ancient indian tradition and mythology series

433 Pages·2011·2.21 MB·English

ANCIENT INDIAN TRADITION AND
MYTHOLOGY SERIES
[PURĀNAS IN TRANSLATION]
VOLUMES
ŚIVA1-4 LIŃGA5-6 BHĀGAVATA 7-11
GARUDA12-14 NĀRADA15-19 KŪRMA 20-
21 BRAHMĀNDA 22-26 AGNI27-30
VARĀHA31-32 BRAHMA 33-36 VĀYU 37-38
PADMA 39-48 SKANDA, PARTS I-IX, 49-57
VOLUMES UNDER PREPARATION
SKANDA, PARTS X-XXV
BHAVISYA BRAHMA
VAIVARTA
DEVĪBHĀGAVATA
KĀLIKĀ MĀRKANDEYA
MATSYA VĀMANA VISNU
VISNUDHARMOTTARA
THE
NARADA-PURANA
Translated and annotated by
GANESH VASUDEO TAGARE
PART II
MOTILAL BANARSIDASS PUBLISHERS PRIVATE
LIMITED • DELHI
First Edition: Delhi, 1981
Reprint: Delhi, 1996
© MOTTLAL BANARSIDASS PUBUSHERS PRIVATE LIMITED All Rights
Reserved
ISBN: 81-208-0348-5
Also available at:
MOTILAL BANARSIDASS 41 U. A. Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi
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UNESCO COLLECTION OF REPRESENTATIVE WORKS—Indian Series This
book has been accepted in the Indian Translation Series of the UNESCO
Collection of Representative Works, Jointly sponsored by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the
Government of India.
PRINTED IN INDIA
BY JA1NENDRA PRAKASH JAIN AT SHRI JAINENDRA PRESS, A-45 NARAINA,
PHASE I, NEW DELHI 110028 AND PUBLISHED BY NARENDRA PRAKASH JAIN
FOR MOTTLAL BANARSIDASS PUBLISHERS PRIVATE LIMITED, BUNGALOW
ROAD, DELHI 110007
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
The purest gems lie hidden in the bottom of the ocean or in the
depth of rocks. One has to dive into the ocean or delve into the rocks to
find them out. Similarly, truth lies concealed in the language which with
the passage of time has become obsolete. Man has to learn that language
before he discovers that truth.
But he has neither the means nor the leisure to embark on that
course. We have, therefore, planned to help him acquire knowledge by an
easier course. We have started the series of Ancient Indian Tradition and
Mythology in English Translation. Our goal is to universalize knowledge
through the most popular international medium of expression. The
publication of the Purānas in English translation is a step towards that
goal.
PREFACE
The present volume contains the Nārada Parana, Part II (Chapters
42-62 completing the second Pāda in English translation) . This is the
Sixteenth Volume in the series of fifty-volumes which we have planned on
Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology.
The project of the series was envisaged and financed in 1970 by late
Lala Sundar Lai Jain of Messrs Motilal Banarsidass. Hitherto sixteen
volumes of the series, including the present one (that is, four volumes of
the Siva Parana, two volumes of the Liñga Parana, five volumes of the
Bhāgavata Parana, three volumes of the Garuala Parana and the two volumes of
the Nārada Parana) have been published and released for sale.
The present volume, like all other volumes, is encyclopaedic in
character. It deals with miscellaneous topics such as Cosmogony,
Religion, Philosophy, Veda and its ancillaries— Etymology of Vedic
words (Nirukta), Grammar (Vyākarana), Mathematics and Astronomy
{Ganita and Naksatra-vidya), Horoscopy and Natural Astrology ( Jyotisa)
and prosody (Chandas). In Cosmogony it describes the process of
creation of the Universe. In Religion and Ethics it places emphasis on the
performance of duties of one's own profession (Varna-dharma) in relation to
one's stage of life (Āśrama). In Etymology it gives the derivation of Vedic
words. In Grammar, it presents a general idea of the Subject. In Prosody
it prescribes rules for the metre by the method of Prastāra. In Jyotisa it
explains the essentials in details. In occult science, it prescribes ritual for
attaining particular ends. In spirituality it provides a discourse on
meditation, gives an exposition of dharmas leading to liberation, narrates
the story of Bharata and contains the dialogue between Śuka and Janaka
as well as Śuka and Sanat Kumāra on detachment, renunciation and
kindred ways of life which bring emancipation to the seeker in this very
existence.

( 7 )
In the Sectarian grouping of the Purānas, the Nārada Parana is
classified as a Vaisnava Purāna on the basis of the fact that among the
deities glorified in the Purāna, Visnu holds the Supreme position, though
laudatory references to other deities—Śiva, Śakti, etc. are also made. In
the obvious partiality for Vaisnavism, the Nārada Purāna gives special
treatment to Rādhā and Krsna, even prescribes a hymn of 1000 names in
their eulcgy and proclaims special importance to Ekādaśī Vrata in honour
of Visnu. It is the first to mention Rāma, Krsna, Nrsimha and other
incarnations in connection with Tantric practices.
The variety of topics is very interesting but it is marred as some
time it is couched in expression that needs elucidation— a task which
cannot be accomplished by a mere translation. Hence, a provision has
been made for the notes, which are attached to each chapter, separately,
and not put at the foot of a page as has been the practice in the
translation of other Purānas. We hope the reader will not feel embarrassed
by this shift.
The translation is based on the Sanskrit text of the Nārada Purāna as
published by Messrs Ksemarāja Śrīkrsnadāsa, Veńkateśvara Press,
Bombay. This text constructed on the collation of mss and supported by
the evidence of citations found in the Smrti granthas, is fairly accurate.
We have included abbreviations in this part too and they will be
repeated in successive parts as well, with such additions as are inserted in
the notes in those parts. The Glossary and the General Index to the
complete Purāna will be appended to the last part. For Introduction to
this Purāna, the reader is referred to Part I of this book.
Acknowledgment of obligation:
It is our pleasant duty to put on record our sincere thanks to Dr. R.
N. Dandekar and the authorities of the UNESCO for their kind
encouragement and valuable help which render this work extremely
useful. We are extremely grateful to Dr. G. V. Tagare who in the storm
and stress of his pressing occupations has snatched time for the accom-
plishment of this national task. The lucid translation and
( « )
the explanatory notes attached thereto are, in fact, his monumental
contributions in the field of Indology. We are also grateful to Dr. K. V.
Sharma and Professor M. R. Bhatt for translating chapters 54-56 on
Mathematics and Astronomy, Horoscopy and Astrology and providing
notes on them. We must also thank Shri T. V. Parameshwara Iyer for his
valuable assistance in the preparation of translation. Finally we express
our gratitude to all those who have offered suggestions for improving the
same.
— Editor
ABBREVIATIONS
Common and Self-evident abbreviations such as ch(s)— chapter
(s), p—page, pp—pages, v—verse, vv—verses, Ftn— footnote, Hist. Ind.
Philo—History of Indian Philosophy are not included in this list.
Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research
ABORI
Institute, Poona. S. M. Ali's The Geography of Purānas,
PPH,
AGP
New Delhi, 1973. Ancient Indian Historical
Tradition F. E.
AIHT
Pargiter, Motilal Banarsidass (MLBD),
Delhi.
Agni Purāna, Guru Mandal Edition (GM),
AP
Calcutta, 1957. Atharva Veda, Svadhyaya Mandal
Aundh. Bhāgavata Purāna, MLBD, Delhi 1973.
AV Bd. P. Bh. P.
Bhāgavala Purāna, Bhagavat Vidyapeeth,
Ahmedabad. Brahma Purāna, GM, 1954. Brhan-
lim. P. Bnr.
nāradiya—Pt. Hrishikesh Shastri,
Chowkhamba, 1975. Bhavisya Purāna, Vishnu
Bs. P. Bv. P. CC
Shastri Bapat, Wai. Brahma Vaivarta Purāna, GM,
DB
1955-57. Caturvarga Cintāmani by Hemādri. Devi
De or GDAMI
Bhāgavata, GM, 1960-61. The Geographical Dictionary of
Ancient and
Mediaeval India—N. L. De, Orienta
Dh. S.
Reprint Delhi, 1971. Dharma Sūtra (preceded by
the author's
ERE GP.
name such as Gautama). Encyclopaedia of Religion
GS and Ethics—Hastings. Garuda Purāna, Ed. R. S.
Bhattacharya,
Chowkhamba, Varanasi, 1964. Grhya Sūtra
(Preceded by the name of the
author such as Apastamba).