PURANA. 



with which tiie poet Vyafa is popularly imagined to have 

 crowned the whole ferics ; thoui^h fome re.ifoiiably adigii 

 them different compofers ; and the leries is differently arranged 

 and named by other authorities. Every Purana treats of five 

 fubjefts. I. The creation of the univerfe. 2. Itsprogrefe, 

 and the renovation of the worlds. 3. The genealogy of 

 gods and heroes. 4. Chronology, accordnig to a fabulous 

 fyftem. 5. Heroic hiftory, containing the achievements of 

 demigods and heroes. Since each Purana contains a cofmo- 

 gony, with mythological and heroic hiftories, they may, not 

 unaptly, be compared to the Grecian theogonies. 



A copy of, we believe, all the eighteen mythological 

 poems, is preferved in the library of the Eaft India houie. 

 It is eftimatedthat the whole cannot confifl of lefs than halt 

 a million of ftanzas. Hitherto no tranflation of any of 

 them, or of any confiderable portion of either, hath been 

 made from the original into any European language. They 

 are, of courfe, written in the Sanfcrit tongue. In iome 

 articles of this work a ftanza, or a brief outline of fome of 

 the Puranic tales, elucidatory of the charafter or fubjeit 

 under dilcuffion, is occailonally introduced, and may perhaps 

 give iome little idea of the (lyle of thefe extravagant poems. 

 The reader, in this view, mav confult the following, in addi- 

 tion to the other articles herein and thence referred to ; Jam- 

 BAVANTA, KAj,rA, Kaksiiagni, Kritika, Lileswara, 

 Lotos, Meru, Muni, Nakshatra, Naramedha, Pa- 

 vaka, Pavana, Pikeswari, Pollear, Prithu, &c. &c. 



As to thefe extravagant, and not always decent, tales of 

 the Puranas, the probability is that phyfical or hiftorical fafts 

 are thus conne6ted under a veil of allegory, carried through 

 a feries of poetical narratives and adventures, related of the 

 perfonitied attributes of the Deity. The fafls are either 

 forgotten, or unknown to the vulgar ; but the fables remain, 

 and are generally and commonly alluded to in compofition 

 and converfation. Taken literally, as the tranfaftions of 

 divine or holy perfons, nothing (b.'.ting the invention, ima- 

 gery, and other poetical merits) can be more contemptible 

 than thefe Pnrauic romances ; but if we defire to extract 

 the grains of ore that the mals may probably contain, we 

 muff be content to examine them as they are ; and in cafe 

 of failure, many inquifitive refearchers will deem their labour 

 not loit, in the invention and other poetical beauties abound- 

 ing in thefe wild compofitions. 



We fhall briefly give an abftraft of the contents of two 

 or three of the Puranas, whence a judgment may be formed 

 of the others. The Agni Purana is feigned to have been 

 dehvcrcd by Agni, or Pavaka, the god of fire. ( See Pa- 

 vaka. ) It contains a great variety of fnbjetts, and feems 

 to have been intended as an epitome of Hindoo learning. 

 The poem opens with a fliort account of the leveral incar- 

 nations of Vilhnu, an enumeration of which, with a brief 

 outline of their hiftory, will be found in the article 

 ViiHNlT of this work, and thofe thence referred to. It 

 dwell:,, however, chiefly on the incarnations of Kr'ijlma and 

 Rama. (Sec thefe articles.) Then follow a hiftory of 

 the creation ; a tedious differtation on the worfhip of the 

 gods, with a defcription ul their images, and direftions for 

 confttufting and fetting them up ; a concife defcription of 

 the earth, particularly of thofe places which are efteemed 

 holy, with the forms of worlhip to be obferved at them ; 

 a treatife of aftronomy, or jather aftrology ; a varietv of 

 incantations, charms, and fpells, for every occafion. One 

 fpecies of this is named mantra, under which article a 

 fufiicient account is given of them ; computations of the 

 periods called mawj-mnt^ira, kalpa, &c. (fee Kalpa) ; a 

 defcription of the feveral religious modes of life called 

 aft-ama, and the duties to be performed in each ; rules for 



penance fon this head fee Tapas) ; feafts and fafts to be 

 oblervcd throughout the year ; rul»s for beftowing charity ; 

 a differtation on thi- great adva,:ragc3 to be deriv'd tri<m 

 the myftic word OM (imder which article of this work 

 the reader will probably find iufHcient of tnylticifm), v;ith a 

 hymn to Variflita, of whom fomething occurs under that 

 article. The next head relates to the otlicc and duties of 

 princes ; under which are given rules for knowing the 

 qualities of men and women ; for choofing arms and enfigns 

 of royalty ; for the choice of precious ftoi.es ; and a treatife 

 on the art of war. The next head treats of worldly tranf- 

 adlions between man and man, as to buying and felling, bor- 

 rowing and lending, giving and receiving, &c. &c. Then 

 follow certain ordinances, according to the Veda, refpefting 

 fecurity from misfortunes, &c. and for the worfhip of the 

 gods. Genealogies of the two races of folar and lunar kings, 

 called Suryavanfa and Chandravanfa (fee Surya) ; of the 

 family of Yadu and of Kriflina, with a (hort hiftory of 

 the twelve years' war, delcribed in the Mahabarat. (See 

 Mahauarat.) a treatife on the art of healing, as ap- 

 plicable to man and beaft, with rules for the management 

 of elephants, horfes, and cows ; charms and fpells for 

 curing various diforders ; and the mode of worfhipping 

 certain divinities ; on the letters of the Sanfcrit alphabet ; 

 on the ornaments of fpeech, as applicable to oratory, poetry, 

 and the drama ; on the myftic fignirication of the fingle 

 letters of the Sanfcrit alphabet ; a grammar and ftiort 

 vocabulary of that language. The whole of this deful- 

 tory work is divided into 353 ftiort chapters. 



The Siva Purana is fometimes called alfo, after one of 

 the forms of his confort, the Kalika Purana. (See Kali.) 

 It is a mythological hiftory of that goddefs, including her 

 adventures under various names and charafters. Many of 

 thole names and characters are enumerated under the^article 

 Parvati, her more common name ; and Mr. Moor has given 

 an extradt under Naramedha, which word means a man-iacri- 

 fice, the rites and ceremonies of that horrid offering being 

 minutely laid down in this Pui'ana. It is a curious and enter- 

 taining work, including as epifodes ffveral beautiful alle- 

 gories, particularly one founded on the motions of the moon. 

 See Moor's Hindu Pantheon. 



The Vayu Purana, as one of thefe poetical romances is 

 vai'ioufly called, but luhich we have not the means at this 

 moment of afcertaining, is attributed to the regent of wind 

 Vayu, otherwife and more commonly called Pavana (fee 

 Pavana) ; where the reafon is furmifcd why the Purana is 

 not called after that name. It contains, among a variety 

 of other curious fubjefts, a circumftantial detail of the 

 creation of all things, celeftial and terreftrial, with the 

 genealogy of the firft inhabitants ; chronological compu- 

 tations as to the grand periods man-wanlara, h'alpa, &c. 

 before fpoken of; a defcription of the earth, as divided into 

 iflands, continents, S:c. and its dimenfions, and alfo of 

 other planets and fixed ftars, their diftance, circumference 

 of orbits, &c. &c. Under the article P.WAKA, an extratt 

 is given from the M^tfya Purana, dire£ting how images or 

 pictures are to be made of the god of wiwd. Moft of the 

 Puranas contain directions of that fort. 



A brief notice of one other of thefe infpired works will 

 fuffice. The Nareda Purana is believed to have been delivered 

 by the infpired Nareda, a m.ythological fon of Brahma. 

 Under the article Nareda, (fee Hindu Pantheon) an account 

 is given of him, with his genealogy, and the derivation of his 

 name, from the Varaha Purana. Like the others, this poem 

 opens with defcribing " how heaven and earth rofe out of 

 chaos ;" but it treats principally of the unity of God, and as 

 it fettarially is written with the Vaifhnava bias (fee Vaisii- 



n'ava). 



