Fundamentals of Puranic Dharma or Vaishnavism
Vishnu
The ideological base of the Puranas is based on the devotion and worship of Vishnu. Vishnu To Hari, Vasudev, Narayan, Damodar It is called by other names. He is known as God and Param-Father-Parmatma etc. He 'Achyut' That is, it never falls. The worship of Vishnu is mentioned at many places in the Vedas and Upanishads. Vishnu is considered as the form of Sun in Rigveda and 'Nirukta' It has been told that the name of Surya is Vishnu.
In the 'Katha of Trivikram' described in the Rigveda, Vishnu is considered to be the protector of the whole world. These three expansive footsteps of Vishnu measured all the worlds. Human beings can see or achieve only two of these stages, but the third stage is beyond the flight of birds. No one can encroach on it.
Vishnu is Indra's friend and helps him. The Rigveda describes Vishnu as the regulator of the world. In the paramapad of Vishnu there is the emanation of honey where the desirous of the gods rejoice. Despite the importance given to Vishnu in the Rigveda, Vishnu is a middle-class deity there and inferior to Indra.
The position of Vishnu in the period of composition of Brahmanical texts appears to be more important than in the Rigveda period. Vishnu in this age is also associated with Yagya and not with devotion. Vishnu, together with Varuna, protects the yajna, but in the Brahmin era, respect for the third stage or the supreme position of Vishnu contributed the most to the rise of Vishnu.
Vishnu is mentioned in the Aitareya Brahmana as the supreme deity. There is a story in the Shatapatha Brahmana in which the gods, in a yajna performed for the attainment of effulgence, opulence and food, proposed that the one who attains the end of the yagya first among the gods, should attain the highest position. Vishnu attained the end of the Yagya first. Therefore Vishnu was considered the best among the gods. The story of Vamana Vishnu is also obtained from Shatapatha Brahmin, in which Vishnu has been endowed with amazing powers.
In the Aranyaka and Upanishad period, the importance of Vishnu increased in comparison to the period of creation of Brahmanical texts. 'Taittiriya Aranyak' The story of Vishnu, who attained excellence because of receiving the sacrifice, is similar to that of the Shatapatha Brahmin. 'Maitri Upanishad' In this, food is said to be the form of Vishnu, the holder of the world.
It is clearly mentioned in the Kathopanishad that a person with a discreet intellect and a charioteer who controls the mind crosses the path of the world and attains the supreme abode of Vishnu. By the time of the epics and the Puranas, Vishnu was elevated to the position of the Supreme Soul. In the epic period, Indra remained the only Devraj whose throne was protected by the grace of Vishnu.
The relation that Vishnu had with the Sun in the Vedas continued even in the later ages. Different lists of the names of Adityas are found in different Puranas, but the name Vishnu is in all the lists. Vaishnava Chakra also indicates the relation of Vishnu with the Sun. Vasudeva was identified with Vishnu who attained such a supreme position.
The Mahabharata presents the unity of Vasudeva Krishna and Vishnu. In the 65th and 66th chapters of Bhishma Parva, the Supreme Soul is called Narayan and Vishya and Vasudeva. In the 43rd chapter of Shanti Parva, Yudhishthira praises Krishna and calls him Vishnu. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna shows his universal form. In the 53rd to 55th chapter of the Ashwamedhi Parva, on the request of the sage Uttanka, Krishna once again gives him the vision of his universal form, teaching him spiritual knowledge, but here he is called Vishnu form.
Narayan
The worship and devotion of Narayan-Vishnu and their specific incarnations is prominent in Puranic religion. There is no difference between Narayan and Vishnu in the epic and Purana texts, but in the original form of Purana-dharma, Narayan was more prominent than Vishnu. Even in the Mahabharata, the worshiper is often called by the name Narayan.
The name Vishnu is relatively short. The initial indication of the identity of Vishnu and Narayan is obtained from the Bodhayana Dharmasutra. According to Manusmriti 'Nara:' It means water and the first abode of God is water. For this reason 'Parmatma' is called Narayan. The name Narayan is first mentioned in the Shatapatha Brahmana.
According to this, Narayan removed the Vasus, Rudras and Adityas from the place of sacrifice by offerings in the morning and evening respectively. Prajapati asked him to perform the Yagya again. In this way, Narayan established himself in all the worlds, all the gods, all the Vedas and all the souls and established them all in himself.
According to the second mention of Shatapath Brahmin itself, five night sessions were done by Purusha Narayana, due to which the Purush Narayan attained the superiority over all the ghosts and he became all the ghosts. In the Taittiriya Aranyaka, Narayan is described by all the epithets of God that are commonly found in the Upanishads. Narayan is described in many stories in Mahabharata and he is identified with Vasudeva.
Narayaniya In the first chapter of Bhishma says to Yudhishthira- 'Lord Narayan is the soul, four-murti and eternal deity of the whole world. He was manifested as the son of Dharma. In the Satya Yuga of the Swayambhu Manvantara, he had four self-styled incarnations, whose names are 'Nara, Narayan, Hari and Krishna. Of these, the imperishable Nar and Narayan did severe penance in Badarikashram.' In the Puranas, in the context of the creation of the universe, Narayan has been described in the form of God.
Vasudev
The name Vasudeva is very important in Purana-religion. Vasudeva was called Krishna because of being the son of the satvat gotri 'Krishna' Vasudeva. In many works before AD - Ghat Jataka, Mahabhashya and some inscriptions, this Vasudeva Krishna is described as Param Dev, who was the brother of Sankarsana Balarama, but many history writers have given a precedent to Vasudeva (Krishna), the son of Vasudeva. And has accepted the authority of Vasudeva.
There must have been another divine Vasudeva before Vasudeva Krishna. This name can also be of a deity. The Vishnu-Purana has variously propounded the deity Vasudeva and the son of Devaki, Vasudeva Krishna, that a part of Lord Vasudeva was divided into two parts and established in Krishna and Balarama. In the Vanparva of Mahabharata, there is a story of the king Paundrak Shalva who declares himself to be the real Vasudeva.
This Shalva king was killed by Krishna in the battle. This story clearly indicates that the worship of Vasudeva was prevalent even before Krishna, but later these two Vasudevas became one.
Krishna
The personality of Krishna, the son of Vasudeva-Devaki, is historical, but it is difficult to determine the exact time of Krishna. Chandogya Upanishad, Patanjali's Mahabhashya, Buddhist and Jain narratives, Mahabharata and various Puranas are used to know the biography of Krishna. All these sources are from different times and there is a gap of centuries.
Therefore, there is a substantial difference between the accounts of Krishna given in these. According to a mention in the Rigveda, Indra killed a non-Aryan chief named Krishna on the banks of the Anshumati river. According to archaeologists, this Anshumati is not any other river but Yamuna itself.
In the Chandogya Upanishad, Krishna is described as the son of Devaki, who had received education from Ghor Angaris. It is inferred from other sources that this Krishna had preached the Gita. Krishna is mentioned in the Mahabhashya of Patanjali as a deity.
Buddhist texts 'Ghat-Jataka' From this the story of the birth of Vasudeva-Krishna is available. According to him Vasudev-Krishna and his brother Baldev, 'Kansbhagini Devgabbha' And her husband 'Upsagar' was the son of. 'Andhakavenhu' to bring them up A man named and 'Nandagopa' Name was handed over to his wife who was Devgabbha's maidservant.
'Uttaradhyayan Sutras' of Jains 'Keshav' to Vasudev in Having said. A contemporary of Arishtanemi or Neminath, the twenty-second Tirthankara of the Jains, Keshava (Vasudeva) is also mentioned among his sixty-three salaaka men. Keshav's parents were Vasudeva and Devaki. In the present period, the prevalent Charita of Krishna is a mixed form developed on the basis of Mahabharata, Harivansh, Shrimad Bhagavat and other Puranas.
In different Puranas, the stories of Gopikas, Radha, Asura killing etc. went on getting associated with Krishna in different eras. In proving the oneness of Krishna with Vishnu-Narayan-Vasudeva, naturally the qualities and characteristics of those gods were imputed. Cows were related to Vishnu in the Vedas.
'Bhurishringa village' in the supreme position of Vishnu The situation was The close relation of cows with Krishna is also established in the mythological tradition. The Supreme Lok of Krishna 'Goloka' It is called The names Govind and Damodar, which appeared in the Bodhayana Dharmasutra, began to manifest different meanings by being associated with Krishna.
Bhakti
Although 'Bhakti' There is such an element which separated the Puranas from the Vedas, however, the seeds of devotion are seen to be planted in the Vedas only. Relation of Vedic Vishnu everywhere 'Yajna' But the mythological Vishnu is related to 'Bhakti'. In the Vedic era, King Basu opposed animal sacrifice in yagyas and 'Hari' With the emphasis on worship, the seeds of devotion-oriented religion were planted. In the Upanishads also there is a mention of devotion and devotion to God.
It is said in the Upanishads- 'Atma (here it means God) is not attained by the weak, nor is it possible through Upanishads, study or sacrifice. Whomever she chooses, she is able to get it. Therefore, before being selected by the soul, it is necessary to please him with prayer or service.'
In this way, many scholars have tried to find the Bhakti element in the Vedas, Suktas and Upanishads also, but Bhagavad Gita is the only book in which the complete explanation of devotion is available, according to which pure devotion and reverence for the Supreme Lord is the only God, universal and beyond the senses. There is also a cosmic Deity possessed by the Supreme Soul towards whom the devotee feels such intimacy as a friend towards a friend or a son towards a father.
Thus the only 'Hari' 'solitude religion' As it arose. Its worship method 'Saswat method' Whose main parts were devotion, surrender and non-violence. Vasudeva Krishna propagated the path of devotion. Because of this, later its name will also be 'Vasudev Dharma' It fell and the place of Hari was taken by Vasudev Krishna himself. Its method till the third century before Vikram Samvat 'Pancharatra method' and its name 'Bhagwat Dharma' Changed as.
The Bhagwat sect revolutionized against Vedic beliefs and traditions by the futility of sacrifices and austerity, condemning animal sacrifice in sacrifices and the predominance of Bhakti principle, but due to the belief in the existence of God, this revolution was not as fierce and atheistic as the revolution of Buddhists and Jains. .
Nonviolence
In Vaishnava religion, special emphasis was laid on non-violence with devotion, which means - not to hurt anyone by mind, word and deed. Non-violence is mentioned three times in the Bhagavad Gita. Mention of non-violence at one place 'Gyan' Under and at other sites 'Divine wealth that brings salvation' And in the third place 'Body related tenacity' It has happened with defecation, aarjava, celibacy etc.
In the Narayaniya section of the Mahabharata, special emphasis has been given on non-violence. The story of Vishnu-devotee King Vasu Uparichara is very important from this point of view, by which animal sacrifices were not given in the Ashwamedha Yagya, but the sacrifices were made from barley according to the verses of the Aranyakas.
In this Narayaniya section, the Lord, while explaining the principles of Vaishnavism, exhorted the Brahmadik Devas to live in the same country in which Vedas, Yagya, Tapas, Truth etc. There are many stories propounding the importance of non-violence in Vishnu-Purana and Vishnu-Dharmottara Purana.
Avatarism
The concept of incarnation is also a basic element of Puranic religion. This theory was propagated by the identification of Vasudeva Krishna with Bhagavata Vasudeva Narayana. Whenever a deity incarnates, it has some specific purpose. Two lists of incarnations of Narayana or Vishnu are available in the Narayaniya section of the Mahabharata.
Four incarnations are mentioned in the first list and six incarnations are mentioned in the second list. The incarnations of Vishnu have also been counted in many Puranas, in which this number ranges from four to twenty-four, but generally their number is ten. इन अवतारों के नामों में भी भिन्नता है किंतु वासुदेव कृष्ण का नाम सर्वत्र ग्रहण किया गया है।
वाल्मीकि रामायण के मध्यवर्ती पांच काण्डों में ईक्ष्वाकुवंशीय ‘राम’ एक महापुरुष हैं किंतु प्रथम एवं अंतिम काण्ड में ‘राम’, विष्णु के अवतार हैं। राम अपने मानव रूप से उठकर नारायण विष्णु के अवतार किस समय माने जाने लगे, उस काल का निर्धारण नहीं किया जा सकता किंतु इतना निश्चित रूप से कहा जा सकता है कि ईसा की प्रारम्भिक शताब्दियों में राम के विष्णु अवतार होने का विश्वास विद्यमान था। रामोपासना और कृष्णोपासना, दोनों को वैष्णव धर्म में समान रूप से स्वीकार कर लिया गया।
पुराणों की मूल सामग्री
पुराणों में वेदों के ज्ञान की भक्तिपरक व्याख्या की गई है। इनमें प्राचीन क्षत्रिय राजाओं की वंशावलियां भी दी गई हैं। अश्वमेघ तथा राजसूय आदि यज्ञों में जो आख्यान सुनाये जाते थे, उनमें से अधिकांश आख्यानों ने विकसित एवं परिमार्जित होकर पुराणों का रूप ग्रहण किया। इसीलिए यह उक्ति कही जाती है- ‘यज्ञ से पुराण का जन्म हुआ।’
प्रारम्भ में पुराणों के पाँच विषय थे-
(1.) सर्ग- सृष्टि की कथा,
(2.) प्रतिसर्ग- प्रलय के बाद सृष्टि का पुनर्भाव,
(3.) वंश- देवताओं, राक्षसों, ऋषियों और राजाओं की वंशावलियां,
(4.) मन्वन्तर- युग चक्रों का आवर्तन
(5.) वंशानुचरित- राजाओं एवं राजवंशों के वृत्तान्त।
प्रथम शताब्दी ईस्वी के प्रारम्भ में विभिन्न रूपों में प्रचलित भागवत् धर्मों ने पुराणों को अपने प्रचार का माध्यम बनाया। अतः अधिकतर पुराणों और उप-पुराणों का विस्तार इन धर्मों के आधार पर हुआ। महाभारत-युद्ध के बाद महर्षि वेदव्यास ने प्राचीन वंश-वृत्तों का संग्रह करके अनेक पुराणों की रचना की।
इनमें समय-समय पर नई घटनाएँ जुड़ती गईं। गुप्तकाल में धर्म और संस्कृति के विभिन्न सूत्रों को संकलित करने का प्रयास हुआ जिसने उस काल के साहित्य की काया ही पलट दी और पुराणों को नया रूप दिया गया। फलस्वरूप पुराणों में भागवत धर्म के साथ-साथ बौद्ध एवं जैन-धर्म की प्रमुख बातों का समन्वय कर दिया गया। इस प्रकार पुराणों में वैदिक ज्ञान और लौकिक-साहित्य का समन्वय हो गया।
पुराण साहित्य को दो भागों में बाँटा जा सकता है-
(1.) अठारह महापुराण- वायु पुराण, ब्रह्माण्ड, मार्कण्डेय, विष्णु, मत्स्य, भागवत, कूर्म, वामन, लिंग, वाराह, पद्म, नारद, अग्नि, गरुड़, ब्रह्म, स्कन्द, ब्रह्मवैवर्त और भविष्य महापुराण है।
(2.) अठारह उप-पुराण- उप-पुराणों की सूचियां अलग-अलग मिलती हैं। बृहद्धर्म पुराण के अनुसार इनकी सूची इस प्रकार है- आदि, आदित्य, बृहन्नारदीय, नन्दीश्वर, बृहन्नन्दीश्वर, साम्ब, क्रियायोगसार, कालिका, धर्म, विष्णुधर्मोत्तर, शिवधर्म, विष्णु धर्म, वामन, वारुण, नारसिंह, भार्गव और बृहद्धर्म ।
महापुराणों में वायु पुराण, ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण, मार्कण्डेय पुराण, विष्णु-पुराण, मत्स्य पुराण और भागवत पुराण सबसे पुराने हैं और इनमें उस काल तक की ऐतिहासिक जानकारी है जब गुप्त सम्राटों का राज्य मगध से लेकर अयोध्या और प्रयाग तक विस्तृत था। आरम्भ में ‘वायु पुराण’ और ‘ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण’ एक थे और मूल वायु पुराण की रचना ई.200 के लगभग हुई किन्तु ई.400 के लगभग ‘ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण’ इससे अलग हो गया। ‘वायु पुराण’ पाशुपत धर्म का ग्रन्थ रह गया और ‘ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण’ वैष्णव धर्म का ग्रंथ हो गया। इन दोनों पुराणों में बाद में तांत्रिक और शाक्त सामग्री भी जोड़ दी गई।
‘मार्कण्डेय पुराण’ ई.300 के लगभग की रचना है, इसमें देवी महात्म्य बाद में सम्मिलित किया गया। ‘कूर्म पुराण’ और ‘वामन पुराण’ ई.500-600 के लगभग पांचरात्र पुराण थे, किंतु ई.800-900 के आसपास इन्हें शैव रूप दिया गया। ‘अग्नि पुराण’ और ‘गरुड़ पुराण’ ई.900-1000 के लगभग लिखे गए हैं तथा विश्वकोश प्रकार के ग्रन्थ हैं। ‘भविष्य पुराण’ बहुत पुराना है, किंतु इसमें अधिक स्वतन्त्रता से वृद्धि की गई और अब इसमें ब्रिटिश शासन तक का उल्लेख मिलता है।
कई उप-पुराण भी बहुत पुराने हैं। ‘विष्णु धर्म पुराण’ तीसरी शताब्दी ईस्वी का और ‘शिव पुराण’ ई.200 से 500 के बीच का है किन्तु अधिकतर उप-पुराण ई.650 से 800 की अवधि में लिखे गए थे। उप-पुराणों में ‘विष्णुधर्मोत्तर पुराण’ को ज्ञान और विद्या का विश्वकोश कहा जा सकता है।