Part I
Introduction
Vamana is assigned fourteenth position in the list of eighteen Mahapuranas or major Puranic texts, preceded by Skanda and succeeded by Kurma. It gets its name after Vamana or the dwarf incarnation of God Visnu, which is the first human incarnation preceded by the "Fish", "Tortoise", "Boar" and "Man-Lion" incarnations that can, by the way, be seen as corresponding to the earlier stages of the evolution of life on the earth, the main purpose of the Purana being a description of the legend of the demon Bali, grandson of Prahlada, the Visnu devotee par excellence, suffering a great discomfiture due to a very tactful manoeuvre resorted by God Visnu as the dwarf.
The extant text of Vamana has 95 chapters and approximately 6,000 slokas, though Bhagavata and some other Puranas state that Vamana had an Uttarabhaga also containing four Samhitas of 1000 slokas each, which, however, has not been discovered so far.
Pulastya and Narada are the interlocutors of the Purana. In the beginning Narada questions Pulastya about the assumption of the form of Vamana by Visnu, waging of war by Prahlada against gods, Sari's agreement to be the wife of Siva, Satr's self-immolation at the yajna of Daksa and her being reborn as the daughter of Himalaya with a desire of becoming the spouse of Sankara, the glory of the places of pilgrimage, account of dana, vrata, upasarui, etc.
As the title indicates, this Purana has mainly a Vaisnava theme but Saiva material also forms an integral part of it, e.g. Siva's killing 'of the demon Andhaka, marriage of Siva and Parvati, birth of Ganesa and Karttikeya, defeat of Mahisasura by Devi, glorification of Sivalingas and their installation.
The legends, stories and episodes included in this Purana are generally of the same type as found in other Puranas. Here we may call attention to some noteworthy features of the Purdna; One is that it was composed in the Kuruksetra region of North India, to the glorification of which it gives special attention, particularly to the tirthas, rivers, hills and other geographical features of the area.
Secondly, the Purana gives equal prominence to Vaisnavism and Pasupata Saiva-sect in its description and exhibits a spirit of tolerance and magnanimity in its treatment of both, as is evidenced in its representation of Siva as saying, "Even if you cut me into twain, you will find the presence of Visnu in my heart" (67.37), and of Visnu as telling the Devas, "Siva is present here in my heart in the form of Linga where you may worship him" (62.21-23).
Thirdly, a very much noteworthy feature of this Purana is the preponderance of the asura motif. No other Purana gives the accounts of so many asura heroes in so liberal and zestful manner as this Purana does. So many asuras are represented in an edifying way as following the ideals of Dharma, righteousness, e.g. Prahlada, a great devotee of Visnu and his grandson Bali who, despite the warning given by the preceptor Sukracarya, prominently exhibits the spirit of a liberal donor and quite unmindful of his personal interest ungrudgingly accepts underworld status to which he is reduced by God Visnu. Perhaps one of the reasons is that the narrator of the Purana is Pulastya, the grandfather of demon Ravana.
As to the date of the Purana, it was some time between 5th and 10th centuries CE, probably the first half of the seventh century CE when Harsavardhana was the king in North and Mahendravarman Pallava in the South, when the assimilative spirit, religious tolerance and the intellectual fertility characterising the Gupta Age permeated the society.
As to the contents of the Purana; it is found that in addition to the legends, myths, stories, etc. of the gods, asuras, rsis, etc. which belong to the Puranas generally Vamana is rich in the description of pilgrimage centres, i.e. tirthas, in the stotras or eulogies to the gods, geographical materials, description of the mountains, rivers, Janapadas, etc. Here we make a brief survey of more interesting items of the contents-
Chapter 6 mentions four schools of Saivism, viz. Saiva, Pasupata, Kaladamana and Kapalika. The Kaladamana sect is better known by the name Kalamukha:
Chapter 7 has a short inset showing the birth of the nymph Urvasi from the thigh of Narayana, the rsis who together with another one, Nara, was performing penance in Himalayas.
Chapter 9 describes the vehicles of the different gods as follows:
Indra
White elephant
Yama
Bufallo named Paundraka
Varuna
Sisumara
Kubera
Nara
Eleven Rudras
White bulls
Can drama
Hamsa
Twelve Adityas
Chariots yoked with horses and camels
Eight Vasus
Elephant
Yaksa
Kinnara
Serpent
Twin Asvins
Horse
Maruts
Antelope
Bhrgus
Parrot
Gandharvas
Walking on foot
Twelve kinds of dharmas are described in chapter 11 including that of humans in whose case it is self-study of Vedas, Brahmacarya, Dana, Yajna, Compassion, etc. and devotion to Visnu, Siva, Surya and_ Devi. The seven continents (Dvipas) of the Earth are also described,' the seventh, Puskara Dvipa, contains 21 hells (narakas).
Contents
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
v
ABBREVIATIONS
xi
INTRODUCTION
xv
VAMANA-PURANA Part I
Chapter
1.
Sportive Hara
1
2.
The Birth and Disappearance of Nara
5
3.
Dialogue between Hari and Hara
10
4.
The Valour of Hara
15
5.
Siva as Kala
19
6.
The Burning of Kama
25
7.
Prahlada Fights a duel
34
8.
Boon Granted to Prahlada
40
9.
The Deva-Asura War
47
10.
The Victory of Andhaka
52
11.
Puskara-Dvipa
57
12.
Fruits of Kanna
62
13.
Description of the Universe
68
14.
Sukesi Instructed
72
15.
The Birth of Lolarka
84
16.
Asunya-Sayana-Dvitiya and Kalastami
90
17.
Birth of Mahisasura
96
18.
Glorification of Devi
102
19.
The Greatness of Devi
106
20.
Mahisasura Killed
110
21.
The Birth of Uma The marriage of Tapati
115
22.
King Kuru's Achievement Kuruksetra
121
23.
Glory of King B31i
126
24.
The Gods Go to Brahma
128
25.
Brahma's Advice to Gods
132
26.
Kasyapa's Prayer to Visnu
134
27.
Aditi's Penance
136
28.
Lord's Boon toAditi
139
29.
Prahlada Curses Bali
141
30.
Birth of Vamana
146
31.
Vamana Conquers Ball
151
32.
Hymn to River Sarasvati
160
33.
Greatness of Kuruksetra
162
34.
Tirthas in Kuruksetra
164
35.
Tirthas in Kuruksetra (contd.)
168
36.
173
37.
179
38.
Sage Mankanaka's boon
182
39.
185
40.
Curse on Sarasvati
188
41.
Tirthas in Kuruksetra ( contd.)
191
42.
194
43.
Glory of Sthanutirtha
196
44.
Origin of Sthanutirtha
204
45.
Sthanutirtha (contd.)
209
NOTES
211
Part II
V
Xi
Xv
VAMANA-PURANA Part- II
46.
Sthanutirtha ( contd.)
247
47.
Sthanutirtha: Vena Rescued
251
48.
Sthanutirtha: Vena Goes to Heaven
266
49.
Sthanutirtha: Origin of Caturmukha
269
50.
Himavan weds Mena
273
51.
Penance of Uma
274
52.
Sages Go to Himavan
281
53.
Wedding of Uma
287
54.
Birth of Vinayaka
293
55.
Fall of Canda and Munda
299
56.
Death of Sumbha and Nisumbha
306
57.
The Birth of Karttikeya
313
58.
Killing of Taraka and Mahisa
320
59.
Episode of Patalaketu: Andhaka Flees to Patala
329
60.
Birth of Kedara-tirtha: Legend of Mura
334
61.
Killing of Mura
341
62.
The Legend of Mankana
347
63.
The Story of Danda
352
64.
The Story of Suratha and Citrangada
358
65.
The Story of Sur at ha and Citrangada (contd.)
364
66.
Setting out of Andhaka's army
376
67.
Vision of Sadasiva
381
68.
The Defeat of Daityas
385
69.
Jambha and Kujambha Killed
390
70.
Andhaka is Granted Boon
402
71.
Birth of Maruts
410
72.
Birth of Maruts ( contd.)
414
73.
Killing of Kalanemi
419
74.
Prahlada's Advice to Bali
423
75.
Jayasri Resorts to Bali
427
76.
Aditi Offered a Boon
431
77.
Bali Admonished
436
78.
Defeat of Dhundhu
441
79.
The Story of Pururavas
448
80.
The Vow of Naksatra-Purusa
454
81.
The Killing of Jalodbhava
457
82.
The Story of Sridama
460
83.
Prahlada's Pilgrimage
463
84.
Prahlada's Pilgrimage (contd.)
465
85.
The Release of the King-Elephant
469
86.
The Sarasvata Hymn
476
87.
The Sin-Allaying Hymn-l
485
88.
The Sin-Allaying Hymn-2
490
89.
The Birth of Vamana
492
90.
The Mention of One's Own Abodes
497
91.
Dialogue Between Sukra and Bali
500
92.
Bali Restrained
509
93.
Brahma's Hymn
515
94.
The Lord Eulogized
519
95.
Worship of God Visnu Phalasruti
525
530
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