The Vishnu Purana -Preface -12. The Varáha Purán?a

[Anne Terri]

12. The Varáha Purán?a

12. Varáha Purán?a. "That in which the glory of the great Varáha is predominant, as it was revealed to Earth by Vishn?u, in connexion, wise Munis, with the Mánava Kalpa, and which contains twenty-four thousand verses, is called the Váráha Purán?a 68."

It may be doubted if the Varáha Purán?a of the present day is here intended. It is narrated by Vishn?u as Varáha, or in the boar incarnation, to the personified Earth. Its extent, however, is not half that specified, little exceeding ten thousand stanzas. It furnishes also itself

p. xlv

evidence of the prior currency of some other work, similarly denominated; as, in the description of Mathurá contained in it, Sumantu, a Muni, is made to observe, "The divine Varáha in former times expounded a Purán?a, for the purpose of solving the perplexity of Earth."

Nor can the Varáha Purán?a be regarded as a Purán?a agreeably to the common definition, as it contains but a few scattered and brief allusions to the creation of the world, and the reign of kings: it has no detailed genealogies either of the patriarchal or regal families, and no account of the reigns of the Manus. Like the Linga Purán?a, it is a religious manual, almost wholly occupied with forms of prayer, and rules for devotional observances, addressed to Vishn?u; interspersed with legendary illustrations, most of which are peculiar to itself, though some are taken from the common and ancient stock: many of them, rather incompatibly with the general scope of the compilation, relate to the history of ?iva and Durgá 69. A considerable portion of the work is devoted to descriptions of various Tírthas, places of Vaishn?ava pilgrimage; and one of Mathurá enters into a variety of particulars relating to the shrines of that city, constituting the Mathurá Máhátmyam.

In the sectarianism of the Varáha Purán?a there is no leaning to the particular adoration of Krishn?a, nor are the Rath-yátrá and Janmásht?amí included amongst the observances enjoined. There are other indications of its belonging to an earlier stage of Vaishn?ava worship, and it may perhaps be referred to the age of Rámánuja, the early part of the twelfth century.

Footnotes

xliv:68
Not Available - Sanskrit

xlv:69 One of these is translated by Col. Vans Kennedy, the origin of the three ?aktis, or goddesses, Saraswatí, Lakshmí, and Párvati. Ancient and Hindu Mythology, p. 209. The Tri ?akti Máhátmya occurs, as he gives it, in my copy, and is so far an indication of the identity of the Varáha Purán?a in the different MSS.

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  'The Vishnu Purana', translated by Horace Hayman Wilson, is public domain in the US because it was published prior to 1923.