topics: |  india | myth

what a great idea! to tell the stories from the hindu myth, but instead of retelling it like a hundred predecessors, do it verse by verse from the purANa texts. and it is a tribute to these ancient storytellers that the tales are possibly even more gripping with all the colour and the dialogues of the originals. of course, the editors - primarily Dimmitt, who teaches theology at georgetown - have had to work hard to find just the right passages from the many versions of each tale, to sustain narrative interest and also some semblance of cohesion.

the end result is that you get a set of "authentic" versions of these stories - not a unproven amalgam of a hundred sources - regional, folk, and family recensions, but based directly on the texts, and that also, from the best critically edited versions one has.

so while you get a riveting narrative, it also serves as a scholarly text...

the book was originally designed as a text to be used in religion classes in the west, but i have a suspicion that the readership is far greater in the modern, anglicized india than in the west.

while most of these stories are known to the average indian in a vague sort of way, its still worth it to get all these detailed versions - and what's more, to be able to correlate it with the original texts which are also becoming increasingly easier to find...

the book was printed in india by sri satguru publications, a relatively lesser known group owned by a major book trade firm. it was first published in 1998, twenty years after the US edition. i was lucky to pick up one of the last copies available in india in 2013 (from bookadda.com). within a few months, when i wanted to gift a copy to someone, there were none to be had. (but later i did run into a a few remnants).

the book is organized by sections - there is one on origins, and then
sections on the myths relating to viSNu / krSNa, and shiva / devi, and
ending with a long list of miscellaneous mortal and immortal beings.  one
may quibble that the selection is meager, but it is excellent for the
purpose.

here are some initial snippets - will try to add more sections with their
original sanskrit in the coming months...!

from Preface

while tradition ascribes to the mahabharata a lakh of couplets, or one
hundred thousand, to the purANas it assigns a crore, or ten million. there
are translations of some of this material, but not of all the eighteen great
purANas, let alone the minor puranas.

thanks to the generosity of the kashiraj trust founded by the maharaja of
varanasi [the book is dedicated to him], there are good editions of some of
the purANas; the vAyu and the bhAgavata, and to some extent the the
mArkaNDeya, are also well edited. ...

in making our selections, we have used the puranas most popular in the hindu
tradition itself; our chief sources have been the viSNu, mArkaNDeya,
bhAgavata, matsya, vAmana and kUrma, and to a lesser extent the
brahmavaivarta, shiva and garuDa. with such an abundance of riches to choose
from, the choice on occasion became simply a matter of balance. we could have
used the bhAgavata more extensively on kr^sna, for example, but since that
text has been translated and anthologized often, the viSNu and brahmavaivarta
accounts seemed preferable.

at the beginning of certain selections we have sometimes extended the sense
of the text in the translation, to facilitate transitions between
fragments. and although pleading the exigencies of space is poor justice, at
time we have shortened stories because the alternative was to select a
shorter but poorer version; the couplets omitted are indicated in the notes
on sources. contrariwise, we have not stinted on the variety of names
attributed to a single deity... 

division of labor between the authors:
the initiative for the book was taken by cornelia dimmitt, who located and
selected the texts, and who is largely responsible for the content of the
introductions. the translation itself has been wholly collaborative.

overview of the purANic literature (from Introduction)

india, extraordinarily rich in myth, has no word for it.
closest perhaps is purANa, "a story of the old days."  but the word
encompasses a great deal more than what [is understood] by "myth". ...
the purANas are the principal sources for our knowledge of Hindu
mythology. p.3

broadly speakin one may say that the [composition of the purANa] genre
begins when the mahAbhArata is concluded in about 300 A.D.  [the epics]
are traditionally set apart from the purANas as itihAsa, a story about
events.  but the distinction is fluid.  the old collective,
itihASapurANam, is in the upaniSads mentioned sometimes as a sort of
"fifth" veda.  the transition between mahAbhArata and the purANas is
illustrated by the harivaMsa, in intention an appendix to the mahAbhArata
supplementing its treatment of krSNa and his family, but in practice the
earliest purANa.

In spite of their early title of "fifth veda", the purANas do not in fact
carry the authority of scripture.  [however, within orthodox scholastic
tradition (mimAMsakas), only those part of the vedas that]
enjoined  a particular rite to be performed for a specific end were
authoritative.  ... despite its severely limited authoritativeness, the
"veda" had a lofty, though vague, authority as shruti - the learning that
had come down via "hearing".

however, the shruti ... touched only a small class of the population, and
there was a need for a broader, more popular body of "revealations" that
responded to the actual beliefs and concerns of the orthodox.  by nature
ill-defined and of uncertain authority, it acquired the title of smr^ti,
"recollection", supplementing shruti and formally accepted by the brahmin
class.  traditionally, the purANas belong to this category.

the eighteen mahApurANas

among the large mass of purANic texts, eighteen have been singled out as
Great - in the asense that they have an all-indian acceptance.  Each of the
mahApurANas provide a list of all eighteen including itself. while these
lists overwhelmingly agree, there are some minor discrepancies.  The result
is a list of 20:

agni         harivaMsha          padmA              matsya
brahmA       bhaviSya            varAha             shiva
garuDa       bramhavaivarta      mArkaNDeya         viSnu
bhAgavata    kUrma               skanda             nArada
brahmANDa    li.Nga              vAyu               vAmaNa


precisely when, where, why, and by whom these old stories were edited into
discrete collections is not easy to determine.  as they exist today, the
purANas are a stratified literature... but certain speculations may be
hazarded.  the oldest material in the purANas is co-temporaneous with the
vedas, but was recited either in a different milieu than the brahminic
ritual or by persons other than the brahmin priests. the alternate milieu
would be the source of the smr^ti tradition that gave rise to both the epic
and purANic collections. thus the purANas, which share many stories with
the epics, the mahAbhArata in particular, do not derive from that epic, but
constitute the same body of oral tradition, or smr^ti, whose original may
be as old as the period of the vedas.

a more precise clue to the dating of the purANas is found in the
genealogical lists that are offered in a number of purANas, the dynasties
of kings. while frustratingly incomplete, purANic genealogies appear to
provide indication of two different eras in which these old stories were
collected and edited: about 1000B.C., (the period after the mahAbhArata war);
and about 4th–6th c. A.D. (gupta dynasty).

Excerpts

The Cosmic Egg [vamAna-purANa, saromAhAtmya 22.17]

	pUrvamekArNave ghore naSTe sthAvaraja.ngame |
	br^hadaNDamabhUdekaM prajAnAM bIjasaMbhavam || 22.17
	tasminnaNDe sthito brahmA shayanAyopacakrame |
	sahasrayugaparyantaM suptvA sa pratyabudhyata || 22.18

Long ago when all things animate and inanimate were lost in one dreadful
ocean there appeared a large egg. Lying in this egg, Brahma went to sleep. At
the end of a thousand Ages [yugas] he awoke.


	vibuddhaH salile tasmin vij~nAyAntargataM jagat |
	aNDaM bibheda bhagavAMstasmAdomityajAyata || 22.30 ||
	tato bhUrabhavat tasmAd bhuva ityaparaH smr^taH |
	svaH shabdashca tr^tIyo 'bhad bhUrbhuvaH sveti saMj~nitaH || 22.31 ||
	tasmAttejaH samabhavat tatsaviturvareNyaM yat |
	udakaM shoSayAmAsa yattejo 'NDaviniHsr^tam || 22.32 ||

Awake and knowing creation to be lost in this flood, the lord broke open the
egg. From it OM was born; then arose bhUH, matchless bhuvaH, and third,
the sound svaH.  Together they are known as bhUr-bhuvaH-svaH.  From this
arose tejas (which is tat savitur vareNyam).  Tejas escaped from the
egg and evaporated the water, leaving a residue - an embryo.

	tejasA shoSitaM sheSaM kalalatvamupAgatam |
	kalalAd budbudaM j~neyaM tataH kAThinyatAM gatam || 22.33 ||
	kAThinyAd dharaNI j~neya bhUtAnAM dhAriNI iha sA /
	yasmin stAnesthitaM hyaNDaM tasmin saMnihitaMsaraH // VamPSm_22.34 //
	yadAdyaM niHsr^taM tejastasmAdAditya ucyate |

This embryo, called a bubble, became solid. It is known as dharaNI
because it is hard and is the sustainer of all creatures. [lit. "that which
supports", also, the earth]
The egg, rested in lake saMNihita.  The first to come forth from the
tejas was called Aditya.

	aNDamadhye samutpanno brahmA lokapitAmahaH || 22.35 ||
	ulbaM tasyAbhavanmerurjarAyuH parvatAH smr^tAH |
	garbhodakaM samudrAshca tathA nadyaH sahasrashaH || 22.36 ||
	nAbhisthAne yadudakaM brahmaNo nirmalaM mahat |
	mahatsarastena pUrNaM vimalena varAmbhasA || 22.37
	tasmin madhye sthANurUpI vr^Tavr^kSo mahAmanaH |
	tasmAd vinirgatA varNA brAhmaNAH kSatriyA vishaH || 22.38
	shUdrAshca tasmAdutpannAH shushrUSArthaM dvijanmanAm |

Brahma, Grandfather of the world, arose in the middle of the egg. The
placenta is known as Mt. Meru, the afterbirth is the mountains, and the
waters of the womb are the oceans and the thousand rivers. The water which
surrounds the navel of Brahma is Mahat. In the middle of it, O great minded
one, a banyan tree stood like a pillar.  From it sprang the classes -
brahmins, kSatriyas, vaishyas, and shUdras who thus arose to do reverence to
the twice-born.

gaNesha created by pArvatI [shiva purANa (rudra)]

		shiva rudra 13.15-39; 14.1,2,7-10,57-63; 15.1-20;
			    16.7-13,18-35; 17.3-59

once upon a time while pArvatI was taking a bath, the always auspicious
shiva threatened nandin, who was guarding her door, and went into the
house.  When that lovely woman, the mother of the world, saw shankara
arrive so unexpectedly, she stood up, embarrassed. 179

after this, pArvatI, supreme mAyA, the supernal goddess, became eager to
follow the good advice given earlier by a friend.  thinking to herself, "i
should have a servant of my own!  he should be favourable to me, a man of
accomplishment who will obey my command and no other..."

[she was being guarded by nandin and other gaNas who were
followers of shiva).

thinking these thoughts the goddess fashioned from the dirt of her body a
young man who possessed all good characteristics.  he was handsome, flawless
of limb, sturdy, well-adorned, and most valorous and strong.  she gave to him
various garments, abundant ornaments, and an incomparable blessing.  "you are
my very own son!" she said.  "i have no one else here who is mine alone."
[thus is ganesha created.]

the youth bowed to shivA [=pArvatI, durgA]: "what task have you found for
me.  i shall do as you tell me."  thus addressed, shivA answered her son.
"dear son, hear my words.  from now on you shall be my doorkeeper.  you are
my very own child,... let no one into my house without my permission.  and so
speaking, she gave him a hard stick, o seer. gazing at his handsome body, she
was thrilled with delight. 179

then she kissed his face lovingly, embraced him with affection, and
stationed him, staff in hand, at her door as chief of the gaNas.
[gaNas : shiva's attendants]

[in another version, pArvatI wishes for a son, but shiva is not interested,
then she creates gaNesa.  but then shiva cuts off his head.  see Kosambi,
Myth and Reality (1962) ]

gaNesh's war with shiva

[then durgA goes to have a bath with her companions.  at this point, shiva
comes.  ganesha doesn't know who he is.  shiva tries to walk past gaNesha.]

"where do you think you are going?  get out at once", and Ganesh brandishes
the stick.

looking at this unknown boy guarding the
door, shiva says angrily:

"you silly fool, who are you to keep me out?  don't you recognize me?

[sanskrit parts from shivamahapurana.wordpress.com ]

महादेव उवाच |

  	मूर्खोऽसि त्वं न जानासि शिवोऽहं गिरिजापतिः |
	स्वगृहं यामि रे बाल निषेधसि कथं हि माम् || 36 ||
	murkhasi

the infuriated shiva says: "you are an imbecile not to know me!  i am
shiva, the the husband of parvati, daughter of the mountain.  i shall
go into my own house, idiot boy.  how can you stop me?

इत्युक्त्वा प्रविशन्तं तं महेशं गणनायकः |
क्रोधं कृत्वा ततो विप्र दण्डेनाताडयत्पुनः || 37 ||

so saying, shiva tries to enter.  the head of the gaNas [gaNesh] strikes
the lord of many sports with the stick.

[and shiva tries to go past, and ganesha is enraged and hits him again and
again.  at this, shiva orders the gaNas on him.]



	Ganesh's battle with the gaNas.
image source: [theindianmythology.wordpress.com]


--


महादेव उवाच |

तस्मात्सर्वे च मद्वीराः शृणुतादरतो वचः |
कर्तव्यं सर्वथा युद्धं भावि यत्तद्भवत्विति || 62 ||

And therefore, all my brave (assistants), listen my words with respect. The
war should be fought; future is what will happen.

What can one boy alone do against an army?


---

गणेश उवाच |
Ganesha said (to one friend of Parvati)

आयातु गणपाः सर्वे शिवाज्ञापरिपालकाः |
अहमेकश्च बालश्च शिवाज्ञापरिपालकः || 15.3 ||
तथापि पश्यतां देवी पार्वतिसूनुजं बलम् |
शिवश्च स्वगणानां तु बलं पश्यतु वै पुनः || 4 ||

Let all the heads of the assistants who obey orders of Lord Shiva come. And I
am (just) one, and a child who obeys the orders of Goddess Shivaa. Still,
Devi, let us see the strength born of Parvati’s son. Then again let us see
the strength of Lord Shiva’s own assistants.

Lord Shiva said (to Brahma)

	ब्रह्मञ्छृणु मम द्वारि बाल एकः समास्थितः |
	महाबली यष्टिपाणिर्गेहावेशनिवारकः || 15.27 ||
	महाप्रहारकर्ताऽसौ मत्पार्षदविघातकः |
	पराजयः कृतस्तेन मद्गणानां बलादिह || 28 ||
Listen Brahma, one child has stationed himself at my door, (who is) very
strong, with a stick in hand, and prevents entry into the house. He hits very
hard, killer of my assistants, defeated my assistants with force here.


ब्रह्मोवाच |
Brahma said (to Narada)

एका विद्युत्स्वरूपा च बहुहस्तसमन्विता |
भयङ्करा महादेवी दुष्टदण्डविधायिनी || 47 ||

One (energy created and given by the supreme Goddess, the mother of the
universe to Ganesha) was in the form of electricity equipped with many hands,
frightening great Goddess, who would inflict punishment on the wicked.

	एको बालोऽखिलं सैन्यं लोडयामास दुस्तरम् |
	यथा गिरिवरेणैव लोडितः सागरः पुरा || 50 ||

One child is badly churning the whole army, just like the ocean was churned
by the great mountain (Mandara) in the past.


ब्रह्मोवाच |
Brahma said (to Narada)

ते सर्वे मिलिताश्चैव मुहुर्नत्वा शिवं तदा |
अब्रुवन्वचनं क्षिप्रं कोऽयं गणवरः प्रभो || 15.62 ||
पुरा चैव श्रुतं युद्धमिदानीं बहुधा पुनः |
दृश्यते न श्रुतं दृष्टमीदृशं तु कदाचन || 63 ||
किञ्चिद्विचार्यतां देव त्वन्यथा न जयो भवेत् |
त्वमेव रक्षकः स्वामिन्ब्रह्माण्डस्य न संशयः || 64 ||

They all gathered and again bowed to Lord Shiva then and said quickly “God,
who is this great assistant?”
In the past and now, (we have) heard of battles/wars in many ways, but never
have we seen nor heard anything like what we are seeing (here).  God, think
of something, otherwise (we) will not win. You alone are the protector and
the Lord of the universe, no doubt.


[gaNesha defeats the gaNas and then shiva himself.  then viSNu comes, and he
too can't make headway.  while battling viSNu, shiva comes up on the side and
cuts off ganesha's head with the trident.

at this point, pArvatI comes.  seeing gaNesha dead, the devI is immensely
enraged and threatens to destroy the three worlds in her anger.  eventually
brahma has to counsel viSnu, siva, and the gods.  they were to go northwards
and get the head of whomsoever they first find, and resuscitate her son by
attaching it.

they go north and the first thing they encounter is an elephant with one
tooth.  so they take his head, and attach it to gaNesha.]

Ganesha Revival

गणेशजीवनवर्णनं नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः
	[from Chapter 17 of the shivapurANa]

ब्रह्मोवाच |
Brahma said (to Narada)

विष्णुर्वापि तथा ब्रह्मा शङ्करश्च तथा प्रभुः |
न कश्चिद्गिरिजाग्रे च स्थातुं शक्तोऽभवन्मुने || 24 ||
Narada, be it Vishnu, Brahma or God Shiva, nobody was able stand in front of (angry) Goddess Parvati.

देव्युवाच |
Goddess said (to everyone there)

मत्पुत्रो यदि जीवेत तदा संहारणं न हि |
यथा हि भवतां मध्ये पूज्योऽयं च भविष्यति || 42 ||
सर्वाध्यक्षो भवेदद्य यूयं कुरुत तद्यदि |
तदा शान्तिर्भवेल्लोके नान्यथा सुखमाप्स्यथ || 43 ||

No destruction if my son lives (is revived), such that he will become
worshippable in your midst.
If you make him the head of everyone today, then there will be peace in the world, otherwise you will not get happiness.

Ganesha Revival – Brahma Suggests a Solution
Posted on November 21, 2012 by shivamahapurana
गणेशजीवनवर्णनं नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः
Ganesha revival description Chapter 17

ब्रह्मोवाच |
Brahma said (to Narada)

उत्तरस्यां पुनर्यायात् प्रथमं यो मिलेदिह |
तच्छिरश्च समाहृत्य योजनीयं कलेवरे || 47 ||
The first one who is met coming from the north, its head should be taken and
joined to (Ganesha’s) body.

Ganesha Revived
Posted on November 22, 2012 by shivamahapurana
गणेशजीवनवर्णनं नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः
Ganesha revival description Chapter 17

ब्रह्मोवाच |
Brahma said (to Narada)

तं दृष्ट्वा जीवितं बालं शिवापुत्रं मुनीश्वर |
सर्वे मुमुदिरे तत्र सर्वं दुखं क्षयं गतम् || 58 ||
Great sage, after seeing the child, son of Shivaa, alive (revived), everyone
there became happy, all the unhappiness disappeared.

Ganesha (another re-telling, some story differences)

		from http://www.dharmakshetra.com/literature/puranas/shiva.html

The door to Parvati’s place was guarded by two of Shiva’s companions, Nandi
and Bhringi.  But Parvati’s companions, Jaya and Vijaya, didn’t like this at
all.  They thought that there should be a guard who would be answerable to
Parvati rather than to Shiva.  It was Parvati’s place, not Shiva’s.
Moreover, Shiva was in the habit of walking in at awkard moments, and Nandi
and Bringi never stopped Shiva.  Jaya and Vijaya asked Parvati to do
something about this.

Parvati took some clay of a pond and fashioned the clay into a very handsome
son.  She dressed the son in beautiful clothes and jewellry.  He was named
Ganesha.  Parvati told Ganesha, You are my son.  Stand at the gate and do not
allow anyone to enter.

Ganesha picked up a rod and began his duty as sentry.  Parvati went to have a
bath.

Soon Shiva turned up with his companions.  Where are you going? asked
Ganesha.  You cannot pass.  My mother is having her bath.

I am Shiva, answered Shiva.

Who is Shiva? retorted Ganesha. I don’t know of any Shiva.  You cannot go in.

Shiva tried to ignore Ganesha and enter, but Ganesha started to beat Shiva
with the rod.  Shiva then asked his companions to remove this upstart.  But
they only got thrashed by Ganesha in the process.  Nandi tried to grasp one
of Ganesha’s legs and Brhringi the other.  But Ganesha uprooted a wooden door
and beat them so hard that they fled.  The gods and the sages all came to see
what the uproar was about.

Shiva told Brahma, Why don’t you try to pacify that creature?

Brahma advanced to reason with Ganesha.  But Ganesha didn’t know Brahma; he
thought that this was another one of Shiva’s companions.  He therefore
grabbed Brahma and tore off Brahma’s beard by the handful.  Brahma fled in
pain.

This had become a matter where Parvati felt her pride to be at stake.  So she
kept Ganesha supplied with weapons.  The gods attacked Ganesha with all sorts
of weapons.  He drove them back.

Vishnu told Shiva, This fellow can only be killed with some trickery.
Otherwise, he seems to be invincible.

Ganesha flung a mace at Visnu and hurt him considerably.  He struck down
Shiva’s bow with another mace.  Vishnu and Ganesha then began to fight, with
the sudarshana chakra being used by Vishnu and maces by Ganesha.  While this
duel raged, Shiva crept up stealthily from behind and cut off Ganesha’s had
with his trishula (trident).  This was the trickery that Vishnu had planned
for.

When Parvati learnt of Ganesha’s death, her ire was roused.  She got ready to
destroy the universe and everyone was alarmed.  Narada was sent to Parvati as
a messager.  He was to try and pacify Parvati.  But Parvati agreed to relent
only if two conditions were satisfied.  The first condition was that Ganesha
should be brought back to life.  The second condition was that Ganesha should
be accepted as a god and should enjoy all divine rights.

These conditions wre readily accepted.  Ganesha’s headless body was cleaned
and bathed.  But the head could not be found.  It had been lost in the heat
of the battle.  Shiva sent his companions out to find the head of the first
living being that they saw.  This happened to be an elephant with one tusk.
The elephant’s head was stuck onto Ganesha’s body and Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva combined their powers to bring back life to the dead body.

Shiva accepted Ganesha as his son.  He also made Ganesha the lord of all his
companions, the ganas.  That is why the elephant-god is called Ganapati.  It
was also decreed that worship to any god would be useless unless it was
preceded by prayers to Ganesha.

Chaturthi tithi is the fourth lunar day.  Krishnapaksha is that part of the
lunar fortnight during which the moon wanes.  Since Parvati created Ganesha
in the month of Kartika and on chaturthi tithi in krishnapaksha, that is the
day on which Ganapati is worshipped.

how Ganesh lost one tooth

Many years later, Shiva was taking a nap when Ganesh was guarding him. At
that moment Parashuram, the Brahmin warrior, came to see Shiva. Much to his
dismay he was stopped by Ganesh. Parashuram was unwilling to take orders from
anyone. As a result, a big fight ensued. Finally, Parashuram threw his
powerful ax towards Ganesh. Ganesh stopped the ax with his tusk which
broke. Thus Ganesh lost one of his tusks and began to be known as Eka-danta,
or "One Toothed."

The Goddess

The death of MahiSa, the buffalo demon

						p.237
When his army was being destroyed in this manner, the demon Mahisha himself,
in the form of a buffalo, terrorized the troops of the goddess.  Some of them
he beat with his snout, others he trampled with his hooves, still others he
lashed with his tail, while some were ripped to shreds by his horns.  Some
were thrown to the ground by his bellowing and the speed of his chargge while
others were felled by the gusts of his panting breath.

After felling her troops, the demon rushed to attack the lion that was with
the great goddess.  At this AmbikA [third form of durgA, chandadurgA, the
fighter goddess] became enraged.  The mighty, virile buffalo, whose hooves
pounded the earth, also grew furious, smashing the lofty mountains with his
horns and bellowing aloud.  Trampled by his violent sallies the earth was
shattered and the ocean, lashed by his hairy tail, overflowed on all sides.
... Mountains tumbled by the hundreds from the sky, struck down by the wind
of his snorting breath.

When she saw this great demon attacking, swelling with rage Candika then
became furious enough to destroy him.  She threw her noose and lassoed the
great Asura.  Thus trapped in that mighty battle he abandoned his buffalo
shape and became a lion.  At the moment Ambika cut off its head, a man
appeared, sword in hand.  As soon as Ambika cut down that man along with his
sword and shield, the demon became a huge elephant.  With a roar he dragged
the goddess's lion along with his trunk but while he was pulling the lion she
cut off his trunk with a sword.  Then the great demon resumed his wondrous
buffalo shape, causing all three worlds with their moving and unmoving
creatures to tremble.

Provoked by this, CandikA, mother of the world, guzzled her supreme liquor,
laughing and red-eyed.  And the Asura puffed up with pride in his own
strength and bravery, bellowed aloud and tossed mountains at Candika with his
horns.  Pulverizing those mountains that were hurled at her with arrows, the
goddess, excited by anger, her mouth red with liquor, cried out to him and
his invincible troop, "Roar and bellow, but only as long as I drink the mead,
you fool!  In a moment the gods will be howling at you when you die by my
hand."

So speaking, the goddess flew up and trod on his throat with her foot,
piercing him with her spear.  Crushed by her foot, overcome by the power of
that goddess, the demon came half-way out of his own mouth.  Still battling
in this way, he was felled by the goddess who cut off his head with her
mighty sword.  So that demon MahiSa, his army and his allies, who had so
distressed the three worlds, were all annihilated by the goddess.

At MahiSa' s death, all the gods and demons, mankind and all creatures living
in the three worlds cried "Victory!" And when the entire army of the
lamenting Daityas was annihilated, the whole host of the gods went into
exultant rapture. The gods and the great celestial seers praised that
goddess, while Gandharva lords sang aloud and hosts of Apsarases danced.

					[mArkaNDeya devImAhAtmya 80.21-44]

The Birth of Kali and the Final Battle

						p.238

As they had been commanded, the Daityas, led by caNDa and muNDa, formed a
four-fold army and sallied forth, their weapons raised aloft.  They saw the
goddess, smiling slightly, positioned on her lion atop the golden peak of a
mighty mountain.  When they saw her they made zealous efforts to seize her,
while other demons from the battle approached her with bows and swords
drawn. Then Ambika became violently angry with her enemies, her face
growing black as ink with rage.

Suddenly there issued forth from between her eyebrows Kali, with protruding
fangs, carrying a sword and a noose, with a mottled, skull-topped staff,
adorned with a necklace of human skulls, covered with a tiger-skin,
gruesome with shrivelled flesh. Her mouth gaping wide, her lolling tongue
terrifying, her eyes red and sunken, she filled the whole of space with her
howling.  Attacking and killing the mighty demons, she devoured the armed
force of the enemies of the gods.  Seizing with one hand the elephants with
their back-riders, drivers, warriors and bells, she hurled them into her maw
[mouth].

In the same way she chewed up warriors with their horses, chariots and
charioteers, grinding them up most horribly with her teeth.  One she grabbed
by the hair of the head, another by the nape of the neck, another she trod
underfoot while another she crushed against her chest. The mighty striking
and throwing weapons loosed by those demons she caught in her mouth and
pulverised in fury.

She ravaged the entire army of powerful evil-souled Asuras; some she devoured
while others she trampled; some were slain by the sword, others bashed by her
skull-topped club, while other demons went to perdition crushed by the sharp
points of her teeth.

Seeing the sudden demise of the whole Daitya army, CaNDa rushed to attack
that most horrendous goddess Kali. The great demon covered the terrible-eyed
goddess with a shower of arrows while MuNDa hurled discuses by the thousands.
Caught in her mouth, those weapons shone like myriad orbs of the sun entering
the belly of the clouds.  Then howling horribly, Kali laughed aloud
malevolently, her maw gaping wide, her fangs glittering, awful to behold.
Astride her huge lion, the goddess rushed against CaNDa; grabbing his head by
the hair, she decapitated him with her sword. When he saw CaNDa dead, MuNDa
attacked, but she threw him too to the ground, stabbing him with her sword in
rage. Seeing both CaNDa and the mighty MuNDa felled, the remains of the army
fled in all directions, overcome with fear.

Grabbing the heads of the two demons, Kali approached CaNDika and shrieked,
cackling with fierce, demoniac laughter, "I offer you CaNDa and MuNDa as the
grand victims in the sacrifice of battle. Now you yourself will kill Sumbha
and Nisumbha!"  Witnessing this presentation of the two great Asuras, the
eminent CaNDika spoke graciously to Kali, "Since you have captured CaNDa and
MuNDa and have brought them to me, O goddess, you will be known as cAmuNDA!"

So speaking, the honourable goddess CaNDikA of fierce mettle vanished on the
spot before the eyes of the gods.  And all the gods, their enemies felled,
performed their tasks without harassment and enjoyed their shares of the
sacrifices.  When Sumbha, enemy of the gods, world-destroyer, of mighty power
and valour, had been slain in battle and the most valiant Nisumbha had been
crushed, the rest of the Daityas went to the netherworld.

In such a way, then, does the divine goddess, although eternal, take birth
again and again to protect creation. This world is deluded by her; it is
begotten by her; it is she who gives knowledge when prayed to and
prosperity when pleased.  By MahAkAli is this entire egg of Brahma
pervaded, lord of men.  At the awful time of dissolution she takes on the
form of MahAmArI [famine], the great destructress of the world.  She is
also its unborn source; eternal, she sustains creatures in time. As LakSmI,
or Good Fortune, she bestows wealth on men’s homes in times of
prosperity. In times of disaster she appears as Misfortune for their
annihilation. When the goddess is praised and worshipped with flowers,
incense, perfume and other gifts, she gives wealth, sons, a mind set upon
Dharma, and happiness to all mankind.

				mArkaNDeya devImAhAtmya 84.1-25;89.29-37

Bhadrakali and the Dacoits

				p.240

		atha kadAcit kascid vr^sala-patir bhadra-kAlyai
		puruSa-pashum alabhatApatya-kAmah

Once a certain Vr^Sala king who wanted children undertook a human sacrifice
to BhadrakAli.  By chance the sacrificial victim escaped and his trail was
followed by the king's attendants in the middle of a murky night.  Not
finding the victim in the dark, they happened by accident upon the son of
an eminent Angiras priest sitting in the "hero" posture, guarding the
fields from deer, wild pigs and other animals.  Noticing this blameless man
and thinking they were fulfilling their master's desire, they bound him
with a rope and led him to the sanctuary of the goddess CaNDikA, their
faces blooming with joy.  According to their custom, the thieves fed him,
anointed him, dressed him in unwashed garments and decorated him with
ornaments, oils, garlands, tilakas, and other adornments.  Equipped with
offerings of perfume, lights, wreaths, parched grain, shoots, sprouts and
fruit, they made the human victim sit amid the paraphernalia of bloodshed
in front of Bhadrakali to the noisy accompaniment of songs, hymns, drums
and cymbals.

		Vrishala : king, in whom there is no righteousness [mbh XII.90.15]
			   Manu : degraded kshatriyas [X.43]


Then the king of the Vr^Sala thieves, preparing to make sacrifice to the
goddess BhadrakAli with the blood of a human victim, drew out a sharp,
tooth-edged sword that had been charmed with magic spells.  When the
goddess Bhadrakali saw what was happening before her eyes, the illicit
immolation of the peaceable son of a brahmin seer who was a friend to all
creatures, she judged this to be the most despicable act of men who glory
in murder, who wilfully follow the path of error while disdaining the
family of the blessed KAlavIra, their minds puffed up with the greed of
possession, with natures full of rajas and tamas.

When she saw these Vr^Salas preparing the sacrifice, the goddess Bhadrakali
instantly jumped out of her image with a blazing body that was utterly
unendurable with BrahmA's splendour.  Ebulliently manifesting herself with
her retinue, her dreadful swollen face flashing with indignation, wrath and
ferocity, with knotted eyebrows, curving fangs and copper-red eyes, she
sprang forth in fury, with murderous intent and hideous laughter.  With the
self-same sword of the king, the goddess severed the heads of those wicked
thieves, and she and her troops drank greedily from their necks that were
streaming with blood.  Staggering from excessive drink, she and her retinue
sang, cavorted and played ball with the rolling skulls.

Truly, the transgression of the spells of the great always produces such
fruit as this.  It is no great wonder, ViSNudatta, that, even with the loss
of his own head imminent, this seer was unmoved.  For there is nothing to
fear from any quarter whatsoever for those supreme ascetics, for the
devotees of the blessed lord ViSNu who approach his feet for protection
with minds friendly to all beings.  The knots of their hearts bound tight in
recollection of the Self, they can endure even such calamities as the loss
of life, yet remain free from enmity and ever vigilant. Such men are
protected in all the various vicissitudes of their lives by the blessed
lord himself, even by means of the choice weapons of the enemies of the
gods themselves!

						[bhAgavata 5.9.12-20]

Sarasvati and King Navaratha

Navaratha was a king continually intent on righteousness and gift-giving
and utterly devoted to virtue. Once while out hunting he saw a
ferocious RAkSasa.  Filled with great fear, O bulls of seers, he fled.
Enraged, that mighty demon Duryodhana, looking like fire, ran after
him, a spear in his huge hand. Terrorized, King Navaratha spied not
far ahead of him a fine refuge, the well-protected sanctuary of Sarasvati.
Reaching it at top speed, the wise king saw before his eyes
the goddess Sarasvati herself, and saluted her with bowed head and
folded hands. This conqueror of enemies praised her with reverent
words and fell like a log to the ground, saying, "I have come to you
for help! I worship the great chaste goddess who is before me, the divinity
of speech, who is without beginning or end. I praise the womb
of the world, the excellent Yogini, the supreme spouse of the Golden
Embryo, the three-eyed, moon-topped goddess! I honour her who
knows supreme bliss, a portion of the highest consciousness, the embodiment
of Brahman. Protect me, supreme goddess, who has come
to you for refuge!

Meanwhile, the furious lord of the demons had approached the
sanctuary of the goddess Sarasvati to kill the king. Arrogant with
power, with spear raised aloft, he prepared to enter the retreat of the
mother of the three worlds, which shone like the moon. At the same
time, a mighty creature that blazed like the sun at the end of the Age
appeared and split open the demon's breast with his pike, knocking
him to the ground.  ... King Navaratha returned to his own city, which was
like that of Indra, destroyer of strongholds.  And there, full of devotion,
he installed an image of this goddess SarasvatI, worshipping that mistress
of the god with a variety of sacrifices and oblations.
						[kUrma 1.23:13-27]

indra and the ants

				p.320

	when indra had grown arrogant after killing vr^tra and vishvarUpa he
	ordered visvakarman to construct a magnificent palace for him. after
	this a brahmin boy appeared before him and said, “my friend, i know
	kasyapa the progenitor and the ascetic hermit marIcI, who are both
	your friends. and i have praised brahma, the lord creator who sprang
	from vishnu's navel, and the supreme protector vishnu, endowed with
	the quality of sattva, and also the vast single ocean of the
	dissolution, devoid of creatures and most horrifying.

	And now I ask you, Sakra, how manifold is creation? How manifold
	indeed is the Eon?  How many are the eggs of Brahma; how many are the
	Indras? Who can attain them? If motes of dust and drops of rain can
	be numbered, O overlord of the gods, still there shall be no number
	to the Indras, as the wise know well.  An Indra's life and office
	lasts seventy-one Ages, and one day and night of Brahma encompasses
	the span of time of twenty-eight Indras.  And brahmA's life lasts 108
	years.  When even Brahmas cannot be counted, what number is there of
	Indras?  p.320

	Just as the eggs of Brahma are innumerable, as
	are the drops of the sweat of existence, so are the eggs of Brahma as
	countless as his hairs. How many gods are there in one egg of Brahma?
	And how many of the likes of you?”

	Meanwhile the Supreme Person saw a swarm of ants moving in a file a
	hundred bow-lengths long. He said nothing but remained there silent
	like the deep ocean. When he saw the Brahmin boy's mirth and heard
	his song, Indra asked him in utter astonishment, his throat dry, “Why
	are you laughing, great Brahmin? Tell me why at once? Who are you,
	ocean of virtues hidden behind illusion, bearing the shape of a
	child?”

	In reply, Krishna, who bore the shape of the young Brahmin, began to
	expound the wisdom that even great yogins find most difficult to
	attain: “That swarm of ants that I observed, each one following the
	one ahead, have every one been Indras in the world of the gods by
	virtue of their own past action. And now, by virtue of their deeds
	done in the past, they have gradually fallen to the state of ants.”

					[ brahmavaivarta 4.47.100-160 ]

Contents

preface	 							xiii
the purANas : an introduction						3
1. origins
   to OM  [md 39.6-16]  						15
   introduction  							16
   the origin of brahmA from the lotus in viSNu’s navel  		30
	[ku 1.9.6-29]
   prakrti and puruSa  [md 42.61-73]					31
   the cosmic egg [vms 22.17-22,30-39]   				32
   the origin of the world from brahmA [ku 1.7.30-58]	  		32
   the four heads of brahmA [my 3.1-12,30-47]   			34
   puruSa, the cosmic person [bv 2.5.34-42]				35
   the origin and nature of time [md 43.3-44]				36
   the four ages [ku 1.27.16-57] 					38
   the kali age  [vn 4.24.70-97]  					41
   the dissolution of the world in viSNu [vn 6.3.14-41; 4.1-10] 	41
   the dissolution into prakrti and puruSa [ku 2.44.1-24]		43
   the shape of space [vn 2.9.1-7,11,21-26]				45
   the seven heavens [ku 1.39.1-12,27-41,45]				46
   the seven netherworlds [vn 2.5.1-27]  				48
   the hells [vm 11.50-58; .1-42,55,56]				49
   the regions of earth [ku 1.42.1-19;44.1-30,35;45.1-21,43-45]  	52
   the origin of the seers and the manus [md 47.1-18;50.3-12]		55
   the manvantaras [vn 3.2.2-14,45-53]  				57

2. viSNu
   introduction
   the four forms of viSNu [md 4.44-58]  				66
   the twelve avatAras of viSNu [ms47.32-52]    			67
   the twenty-two avatAras of viSNu [gd 1.12-35]   			68
   the avatAras of viSNu and the story of anasUyA [gd 142.1-29]    	69
   matsya, the fish [ms 1.11-35]   					71
   kUrma, the tortoise [ag 3.1-22]   					74
   varAha, the boar [svv 1.11.10-13]					75
   narasiMha, the man-lion [svr 2.5.4-43]				76
   aditi and the birth of vAmaNa, the dwarf				79
	 [vms 7.7-15; 8.1-5,9-18,28; 9.12-16]
   vAmaNa, the dwarf, and bali [vms 10.1.9,33-66,85-87,91]		80
   parasurAma, rAma with the axe 					82
	[bv 9.15.16-20,23-41; 9.16.1-27]
   rAma in the rAmayana [gd 143.1-51]					85
   kr^SNa in the mahabharata [gd 145.1-43]				88
   vaikuNTha, viSNu’s celestial city [ku 1.47,49-69]			90
   sudarshana, viSNu’s discus [vm 56.16-46]				91
   bali and sudarshana, the discus [vm 67.1-19]   			93
   the churning of the ocean [vn 1.9.2-116]				94
   viSNu and shrI [vn 1.8.17-35]					98

3. kr^SNa
   introduction

   childhood
   the conception of kr^SNa []	106
   the birth of kr^SNa []	109
   pUutanA, the child killer []	111
   the naughty children rAma and kr^SNa; the move to vrndAvana []	112
   kAliya, the snake []	114
   mount govardhana []	116
   conversation with the cowherds []	117

   youth
   kr^SNa and rAdhA []	118
   the theft of the clothes []	122
   the rAsalilA dance []	124
   rAdha and the dance []	127
   the departure of kr^SNa []	130

   kaMsa
   the plotting of kaMsa []	131
   the invitation to rAma and kr^SNa []	132
   the hunchbacked girl []	133
   the death of kaMsa []	134

   adulthood
   the building of dvAraka~ []	138
   the longing of the cowherd women for kr^SNa [] 	139
   the abduction of rukmiNI []	140
   pradyumna and the fish []	141
   the end of the yAdavas []	142

4. shiva
   introduction
   the origin of rudra, the howler [ku 1.10.1-38]	155
   the birth of parvati []	157
   the test of parvati’s tapas []	161
   the betrothal of shiva and parvati []	164
   the wedding of shiva and parvati []	167
   daksa’s insult []	171
   the destruction o daksa’s sacrifice []	174
   ganesha 								179
	[svr 13.15-39; 14.1,2,7-10,57-63; 15.1-20; 16.7-13,18-35; 17.3-59]
   karttikeya []	185
   sukra []	188
   the burning of tripura []	189
   sunartaka the dancer []	198
   the tandava dance of shiva []	200
   the dance of shiva in the sky []	202
   the sages of the pine forest []	203
   brahmA, viSNu and the linga of siva []	205
   the skull –bearer []	206
   kamadeva, the god of love []	209
   the illusions of siva []	212
   the weapons of siva []	213
   the origin of women []	215
   hari- hari []	216

5. the goddess
   introduction
   the blazing tower of splendor [svu 49.1-43]			227
   siva and sakti; the great goddess 					229
		 [ku 1.11.1-47,63-75,211-220,326]
   the demons madhu and kaitabha [mdd 78.45-53,61-77]			232
   the origin of the goddess from the gods [mdd 79.1-70]		233
   the death of mahisa, the buffalo demon [mdd 80.21-44]		237
   the birth of kali and the final battel [mdd 84.1-25; 89.29-37]	238
   bhadrakali and the thieves [bv 5.9.12-20]				240
   sarasvati and king navaratha [ku 1.23.13-27]			241

6. seers, kings and supernaturals
   introduction

   seers
   markandeya and the cosmic ocean []	253
   narada []	256
   kandu []	258
   sukra and kaca []	262
   agastya and vasistha []	265
   vasistha and visvamitra []	30

   kings
   prthu and the milking of the earth []	268
   ilA and sudyumna []	269
   pururavas and urvasi []	271
   hariscandra and his son []	273
   hariscandra and visvamitra []	274
   pariksit []	286
   yayati []	288
   viduratha []	292
   saubhari []	295
   sakuntala []	297

   vedic gods and demons
   the mandehas at twilight []	298
   the battle between the gods and demons []	299
   indra and vrtra []	303
   dadhici’s bones []	306
   diti and the maruts []	307
   the seers’s wives and the maruts []	308
   soma []	310
   prahlada and hiranyakasipu []	312