possess a well.
To my great joy enquiry confirmed this assumption and it
acquired for me almost the value of a scientific hypothesis.
The Saptasamudra Well at Mathura which provided the
first hint has been mentioned above. To my satisfaction a
reference to it was subsequently found in the Var膩ha Pur膩峁嘺:
