ses. ." This is so called from its being, in the first instance, narrated by Márkańdeya Muni, and, in the second place, by certain fabulous birds; thus far agreeing with the account given of it in the Matsya. That, as well as other authorities, specify its containing nine thousand stanzas; but my copy closes with a verse affirming that the number of verses recited by the Muni was six thousand nine hundred; and a copy in the East India Company's library has a similar specification. The termination is, however, somewhat abrupt; and there is no reason why the subject with which it ends should not have been carried on further. One copy in the Company's library, indeed, belonging to the Guicowar's collection, states, at the close, that it is the end of the first Khanda or section. If the Puráňa was ever completed, the remaining portion of it appears to be lost.* * Jaimini, the pupil of Vyása, applies to Márkandeya to be made acquainted with the nature of Vasudeva, and for an explanation of some of the incidents described in the Mahábhárata; with the ambrosia of which divine poem, Vyása, he declares, has watered the whole world: a reference which establishes the priority of the Bhárata to the Márkańdeya Purána, however incom ' यत्राधिकृत्य शकुनीन्धर्माधर्मविचारणान् । * See the Rev. Krishnamohan Banerjea's edition of the Márkandeyapurána, Introduction, pp. 26, 31, and 32. + Two MSS. of the Matsya-purána, out of four within my reach, omit the second and third lines. The other two give the second as follows: व्याख्यातं जैमिनिप्रश्ने पचिभिर्धर्मचारिभिः । patible this may be with the tradition, that, having finished the Puránas, Vyása wrote the poem." * Márkandeya excuses himself, saying he has a religious rite to perform; and he refers Jaimini to some very sapient birds who reside in the Vindhya mountains; birds of a celestial origin, found, when just born, by the Muni Śamíka, on the field of Kurukshetra, and brought up, by him, along with his scholars: in consequence of which, and by virtue of their heavenly descent, they became profoundly versed in the Vedas and a knowledge of spiritual truth. This machinery is borrowed from the Mahábhárata, with some embellishment. Jaimini, accordingly, has recourse to the birds, Pingáksha and his brethren, and puts to them the questions he had asked of the Muni: "Why was Vásudeva born as a mortal? How was it that Draupadi was the wife of the five Páńdus? Why did Baladeva do penance for Brahmanicide? And why were the children of Draupadi destroyed, when they had Krishna and Arjuna to defend them?" The answers to these inquiries occupy a number of chapters, and form a sort of supple * In his account of the Márkandeya-purána, Professor Banerjea says: "We cannot help noticing, in this place, the dignity imputed to the work under review. It is classed in the same category with the Vedas, and described as an immediate product from Brahma's mouth. Although a Purána, it is not attributed to Vyása, whom other Sástras consider as the author of all works bearing that title. The Márkańdeya, however, does not acknowledge him as its composer, editor, or compiler. It claims equal honour, in this respect, with the Vedas themselves." Again, with reference to the list spoken of in pp. XXIII. and XLV., supra: "As far as we have seen Bengal Manuscripts, the Márkańdeya presents a singular exception to this hackneyed enumeration of the eighteen Puránas, and the celebration of Vyasa's name as the author of them all. The Maithila manuscripts, as they are commonly called, are not so chaste." Ibid., Preface, pp. 15 and 16. ment to the Mahábhárata; supplying, partly by invention, perhaps, and partly by reference to equally ancient authorities, the blanks left in some of its narrations. Legends of Vritrásura's death, Baladeva's penance, Harischandra's elevation to heaven, and the quarrel between Vasishtha and Viśwámitra, are followed by a discussion respecting birth, death, and sin; which leads to a more extended description of the different hells than is found in other Puráñas. The account of creation which is contained in this work is repeated, by the birds, after Márkandeya's account of it to Kraushtuki, and is confined to the origin of the Vedas and patriarchal families, amongst whom are new characters, as Duhsaha and his wife Márshti, and their descendants; allegorical personages, representing intolerable iniquity and its consequences. There is then a description of the world, with, as usual to this Puráňa, several singularities, some of which are noticed in the following pages. This being the state of the world in the Swáyambhuva Manwantara, an account of the other Manwantaras succeeds, in which the births of the Manus, and a number of other particulars, are peculiar to this work. The present or Vaivaswata Manwantara is very briefly passed over; but the next, the first of the future Manwantaras, contains the long episodical narrative of the actions of the goddess Durga, which is the especial boast of this Puráňa, and is the text-book of the worshippers of Kálí, Chańdí, or Durgá, in Bengal. It is the Chańdí Pátha, or Durgá Máhátmya, in which the victories of the goddess over different evil beings or Asuras are detailed with considerable power and spirit. It is read daily in the temples of Durgá, and furnishes the pomp and circumstance of the great festival of Bengal, the Durgá pújá, or public worship of that goddess.1 After the account of the Manwantaras is completed, there follows a series of legends, some new, some old, relating to the Sun and his posterity; continued to Vaivaswata Manu and his sons, and their immediate descendants; terminating with Dama, the son of Narishyanta. Of most of the persons noticed the work narrates particulars not found elsewhere. 2 This Puráňa has a character different from that of all the others. It has nothing of a sectarial spirit, little of a religious tone; rarely inserting prayers and invocations to any deity; and such as are inserted are brief and moderate. It deals little in precepts, ceremonial or moral. Its leading feature is narrative; and it presents an uninterrupted succession of legends, most of which, when ancient, are embellished with new circumstances, and, when new, partake so far of the spirit of the old, that they are disinterested creations of the imagination, having no particular motive, being designed to recommend no special doctrine or observance. Whether they are derived from any other source, or whether they are original inventions, it is not possible to ascertain. They are, most probably, for the greater part, at least, original; and the whole has been narrated in the compiler's own manner; a manner superior to that of the Puráňas in general, with exception of the Bhagavata. A translation into English, by a Madras Pandit, Kávali Venkáta Ramaswamin, was published at Calcutta, in 1823. 2 See Vishnu Puráňa, Book IV., Chapter I. It is not easy to conjecture a date for this Purána. It is subsequent to the Mahábhárata; but how long subsequent, is doubtful. It is, unquestionably, more ancient than such works as the Brahma, Padma, and Náradíya Puráńas; and its freedom from sectarial bias is a reason for supposing it anterior to the Bhagavata. At the same time, its partial conformity to the definition of a Puráňa, and the tenor of the additions which it has made to received legends and traditions, indicate a not very remote age; and, in the absence of any guide to a more positive conclusion, it may, conjecturally, be placed in the ninth or tenth century. 8. Agni Purána. "That Puráňa which describes the occurrences of the Íśána Kalpa, and was related by Agni to Vasishtha, is called the Ágneya. It consists of sixteen thousand stanzas." The Agni or Ágneya Purána derives its name from its having being communicated, originally, by Agni, the deity of fire, to the Muni Vasishtha, for the purpose of instructing him in the twofold knowledge of Brahma.2 By him it was taught to Vyása, who imparted it to Súta; and the latter is represented as repeating it to the Rishis at Naimisháranya. Its contents are variously specified as sixteen thousand, fifteen thousand, or fourteen thousand, stanzas. The two copies which were employed by me contain about fifteen thousand slokas. There are two, in the तच्च षोडशसाहस्रं सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम् । 2 See Book VI., Chapter V. |