Mahabhagavata Purana: Introduction, Synopsis and Links
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Purana
The Mahabhagavata Purana is a Purana dedicated to the Devi. It is also known by many as the Devi Purana, and it belongs to the Shakta tradition, in which the Devi or Shakti is the supreme divine principle. Some scholars say the Devi Bhagavata Purana is called Devi Purana, while some others say it is the Mahabhagavata Purana, which is the Devi Purana. The Devi Bhagavata Purana is a much larger and more exhaustive Purana. The best way to refer to the Puranas is the Devi Bhagavata Purana (Devi Purana) and the Mahabhagavata Purana (Devi Purana).
Both the Devi Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabhagavata Purana are connected by their theme, but they are not the same Purana. They differ in their content.
The Mahabhagavata Purana is a later text which was composed in Bengal probably between the 10th and 11th centuries. This Purana has 81 chapters and Rishi Vyasa is said to have composed the Purana. The Brihaddharma Purana (which was composed later) was influenced by this Purana. The Devi Bhagavata is said to have been composed before the Mahabhagavata Purana.
The Brihaddharma Purana, Purvakhanda, Chapter 25, Verses 20–21, says one of the Mahapuranas as Mahabhagavata. I am sharing the verses from the Brihaddharma Purana below.
The shlokas are:
आदौ ब्रह्मपुराणञ्च पाद्मं ब्रह्माण्डमेव च। वैष्णवं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं महाभागवतं तथा॥२०॥
भविष्यं गारुडं लैङ्गं शैवं वाराहमेव च। मार्कण्डेयं तथा स्कान्दं कौर्मं मात्स्यं पुराणकम्॥२१॥
Adau Brahmapuranancha padmam Brahmandameva cha. Vaishnavam Brahmavaivartam Mahabhagavatam tathaa. ||20||
Bhavishyam Garudaam Laingam Shaivam Vaaraahameva cha. Markandeyam tatha Skandam Kaurmam Matsyam Puranakam. ||21||
Many scholars, based on this, say that the Brihaddharma Purana is referring to the Mahabhagavata Purana (Devi Purana) as a Mahapurana and others say that the Mahabhagavata here means the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana.
The initial chapters of the Purana deal with the creation of the universe, where the Devi says She is Ganga, Durga, Savitri, Lakshmi and Sarasvati. The Purana also talks about how the Devi incarnated as Sati, Ganga and then as Parvati.
The Lalita Sahasranama is found here, also along with a Shiva Sahasranama and a version of the Devi Gita. The Purana talks about the Devi taking birth as Krishna.
Mahabhagavata Purana, Kalika Purana and Brihaddharma Purana
Let me try to clarify the difference between the Mahabhagavata Purana and two other Puranas – the Kalika Purana and the Brihaddharma Purana.
| Purana | Classification | Main subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Mahabhagavata Purana | Shakta Upapurana | Dedicated to the Devi |
| Kalika Purana | Shakta Upapurana | Shiva, Devi Kalika and Kamakhya |
| Brihaddharma Purana | Non-sectarian Upapurana (not dedicated to any Deva or Devi) | Shiva, Shakti, Rama and Vishnu |
The Kalika Purana
The Kalika Purana talks about Shiva, Devi Kalika and Kamakhya. A portion of the Purana is dedicated to Narakasura and Devi Kamakhya. This leads scholars to believe that it may have been composed in present-day Assam.
The Brihaddharma Purana
This Purana is supposed to have been composed in Bengal and talks about Shiva, Shakti, Rama and Vishnu.
A Comparison
| Particulars | Mahabhagavata Purana | Kalika Purana | Brihaddharma Purana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Rishi Vyasa | Rishi Markandeya | Rishi Vyasa |
| Approximate date of composition | 10th–11th century | 9th–12th century | Second half of the 13th century |
A synopsis of the Purana
Note: This Purana, unlike other Puranas dedicated to the Devi, does not talk about the killing of Mahishasura and Shumbha-Nishumbha, or how Vishnu killed Madhu and Kaitabha. These are present in the Shrimad Devi Bhagavata Purana, the Kalika Purana apart from the Devi Mahatmaya. The Devi Mahatmaya is part of the Markandeya Purana. What the Mahabhagavata Purana has are the details of Akal Bodhan, in which Rama worshipped the Devi.
The Purana starts off in the forest of Naimisharanya, where the rishis Saunaka and others with him met Suta, the storyteller, and asked him to tell them about the Devi. There, Suta told the rishis how the Purana came about.
Rishi Vyasa, after composing the Puranas, was not satisfied and felt something was missing. He prayed to the Devi and he heard a voice asking him to go and meet the Vedas. The rishi went and met the Vedas, and with their help, he prayed to Her and he was able to see Her. With Her blessings, Vyasa composed the Mahabhagavata Purana.
One day Rishi Jaimini approached Rishi Vyasa and wanted to know about Her. Vyasa then started telling Jaimini about the Purana as Shiva had told it to Rishi Narada.
Once, on the great Mount Mandara, Narada asked Shiva whom he prayed to. To that, Shiva told Narada that it was She who was also the supreme reality. Shiva then told Narada that it was She who was Sati, Parvati, Ganga, Lakshmi, Sarasvati and Savitri. Shiva then told Narada about the events that took place.
Once Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu were praying to Her. To test them, She appeared before them assuming a huge form. That form scared Brahma and Vishnu, but Shiva was not affected. Pleased with that, the Devi said She would take birth in the house of Daksha and would later marry Shiva. When Daksha would disrespect her, She would leave the place and return to Her own abode. That would be a period of separation for Shiva, and he would suffer. He would be reunited with Her later.
After some time, Daksha’s daughter was born. When it was time for marriage, a svayamvara was organised. All except Shiva were invited. Shiva arrived there uninvited and took Sati as his wife. Daksha was unhappy about his daughter’s decision. He organised a yagna and he ensured that all were invited except Shiva and Sati. Rishi Dadhichi tried to appeal to Daksha, and the rishi was asked to leave.
Narada went to Kailasha and informed Shiva and Sati about the yagna. Shiva did not want to go uninvited, but Sati wanted to. Shiva tried to reason with her, and to prove Her power, Sati appeared before Shiva as ten devis (the Ten Mahavidyas). Seeing that, Shiva allowed Her to go.
Sati met Daksha, who insulted Her and Shiva. Hearing that, Sati created Chhaya Sati. Chhaya Sati was to kill herself while Sati herself would leave earth. After Sati had left, Chhaya Sati became angry on hearing Daksha continuously insult Shiva. In front of everyone present, She jumped into the sacrificial fire. As soon as she did, the fire was extinguished. Chhaya Sati’s lifeless body lay there, and Daksha’s yagna began to resemble a cremation ground.
Narada informed Shiva about this. Shiva became grief-stricken. From Shiva’s anger rose Veerabhadra. Shiva asked Veerabhadra to destroy Daksha’s yagna. Veerabhadra went there and cut off Daksha’s head. Seeing this, Brahma went to Kailasha and appealed to Shiva. Shiva fixed the head of the sacrificial goat onto Daksha’s body, and Daksha came alive, and the yagna was completed. After the completion of the ritual, Daksha worshipped Shiva.
Brahma and Vishnu tried to console Shiva and they went and prayed to the Devi. She appeared before them and told Shiva that She would be born again in the Himalayas and would be his wife. She asked Shiva to take the body of Chhaya Sati and roam around with it. Parts of the body would fall in various places, and each place would become famous. Shiva was to stay and worship the Devi in each of those places. By doing so, Shiva would be reunited with her.
Shiva did that. He took the body of Chhaya Sati and, holding it above his head, he began dancing. He then moved around, sometimes holding the body on his shoulders and sometimes placing it on his head. As Shiva moved around, the earth shook. Vishnu used his chakra to cut the body so that the body parts would fall off. Each site where a part fell became a Shaktipeetha. Shiva kept dancing and Narada prayed to him and asked him to stop. Shiva stopped and then cursed Vishnu, saying, “As you separated me from my wife, you will be born on earth and your wife will be abducted by a rakshasa.”
After cursing Vishnu, Shiva prayed to the Devi. She said She would appear in two forms and marry Shiva. The first form would be a partial incarnation as Ganga, and the second would be a complete incarnation as Parvati. Shiva would marry both.
The Devi then took birth as Himalaya’s daughters, Ganga and Parvati. Brahma requested Himalaya to give him Ganga, who would live in heaven and later marry Shiva. When Parvati was born, Himalaya wanted to know about Her and then the Devi told him what came to be known as the Devi Gita.
When Parvati was of marriageable age, Narada told Himalaya about Sati and about the greatness of Shiva. He asked Himalaya to allow his daughter to marry Shiva. Parvati then moved to the mountains and began worshipping Shiva.
Birth of Kartikeya and Gajanana
In heaven, an asura called Tarakasura was creating havoc. He had a boon that only a son of Shiva could kill him. As none of the Devas were able to defeat him, they needed to ensure that Shiva got married. Indra asked Kama to interrupt Shiva’s penance when Parvati was near him. Kama, along with Rati, disturbed Shiva’s penance and was destroyed in the process. The Devi then appeared before Shiva in the terrible form she had assumed at Daksha’s yagna. Shiva worshipped Her form and praised Her by reciting Her thousand names. Pleased, the Devi told Shiva She had incarnated as Parvati. Shiva then sent the seven rishis and Rishi Marichi as his messengers to Himalaya with his marriage proposal. The proposal was accepted, and Shiva married Parvati. Rati then asked Shiva to restore her husband, which he did.
The Devas then began thinking about Tarakasura’s destruction. Shiva’s son would destroy the asura, but the son could not be born from Parvati’s womb. Shiva’s energy was placed in the Krittikas, but they could not bear it and placed it in a casket and set it afloat in the waters of river Ganga. Brahma retrieved the casket, and from that was born a male child having six faces and twelve hands. As the Krittikas had handled Shiva’s energy, the child was called Kartikeya. After that, a battle ensued, and there Kartikeya killed Tarakasura. After this, Brahma introduced Kartikeya to Shiva and Parvati as their son.
One day Shiva went to gather fruits. Parvati was applying turmeric paste on her body before her bath. She used some of the paste and gave it the shape of a boy. She brought it to life and asked the boy to stand guard while she went for a bath. In the meantime, Shiva appeared and wanted to go in. When the boy stopped Shiva, Shiva cut off the boy’s head. When Parvati wanted to know what happened, Shiva said he was not aware of the boy’s identity and revived the boy with an elephant’s head, calling him Gajanana.
Rama and Krishna
The Purana then talks about how Ravana had worshipped the Devi and pleased her. She then took up residence in Lanka. Vishnu told the Devas he would take birth on earth. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva then prayed to the Devi. She told them Vishnu, as Rama, would kill Ravana after worshipping Her, and She explained the process and the procedure.
Once Shiva asked Parvati to take birth on earth as a male. To keep her company, Shiva would take birth as a female. Parvati then took birth in the house of Vasudeva as Krishna. Shiva took birth first as Radha and later as Rukmini and Satyabhama. Vishnu then incarnated as Balarama, Krishna’s elder brother.
Shiva then told Narada about Vritrasura, who had become very powerful. He was destined to die at the hands of Indra, by a weapon made from the bones of Rishi Dadhichi. With the rishi’s permission, a weapon was crafted, and Indra killed Vritrasura. As Rishi Dadhichi had died because of Indra, Indra had to suffer the effects of brahmicide. Indra then prayed to the Devi and was freed.
How Ganga became Vishnupadi
Once Shiva was in Vaikuntha, where he sang a song. Vishnu, hearing that, began to melt. Brahma collected the melted form in his water pot, and this was none other than Ganga who became known as Vishnupadi.
On earth, Bhagiratha praised Shiva by reciting Shiva’s thousand names (Sahasranama) and was given the gift of Ganga. Shiva then recited for Narada the 108 names of Ganga.
Shiva then told Narada about Devi Kamakhya and explained about the Ten Mahavidyas.
This was the introduction. Below are the links. As and when I publish posts, I shall try to update this post also.
Links
The Beginning
| The Mahabhagavata Purana 001: Suta Begins the Mahabhagavata Purana | Click Here |
| Coming Soon |
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