Padma Puran

The Padma Purana (Sanskrit: ) is one of Hinduism's eighteen main Puranas, or religious scriptures. It is an encyclopaedia work named after the lotus on which the creator deity Brahma emerged, and it has extensive parts on Vishnu, as well as major portions on Shiva and Shakti.

History

The Padma Purana, like the other Puranas, has a number of different versions. One significant recension, which may be traced back to the Bengal area, has five khandas (parts, books) and an appendix, but it has never been published or translated. The second major recension, which can be linked to the western part of India and contains six khandas, has been widely accepted and studied since the colonial British India era. The Bengal edition is the oldest of the two. The 39 chapters on Dharma-sastra are absent from the Sristikhanda book in all copies of its manuscripts, which is noticeable in the Bengal edition. Padma Purana's composition date is uncertain. Estimates range from the 4th to the 15th century CE. Some of the writing might date from the year 750 to 1000 CE. Because it mentions later era important temple complexes in south India and sites in the Vijayanagara Empire, Wilson believes the existing manuscripts and those frequently researched were written or altered well after the 14th century, most likely in the 15th or 16th century. Wilson argued that no part of the Padma Purana extant in the nineteenth century is "possibly earlier than the 12th century."The book may have existed between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, according to Asoke Chatterjee, but it was revised and considerably enlarged over the years and until the second half of the 17th century. According to Rocher, the composition period of each Purana is still a point of contention. According to Dimmitt and van Buitenen, each Puranas text is written in an encyclopaedic way, making it impossible to determine when, when, why, and by whom they were produced: "The Puranas are a layered literature as they exist now." Each named piece is made up of material that has accumulated through time as a result of various accretions. As a result, there is no fixed date for the writing of any Purana. (...) It's like if they're libraries with new books being added on a regular basis, not necessarily at the end of the shelf, but at random. Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader, by Cornelia Dimmitt and J.A.B. van Buitenen In the Sanskrit Puranas, a Reader The Padma Purana is considered a Sattva Purana (one which represents goodness and purity).

Date of composition

Padma Purana's composition date is uncertain. Estimates range from the 4th to the 15th century CE. Some of the writing might date from the year 750 to 1000 CE.

Significance

Structure

There are numerous versions of the Kurma Purana, but they always have two parts: the Purva-vibhaga (older portion) and the Upari-vibhaga (newer part) (upper part). The number of chapters in a document varies. In Purva-vibhaga, there are 51 chapters and in Upari-vibhaga, there are 44 chapters in the critical edition.

Kurma Purana is classified as a Tamas Purana by the Padma Purana. Scholars believe the Sattva-Rajas-Tamas categorization to be "completely fictitious," and nothing in the text really supports this classification.

Versions

Contents (Summary)

The Bengal and the West Indian versions (recensions) of this book are available. Shrishti Khanda, Bhumi Khanda, Svarga Khanda, Patala Khanda, and Uttara Khanda are the five khandas (parts) of the Bengal recension. Adi Khanda (also called as the Svarga Khanda in certain printed versions), Bhumi Khanda, Brahma Khanda, Patala Khanda, Srishti Khanda, and Uttara Khanda are the six khandas in the later recension. The Bengal recension's Bhumi Khanda has thirteen extra chapters, whereas this recension's Patala Khanda has thirty-one additional chapters.The Srishti Khanda is separated into two portions, one of which is missing from the Bengal recension.

The first eighteen chapters of the first section (khanda) of the book are famous for their portrayal of lake Pushkar, near Ajmer in Rajasthan, as a Brahma pilgrimage place, which is followed by chapters devoted to Vishnu.

The Bhumikhanda section of the text is essentially a collection of tales weaved into a pilgrimage guide. Svargakhanda, the text's third section, covers cosmology, India's geography, rivers, and location descriptions.

The text's fourth section, known as Brahmakhanda, praises Vishnu and addresses seasons, festivals (including one devoted to the goddess Radha), rites, and the Tulasi plant. The text's fifth section, known as Patalakhanda, depicts Rama as a Vishnu avatar and Sita as a Lakshmi avatar, as well as a version of their narrative that differs from that of the Valmiki's Ramayana. The fifth section also includes chapters in which Shiva and Parvati analyse Krishna's character, as well as a large number of passages that lord Shiva.The text's fourth section, known as Brahmakhanda, praises Vishnu and addresses seasons, festivals (including one devoted to the goddess Radha), rites, and the Tulasi plant. The text's fifth section, known as Patalakhanda, depicts Rama as a Vishnu avatar and Sita as a Lakshmi avatar, as well as a version of their narrative that differs from that of the Valmiki's Ramayana. The fifth section also includes chapters in which Shiva and Parvati analyse Krishna's character, as well as a large number of passages that lord Shiva.

Language

Sanskrit

Writer- Dr. Vinay's Padma Purana is a treatise. The Padma Purana claims to be a Sattva Purana, which implies a purana that is pure and excellent. It is one of the eighteen Puranas and is also known as Gita Mahatmya Padma Purana. It is thought to have been compiled between the fourth and fifteenth centuries.

Publisher

Diamond Books; 1st edition (1 January 2007)

27 x 19 x 4 cm

Publishing date

Geeta Press Gorakhpur; 1st edition (1 January 2017)