Part I
Introduction
Vamana is assigned fourteenth position in the list
of eighteen Mahapuranas or major Puranic texts, preceded by Skanda and succeeded by Kurma. It gets its name after Vamana or the dwarf
incarnation of God Visnu, which is the first human
incarnation preceded by the "Fish", "Tortoise",
"Boar" and "Man-Lion" incarnations that can, by the way, be
seen as corresponding to the earlier stages of the evolution of life on the
earth, the main purpose of the Purana being a description of the legend of the demon Bali, grandson of
Prahlada, the Visnu devotee par excellence, suffering a great discomfiture due to a very tactful manoeuvre resorted
by God Visnu as the dwarf.
The extant text of Vamana has 95 chapters and
approximately 6,000 slokas, though Bhagavata and some other Puranas state that Vamana had an Uttarabhaga also containing four Samhitas of 1000 slokas each, which, however, has not been discovered so far.
Pulastya and Narada are the interlocutors of
the Purana. In the beginning Narada questions Pulastya
about the assumption of the form of Vamana by Visnu,
waging of war by Prahlada against gods, Sari's agreement to be the wife of Siva, Satr's self-immolation at the yajna of Daksa and her being reborn as the daughter of Himalaya with
a desire of becoming the spouse of Sankara, the glory of the places of
pilgrimage, account of dana, vrata, upasarui, etc.
As the title
indicates, this Purana has mainly a Vaisnava theme but Saiva material also forms an integral part of it, e.g.
Siva's killing 'of the demon Andhaka, marriage of
Siva and Parvati, birth of Ganesa and Karttikeya, defeat
of Mahisasura by Devi, glorification of Sivalingas and their
installation.
The legends,
stories and episodes included in this Purana are generally of the same type as found in
other Puranas. Here we may call attention to some noteworthy features of the Purdna; One is that it was composed in the Kuruksetra region of North India, to the glorification of
which it gives special attention, particularly to the tirthas, rivers, hills and
other geographical features of the area.
Secondly, the Purana gives equal prominence to Vaisnavism and Pasupata Saiva-sect in its description and exhibits a spirit of
tolerance and magnanimity in its treatment of both, as is evidenced in its
representation of Siva as saying, "Even if you cut me into twain, you will
find the presence of Visnu in my heart" (67.37),
and of Visnu as telling the Devas, "Siva is
present here in my heart in the form of Linga where you may worship him" (62.21-23).
Thirdly, a very
much noteworthy feature of this Purana is the preponderance of the asura motif. No other Purana gives the accounts
of so many asura heroes in so liberal and zestful manner as this Purana does. So many asuras are represented in
an edifying way as following the ideals of Dharma, righteousness, e.g. Prahlada, a great devotee
of Visnu and his grandson Bali who, despite the
warning given by the preceptor Sukracarya,
prominently exhibits the spirit of a liberal donor and quite unmindful of his
personal interest ungrudgingly accepts underworld status to which he is reduced
by God Visnu. Perhaps one of the reasons is that the
narrator of the Purana is Pulastya, the grandfather of demon Ravana.
As to the date of
the Purana, it was some time between 5th and 10th
centuries CE, probably the first half of the seventh century CE when Harsavardhana was the king in North and Mahendravarman
Pallava in the South, when the assimilative spirit,
religious tolerance and the intellectual fertility characterising the Gupta Age
permeated the society.
As to the contents
of the Purana; it is found that
in addition to the legends, myths, stories, etc. of the gods, asuras, rsis, etc.
which belong to the Puranas generally
Vamana is rich in the
description of pilgrimage centres, i.e. tirthas, in the stotras or eulogies to the
gods, geographical materials, description of the mountains, rivers, Janapadas, etc. Here we make a brief survey of more
interesting items of the contents-
Chapter 6 mentions
four schools of Saivism, viz. Saiva, Pasupata, Kaladamana and Kapalika. The Kaladamana sect is better known by the name Kalamukha:
Chapter 7 has a
short inset showing the birth of the nymph Urvasi
from the thigh of Narayana, the rsis who together with another one, Nara, was
performing penance in Himalayas.
Chapter 9 describes
the vehicles of the different gods as follows:
Indra |
White elephant |
Yama |
Bufallo named Paundraka |
Varuna |
Sisumara |
Kubera |
Nara |
Eleven Rudras |
White bulls |
Can drama |
Hamsa |
Twelve Adityas |
Chariots yoked
with horses and camels |
Eight Vasus |
Elephant |
Yaksa |
Nara |
Kinnara |
Serpent |
Twin Asvins |
Horse |
Maruts |
Antelope |
Bhrgus |
Parrot |
Gandharvas |
Walking on foot |
Twelve kinds of dharmas are described in chapter 11
including that of humans in whose case it is self-study of Vedas, Brahmacarya,
Dana, Yajna, Compassion, etc. and devotion to Visnu, Siva, Surya and_ Devi. The seven continents (Dvipas) of
the Earth are also described,' the seventh, Puskara Dvipa, contains 21 hells (narakas).
Contents
|
PUBLISHER'S NOTE |
v |
|
ABBREVIATIONS |
xi |
|
INTRODUCTION |
xv |
|
VAMANA-PURANA Part I |
|
|
Chapter |
|
1. |
Sportive Hara |
1 |
2. |
The Birth and Disappearance of Nara |
5 |
3. |
Dialogue between Hari and Hara |
10 |
4. |
The Valour of Hara |
15 |
5. |
Siva as Kala |
19 |
6. |
The Burning of Kama |
25 |
7. |
Prahlada Fights a duel |
34 |
8. |
Boon Granted to Prahlada |
40 |
9. |
The Deva-Asura
War |
47 |
10. |
The Victory of Andhaka |
52 |
11. |
Puskara-Dvipa |
57 |
12. |
Fruits of Kanna |
62 |
13. |
Description of the Universe |
68 |
14. |
Sukesi Instructed |
72 |
15. |
The Birth of Lolarka |
84 |
16. |
Asunya-Sayana-Dvitiya and Kalastami |
90 |
17. |
Birth of Mahisasura |
96 |
18. |
Glorification of Devi |
102 |
19. |
The Greatness of Devi |
106 |
20. |
Mahisasura Killed |
110 |
21. |
The Birth of Uma The marriage of Tapati |
115 |
22. |
King Kuru's
Achievement Kuruksetra |
121 |
23. |
Glory of King B31i |
126 |
24. |
The Gods Go to Brahma |
128 |
25. |
Brahma's Advice to Gods |
132 |
26. |
Kasyapa's Prayer to Visnu |
134 |
27. |
Aditi's Penance |
136 |
28. |
Lord's Boon toAditi |
139 |
29. |
Prahlada Curses Bali |
141 |
30. |
Birth of Vamana |
146 |
31. |
Vamana Conquers Ball |
151 |
32. |
Hymn to River Sarasvati |
160 |
33. |
Greatness of Kuruksetra |
162 |
34. |
Tirthas in Kuruksetra |
164 |
35. |
Tirthas in Kuruksetra (contd.) |
168 |
36. |
Tirthas in Kuruksetra (contd.) |
173 |
37. |
Tirthas in Kuruksetra (contd.) |
179 |
38. |
Sage Mankanaka's
boon |
182 |
39. |
Tirthas in Kuruksetra (contd.) |
185 |
40. |
Curse on Sarasvati |
188 |
41. |
Tirthas in Kuruksetra ( contd.) |
191 |
42. |
Tirthas in Kuruksetra ( contd.) |
194 |
43. |
Glory of Sthanutirtha |
196 |
44. |
Origin of Sthanutirtha |
204 |
45. |
Sthanutirtha (contd.) |
209 |
|
NOTES |
211 |
Part II
Contents
|
PUBLISHER'S
NOTE |
V |
|
ABBREVIATIONS |
Xi |
|
INTRODUCTION |
Xv |
|
VAMANA-PURANA
Part- II |
|
|
Chapter |
|
46. |
Sthanutirtha ( contd.) |
247 |
47. |
Sthanutirtha: Vena Rescued |
251 |
48. |
Sthanutirtha: Vena Goes to Heaven |
266 |
49. |
Sthanutirtha: Origin of Caturmukha |
269 |
50. |
Himavan weds Mena |
273 |
51. |
Penance
of Uma |
274 |
52. |
Sages
Go to Himavan |
281 |
53. |
Wedding
of Uma |
287 |
54. |
Birth
of Vinayaka |
293 |
55. |
Fall
of Canda and Munda |
299 |
56. |
Death
of Sumbha and Nisumbha |
306 |
57. |
The
Birth of Karttikeya |
313 |
58. |
Killing
of Taraka and Mahisa |
320 |
59. |
Episode
of Patalaketu: Andhaka
Flees to Patala |
329 |
60. |
Birth
of Kedara-tirtha: Legend of Mura |
334 |
61. |
Killing
of Mura |
341 |
62. |
The
Legend of Mankana |
347 |
63. |
The
Story of Danda |
352 |
64. |
The
Story of Suratha and Citrangada |
358 |
65. |
The
Story of Sur at ha and Citrangada (contd.) |
364 |
66. |
Setting
out of Andhaka's army |
376 |
67. |
Vision
of Sadasiva |
381 |
68. |
The
Defeat of Daityas |
385 |
69. |
Jambha and Kujambha Killed |
390 |
70. |
Andhaka is Granted Boon |
402 |
71. |
Birth
of Maruts |
410 |
72. |
Birth
of Maruts ( contd.) |
414 |
73. |
Killing
of Kalanemi |
419 |
74. |
Prahlada's
Advice to Bali |
423 |
75. |
Jayasri Resorts to Bali |
427 |
76. |
Aditi Offered a Boon |
431 |
77. |
Bali
Admonished |
436 |
78. |
Defeat
of Dhundhu |
441 |
79. |
The
Story of Pururavas |
448 |
80. |
The Vow of Naksatra-Purusa |
454 |
81. |
The
Killing of Jalodbhava |
457 |
82. |
The
Story of Sridama |
460 |
83. |
Prahlada's
Pilgrimage |
463 |
84. |
Prahlada's
Pilgrimage
(contd.) |
465 |
85. |
The
Release of the King-Elephant |
469 |
86. |
The Sarasvata Hymn |
476 |
87. |
The
Sin-Allaying Hymn-l |
485 |
88. |
The
Sin-Allaying Hymn-2 |
490 |
89. |
The
Birth of Vamana |
492 |
90. |
The Mention
of One's Own Abodes |
497 |
91. |
Dialogue
Between Sukra and Bali |
500 |
92. |
Bali
Restrained |
509 |
93. |
Brahma's
Hymn |
515 |
94. |
The
Lord Eulogized |
519 |
95. |
Worship
of God Visnu Phalasruti |
525 |
|
NOTES |
530 |

Item Code:
NAK821
Author:
Dr. R.S. Shiva Ganesha Murthy
Cover:
Hardcover
Edition:
575
Publisher:
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Language:
English
Size:
9.0 inch x 5.5 inch
Pages:
575
Other Details:
Weight of the Book: 960 gms
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