Itihasa-Purana
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In Hinduism, Itihasa-Purana, also called the fifth Veda,[1][2][3] refers to the traditional accounts of cosmogeny, myths, royal genealogies of the lunar dynasty and solar dynasty, and legendary past events,[web 1] as narrated in the Itahasa (Mahabharata and the Ramayana)[1] and the Puranas.[1] They are highly influential in Indian culture, and many classical Indian poets derive the plots of their poetry and drama from the Itihasa.[4] The Epic-Puranic chronology derived from the Itihasa-Puranais an influential frame of reference in traditional Indian thought.
Etymology
Itihāsa, इतिहास, derived from the phrase iti ha āsa इति ह आस, which means "so indeed it was".
Puranas,
Characterisation
Itihasa refers to the
The tradition of Itihāsa is generally understood to be developed by the bardic tradition of Sūtas and Cāraṇas whose duties consisted of composing royal eulogies.[6]
In the mythical narratives of the Itihasa-Purana there is no clear distinction between mythology, hagiography and historiography.[2] The Indian tradition regards the Itihasa-Purana as authoritative historical writings, documenting past events[1] and prescribing dharma, the right way tho live.[7] The Itihasa-Purana forms the basis for the Epic-Puranic chronology, the traditional timeline of legendary history. The Mahabharata includes the story of the Kurukshetra War and preserves the traditions of the Lunar dynasty in the form of embedded tales. The Ramayana contains the story of Rama and is incidentally related to the legends of the Solar dynasty. The Puranas provide the idea of Yugas, and the Dashavatara, the ten incarnations of Vishnu in the four respective Yuga's.
Cosmogeny and cyclic time (Yuga's)
Yuga
According to the
Dashavatara
The Dashavatara refers to the ten primary (i.e. full or complete) incarnations (avatars) of Vishnu, the Hindu god of preservation which has Rigvedic origins. Vishnu is said to descend in the form of an avatar to restore cosmic order. The word Dashavatara derives from daśa, meaning "ten", and avatar (avatāra), roughly equivalent to "incarnation".
Various versions of the list of Vishnu's avatars exist, varying per region and tradition.[8][9][10][11] Some lists mention Krishna as the eighth avatar and the Buddha as the ninth avatar,[8] while others – such as the Yatindramatadipika, a 17th-century summary of Srivaisnava doctrine[10] – give Balarama as the eighth avatar and Krishna as the ninth.[10] The latter version is followed by some Vaishnavas who do not accept the Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu.[12] Though no list can be uncontroversially presented as standard, the "most accepted list found in Puranas and other texts is [...] Krishna, Buddha."[13][14][15][16][17][note 1]
The following table summarises the position of avatars within the Dashavatara in many but not all traditions:[9][10][11][18]
Position | Krishna, Buddha (common list) [9][note 1][note 2] |
Balarama, Krishna ( |
Balarama, Buddha [19][note 4][note 5] |
Krishna, Vithoba [18][note 6] |
Balarama, Jagannatha [20][note 7] |
Yuga[9] |
1 | Manu Vaivasvata )
|
Satya Yuga[9] | ||||
2 | Kurma[9][10] (turtle, tortoise) | |||||
3 | Varaha[9][10] (boar, wild swine) | |||||
4 | Narasimha[9][10] (man-lion) | |||||
5 | Vamana[9][10] (dwarf-god) | Treta Yuga[9] | ||||
6 | Parashurama[9][10] (Brahman warrior) | |||||
7 | Rama[9][10][note 8] | |||||
8 | Krishna[9][note 4] | Balarama[9][11][10] | Balarama[19][note 4] | Krishna[18] | Balarama[20][11] | Dvapara Yuga,[9] Kali Yuga in case of Buddha[9] |
9 | Krishna[9][11][10] | Vithoba[18] | ||||
10 | Kalki[9][10] (prophesied 10th avatar who ends the Kali Yuga) | Kali Yuga |
Royal genealogies
The
According to
The
Influence on classical Indian poetry
Many classical Indian poets derive the plots of their poetry and drama from the Itihasa.
Historical Consciousness
The belief that South Asian society lacked historical consciousness until colonial times persists, as colonial writers like Robert Orme and James Mill argued that rational, factual history emerged in India only with British rule. They claimed pre-colonial Indian history, seen as mythic, did not meet modern standards because it was too formulaic and lacked historical context. But this notion has also been challenged.[30] Kumkum Chatterjee, focused on a vernacular tradition of Itihasa/Purana in early modern Bengal, argued that these narratives are based on historical experiences derived from Mughal rule in Bengal and much of India during the 17th and 18th centuries.[31] Puranas have evolved over time, constantly updated to reflect changing social conditions. They traditionally cover creation myths, cosmic cycles, genealogies, divine exploits, and royal histories, but they also include additional content like sectarian deities and social norms.[32]
See also
- Hindu mythology
- History of India
- Historicity of the Mahabharata
Notes
- ^ a b c d Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu:
- Krishna, Buddha
- Bansal 2005, p. 27, "Vishnu Dashavatara".
- Dalal 2010, p. 112, "Dashavatara". Dalal: "The standard and most accepted list found in Puranas and other texts is: [...] Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Kalki";
- Doniger O'Flaherty 1994, p. 175. Doniger: "Visnu is generally said to have had ten incarnations [...] Krsna [...] the Buddha."
- Flood 1996, p. 175. Flood: "...by the eight century the standard number of descent-forms in the Vaisnava Puranas is ten. These are [...] Krsna, Buddha."
- Klostermaier 2007, "Visnu Avataras". Klostermaier: "The most common tradition speaks of ten such avataras [...] Krsna [...] Buddha."
- Krishna 2010, pp. 28–29. Krishna: "Krishna [...] Buddha [...] There is a difference of opinion as to whether Buddha was an incarnation of Vishnu [...] The alternative then is Balarama, Rama of the plough and elder brother of Krishna, who is listed after Rama, thereby removing Buddha and making Krishna the ninth incarnation."
- Leeming 2001, p. 19, "Avatar".
- Lochtefeld 2001, p. 73, "Avatar". Lochtefeld: "Although there is some variation in the list of Vishnu's Avatars, the generally accepted list is as follows [...] Krishna, Buddha."
- Vaswani 2017, pp. 12–14.
- Wuaku 2013, p. 148.
- Balarama, Buddha
- Nagaswamy 2010, p. 27.
- "avatar". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- Unspecified
- Holt, John Clifford (2008), The Buddhist Viṣṇu: Religious Transformation, Politics, and Culture, p.14-15; p.372 note 9 refers to four Purana's which mention the Buddha in 9th position: Varaha Purana 4.2; Matsya Purana 285.6-7; Agni Purana 49.8; Bhagavata Purana X.40.22 and I.3.
- Krishna/Balarama, Buddha
- The Hare Krsnas, Incarnations of the Lord - Dasavatara - Ten Primary Visnu Incarnations. The Hare Krsnas refer to the eight avatar both as Krsna and as Balarama.
- ^ Leyden: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra.[11]
- ^ Leyden: Southern Deccan, Mysore.[11]
- ^ a b c The Hare Krsnas, Incarnations of the Lord - Dasavatara - Ten Primary Visnu Incarnations. The Hare Krsnas refer to the eight avatar both as Krsna and as Balarama.
- ^ Leyden: Rajasthan, Nepal, Northern Deccan.[11]
- ^ Maharashtra, Goa.[18]
- ^ Mukherjee: Orissa;[20] Leyden: West Bengal.[11]
- ^ Donald J. LaRocca, Metropolitan Museum of Art, describes a katar with Rama-Krishna-Buddha, referring to Rama as Ramachandra, or alternately Balarama.[21] Yet, Hoiberg specifically states that Rama, as an avatar of Vishnu, is Ramachandra.[22]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Klostermaier (2007), p. 59.
- ^ a b c Flood (1996), p. 104.
- ^ a b c Debroy (2014), p. 7.
- ^ a b Pargiter (1922).
- ^ Bailey 2001, pp. 437–439.
- ^ Goldman (2018).
- ^ Samarpan (2017).
- ^ a b Wuaku 2013, p. 148.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Vaswani 2017, pp. 12–14.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Carman 1994, pp. 211–212.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Leyden 1982, p. 22.
- ^ Krishna 2009.
- ^ Dalal 2010, p. 112.
- ^ Lochtefeld 2001, p. 73.
- ^ Doniger O'Flaherty 1994, p. 175.
- ^ Klostermaier 2007.
- ^ Krishna 2010, pp. 28–29.
- ^ a b c d e Pathak, Arunchandra S. (2006) [1885]. "Junnar". The Gazetteers Dept, Government of Maharashtra. Archived from the original on 16 October 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
- ^ a b c Nagaswamy 2010, p. 27.
- ^ a b c d Mukherjee 1981, p. 155.
- ^ LaRocca 1996, p. 4.
- ^ Hoiberg 2000, p. 264.
- ^ Mazumdar 2008, p. 161.
- ISBN 978-8-12881-174-6.
- ^ Thapar 2013, p. 308.
- ^ A. K. Warder (1972). An Introduction to Indian Historiography. Popular Prakashan. pp. 21–22.
- ^ Dandin, Kavyadarsha, I.15
- ^ Visvanatha Kaviraja, Sahityadarpana, VI.318
- ^ Bharata, Natyasastra, XVIII.10
- ^ Chatterjee 2008, p. 513.
- ^ Chatterjee 2008, p. 514.
- ^ Chatterjee 2008, p. 515.
Sources
- Printed sources
- Bailey, Gregory (2001). Leaman, Oliver (ed.). Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy. Routledge. ISBN 978-0415172813.
- Bansal, Sunita Pant (2005), Hindu Gods and Goddesses, New Delhi, India: Smriti Books
- Carman, John Braisted (1994), Majesty and Meekness: A Comparative Study of Contrast and Harmony in the Concept of God, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
- Chatterjee, Kumkum (2008). "The Persianization of Itihasa: Performance Narratives and Mughal Political Culture in Eighteenth-Century Bengal". The Journal of Asian Studies. 67 (02). ISSN 0021-9118.
- Dalal, Roshen (2010), Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide, Penguin Books India, ISBN 9780143414216
- Debroy, Bibek (2014). Brahmanda Purana Vol 1. Penguin Random House India Private Limited.
- Doniger O'Flaherty, Wendy (1994), Hindu Myths, Penguin Books India, ISBN 9780144000111
- Flood, Gavin D. (1996), An Introduction to Hinduism, Cambridge University Press
- Goldman, Robert P. (2018). "Augmenting the Past: Historical and Political Consciousness in Vālmīki's Uttarakāṇḍa". Studies in History. 34 (2): 182–206. S2CID 165668247.
- Hoiberg, Dale (2000), Students' Britannica India: M to S : (Miraj to Shastri) - Volume 4, Popular Prakashan, ISBN 9780852297605
- Klostermaier, Klaus K. (2007). A Survey of Hinduism (3rd ed.). SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-7082-4.
- Krishna, Nanditha (2009), Book of Vishnu, Penguin UK, ISBN 978-01430-6-7627
- Krishna, Nanditha (2010), The Book of Vishnu, Penguin Books India, ISBN 9780143067627
- LaRocca, Donald J. (1996), The Gods of War: Sacred Imagery and the Decoration of Arms and Armor, Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Leeming, David Adams (2001), A Dictionary of Asian Mythology
- Leyden, Rudolf von (1982), Ganjifa: The Playing Cards of India, The Victoria and Albert Museum, ISBN 978-09052-0-9173
- Lochtefeld, James G. (2001), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Volume 1: A-M, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, ISBN 9780823931798
- Mazumdar, A.K. (2008). The Hindu history. Rupa Publications India. ISBN 978-81-86772-17-1.
- Mukherjee, Prabhat (1981), The history of medieval Vaishnavism in Orissa, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 9788120602298
- Nagaswamy, N. (2010), Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram), Oxford University Press
- Pargiter, F. E. (Frederick Eden) (1922). Ancient Indian historical tradition. Cornell University Library. London : Oxford University Press, H. Milford.
- Samarpan (2017). Living Hinduism: Scriptures Philosophy Practices. Niyogi Books.
- ISBN 978-0-674-72651-2
- Vaswani, J.P. (2017), Dasavatara, Jaico Publishing House, ISBN 9789386867186
- Wuaku, Albert (11 July 2013). Hindu Gods in West Africa: Ghanaian Devotees of Shiva and Krishna. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-25571-5.
- Web-sources
- ^ "Itihasa is not fantasy". Devdutt. 3 June 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ISBN 0-877790426, page 915
Further reading
- Pargiter, F.E.
- Ancient Indian Historical Tradition. Delhi. 1972.
- The Purana Text of the Dynasties of the Kali Age. Oxford. 1913.
- Winternitz, M. History of Indian Literature. Vol. I-II. Delhi. 1987.
- Rapson, E.J. The Cambridge History of India. Vol. I Cambridge. 1922.
- Warder, A.K. Indian Kavya Literature, Vol. I-VII. Delhi. 2004.
- Smith, R. Morton Dates and dynasties in earliest India: translation and justification of a critical text of the Purana dynasties, Shastri, J. L. (ed.). Delhi. Motilal Banarasidass. 1973.
- Smith, Mary Carroll The core of India's great Epic. Harvard University. 1972.
- Thapar, Romila
- "Puranic Lineages and archaeological cultures" in Ancient Indian Social History: some interpretations. New Delhi. Orient Longmans. 1978.
- "Origin Myths and the early Indian historical tradition" in Ancient Indian Social History: some interpretations. New Delhi. Orient Longmans. 1978.
- "Genealogy as a source of social history" in Ancient Indian Social History: some interpretations. New Delhi. Orient Longmans. 1978.