ebook img

ancient indian tradition and mythology series PDF

433 Pages·2011·2.21 MB·English
by  
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview ancient indian tradition and mythology series

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 110 007 120 Royapettah High Road, Mylapore, Madras 600 004 16 St. Mark's Road, Bangalore 560 001 8 Camac Street, Calcutta 700017 Ashok Rajpalh, Patna 800 004 Chowk, Varanasi 221 001 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. ABORI AGP AIHT AP AV Bd. P. Bh. P. lim. P. Bnr. Bs. P. Bv. P. CC DB De or GDAMI Dh. S. ERE GP. GS Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona. S. M. Ali's The Geography of Purānas, PPH, New Delhi, 1973. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition F. E. Pargiter, Motilal Banarsidass (MLBD), Delhi. Agni Purāna, Guru Mandal Edition (GM), Calcutta, 1957. Atharva Veda, Svadhyaya Mandal Aundh. Bhāgavata Purāna, MLBD, Delhi 1973. Bhāgavala Purāna, Bhagavat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad. Brahma Purāna, GM, 1954. Brhan- nāradiya—Pt. Hrishikesh Shastri, Chowkhamba, 1975. Bhavisya Purāna, Vishnu Shastri Bapat, Wai. Brahma Vaivarta Purāna, GM, 1955-57. Caturvarga Cintāmani by Hemādri. Devi Bhāgavata, GM, 1960-61. The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India—N. L. De, Orienta Reprint Delhi, 1971. Dharma Sūtra (preceded by the author's name such as Gautama). Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics—Hastings. Garuda Purāna, Ed. R. S. Bhattacharya, Chowkhamba, Varanasi, 1964. Grhya Sūtra (Preceded by the name of the author such as Apastamba). ( 11 ) HD History of Dharma Śāstra by P. V. Kane, G.O.S. IA The Indian Antiquary. IHQ, The Indian Historical Quarterly. KP Kūrma Purāna, Venkateshwar Press Edt. Bombay. also Kashirāj Trust Edt., Varanasi 1971. LP. Lińga Purāna, MLBD, Delhi, 1981. Mbh. Mahābhārata, Gita Press Gorakhpur, V. S. 2014. MK. Mārkandeya Purāna. MN. Mahābhārata Nāmānukramani, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, V.S. 2016, Mt. P. Matsya Purāna, GM, 1954. MW Monier Williams—Sk.-English Dictionary, MLBD, Delhi, 1976. NP Nāradiya or Nārada Purāna, Venkateshwar Press, Bombay. PCK Bhāratavarsiya Prācina Caritra Kośa— Siddheshwar Shastri, Poona, 1968. Pd. P. Padma Purāna, GM. 1957-1959. PE Purānic Encyclopaedia V. Mani, English, MLBD, Delhi, 1975. PJ Purāna (Journal of the Kashirāj Trust) Varanasi. PR or PRHRC Purānic Records on Hindu Rites and Customs— R. C. Hazra, Calcutta, 1948. RV RG Veda, Svādhyāya Mandala, Aundh. Sat. Br. Śatapatha Brāhmana. SEP. Studies in Epics and Purānas by A.D. Pusalkar Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, (BVB), Bombay. SG or SGAMI Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Mediaeval India—D. C. Sircar MLBD, Delhi, 1971. SKD Śabda-Kalpa-Druma—Raja R. K. Dev., Chowkhamba, Varanasi. Sk. P. Skanda Purāna, GM. 1960-65. ( 12 ) SM Sādhana Mālū—B. Bhattacharya, GOS, Baroda, 1928. SMC Smrti Candrikā—Devanna Bhatta. Smr Smrti (preceded by the author's name or simply the author's name e.g. Manu Smrti or Manu. All GM editions in the Smrti- Sandarbha.1952-57. Sv. P. Śiva Purāna, Pandit Pustakālaya Kashi, V.S. 2020. Va. P. Vāyu Purāna, GM, 1959. Vm. P. Vāmana Purāna, Kashiraj Trust, Varanasi. VP. Visnu Purāna, Gītā Press, Gorakhpur, V.S. 2026. VR Vālmīki Rāmāyana, Gītā Press, V.S. 2020. VRK Valmiki Rāmāyana Kośa—Ramkumar Rai, (Chowkhamba Varanasi.) Yaj Tājñavalkya (Smrti), etc. YSP The Toga System of Patañjali—J. H. Wood. CONTENTS A. PREFACE vii B. ABBREVIATIONS xi C. TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES Chapters Part II Page 42. Cosmogony : The Origin of the Universe 499 43. Traditional Duties of Bi āhmanas 514 44. A Discourse on Meditation 534 45. Exposition of Dharmas leading to Liberation 547 46. Narration of Spiritual matters 563 47. Exposition of the way to realize the Soul 576 •lit. Story of Bharata 585 49. Exposition of the Virtuous Path to Liberation 594 50. Arrangement of notes and syllables 605 51. Treatise on Rituals 636 52. Exposition of Grammar 657 53. Exposition of Nirukta 674 54. Mathematics and Astronomy 691 55. Delineation of Horoscopy 723 56. Natural Astrology 778 57. Description of Prosody 868 58. Śuka's Temptation 873 59. Dialogue between Śuka and Janaka 880 60. Dialogue between Śuka and Sanatkumāra 887 61. Greatness of Nivrtti Dharma 898 62. Exposition of Moksa-dharma 907 SECOND PĀDA CHAPTER FORTYTWO Cosmogony : The Origin of the Universe1 (A Dialogue between Bhrgu and Bhāradvāja) Nārada submitted : 1. O Brāhmana, kindly narrate to me whence this univ e r s e comprised of the mobiles and immobiles was created and to whom it goes at the time of dissolution. O Sanandana ! 2. By whom was this world created along with the c " c ; i us, the sky, the mountains, the clouds, the earth, the fire and the wind ? :i. How were the Bhūtas (Elements or living beings) : i l l 1 I l o w were the different castes divided? What is the arrangement for their purity? How do they get impurities? W ' l i . i i are their rules regarding Dharma and Adharma? 4. Of what nature is the soul of the living individuals? Where do those who die go? May your honour recount every- thing from this world to the other. Sanandana replied :2 5. O Nārada, listen. I shall tell you this ancient mythological anecdote, the scripture narrated by the sage Bhrgu i n Bh&radvāja who enquired of him about this. 6. On seeing the brilliant great sage Bhrgu, of enormous prowess, seated on the top of mount Kailāsa, Sage Bhāradvāja enqi ired of him. 1 1 /iāradvāja said : 7. O bestower of honour, how does the individual soul continuously transmigrate into the different forms of life (existence) ? How is its liberation from the cycle of worldly existence effected?

See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.