The ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' ( sa, ब्रह्मवैवर्त पुराण; ) is a voluminous
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
text and a major
Purana
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
(''Maha-purana'') of
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
. It is an important
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
text. This Purana majorly centers around the Hindu deities
Radha and
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
.
Although a version may have existed in late 1st millennium CE, its extant version was likely composed in the
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
region of Indian subcontinent. Later, it was likely revised somewhere in South India. Numerous versions of this Purana exist and are claimed to be the part of manuscripts of the ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' or the ''Brahmakaivarta Purana''.
The text is notable for identifying
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
as the supreme reality and asserting that all gods such as
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
,
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
,
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
,
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...
are one and the same and in fact, all are the incarnations of Krishna. Goddesses like
Radha,
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around c ...
,
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
,
Saraswati
Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati.
The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a g ...
and
Savitri are asserted to be equivalent and are mentioned as the incarnations of
Prakruti in this text, with legends similar to those found in the
Devi-Bhagavata Purana
The Devi Bhagavata Purana ( sa, देवी भागवतपुराणम्, '), also known as the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavata Purana or simply ''Devi Bhagavatam'', is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas of Hindui ...
and the
Devi Mahatmya. The text is also notable for glorifying the feminine aspect of god through
Radha and its egalitarian views that all women are manifestations of the divine female, co-creators of the universe, and that any insult to a woman is an insult to goddess Radha.
The mythology and stories of ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'', along with
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...
, have been influential to the Krishna-related Hindu traditions, as well as to dance and performance arts such as the
Rasa Lila
The rasalila (), also rendered the raslila or the ras dance, is part of the traditional story of Krishna described in Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana and literature such as the Gita Govinda, where he dances with Radha and the gopi ...
.
In this Purāna, Radha (or Rādhikā), who is inseparable from Krishna, appears as the main goddess. She is the personification of the
Mūlaprakriti, the "Root nature", that original seed from which all material forms evolved. In the company of the
Purusha
''Purusha'' (' or ) is a complex concept whose meaning evolved in Vedic and Upanishadic times. Depending on source and historical timeline, it means the cosmic being or self, awareness, and universal principle.Karl Potter, Presuppositions of Ind ...
("Man", "Spirit", "Universal soul") Krishna, she is said to inhabit the
Goloka
Goloka ( sa, गोलोक) or Goloka Vrindavan () is the celestial abode of the Hindu god Krishna and his divine consort Radha. In the ''Bhagavata Purana'', Krishna is portrayed as the highest person who resides in Goloka.
According to Gaudi ...
, which is a world of cows and cowherds far above the
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
's
Vaikuntha
Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, A ...
. In this divine world, Krishna and Radha relate to one another in the way body relates to soul. (4.6.216)
History
![Rasa Lila in Manipuri dance style](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Rasa_Lila_in_Manipuri_dance_style.jpg)
This text is mostly legends, worship, mythology and drama during the life of Radha and Krishna, with discussion of ethics, dharma, four stages of life and festivals embedded as part of the plot. The specific details in this Purana show the influence or knowledge of events traced to mid 2nd-millennium CE developments associated with
Tantra
Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the Indian ...
and
Bhakti saints such as
Chaitanya and others. This text is unlike the encyclopedic style found in almost all other major Puranas, and for these reasons, predominant portions of this Purana are likely to be a 15th or 16th century composition.
The text very likely existed much earlier, and the older version likely was complete in the 8th to 10th century period. A version probably existed by 700 CE, adds Hazra. However, in its history, this Hindu text also underwent major revisions, over the centuries. This text was likely revised in the Bengal region of South Asia. Another related text, called ''Brahmakaivarta Purana'', also relatively modern but traced to South India, exists in many versions. There are a few manuscripts titled ''Adi brahmavaivarta purana'', of unclear date of composition, proposed as the older possibly original Purana, but these are very different from the ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' text generally considered one of the 18 Mahapuranas.
The older version of the ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' was once influential in its own way, because Nibandha authors of 15th and 16th century quoted nearly 1,500 lines in texts such as the ''Smriti Candrika'', which they claimed is in this Purana. However, only 30 of these lines are found in the extant manuscripts of ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' suggesting massive rewrite of the original Purana over its history, in or after the 15th or 16th century.
The text includes
Smriti
''Smriti'' ( sa, स्मृति, IAST: '), literally "that which is remembered" are a body of Hindu texts usually attributed to an author, traditionally written down, in contrast to Śrutis (the Vedic literature) considered authorless, that ...
chapters that, states Hazra, were likely inserted into the text after the 16th century. This modern content includes chapters on "mixed castes, duties of women, duties of varna, duties of individuals during their ''
ashrama'' (stages of life), worship and glorification of Brahmins, theory of hell in after-life, and religious gift giving for merit". The only Smriti chapters in currently surviving manuscripts, that can be found in older versions of this text are two, namely 4.8 and 4.26. These relate to ''
vrata
Vrata is a Sanskrit word that means "vow, resolve, devotion", and refers to pious observances such as fasting and pilgrimage ( Tirtha) found in Indian religions such as Jainism and Hinduism. It is typically accompanied with prayers seeking hea ...
''.
Structure
![Ganesha Basohli miniature circa 1730 Dubost p73](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Ganesha_Basohli_miniature_circa_1730_Dubost_p73.jpg)
The text has four ''Khandas'' (parts).
The third ''khanda'' is called either ''Ganesha-khanda'' or ''Ganapati-khanda''.
The tradition and other Puranas assert that this Purana had 18,000 verses. The actual manuscripts have more than 18,000 verses, unlike other Puranas where they usually fall short.
The
Padma Purana
The ''Padma Purana'' ( sa, पद्मपुराण or पाद्मपुराण, or ) is one of the eighteen Major Puranas, a genre of texts in Hinduism. It is an encyclopedic text, named after the lotus in which creator god Bra ...
categorizes ''Brahma Vaivarta Purana'' as a
Rajas
Rajas (Sanskrit: रजस्) is one of the three Guṇas (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.James G. Lochtefeld, Rajas, in The Illustrated Encycloped ...
Purana. Sanskrit scholar
Ludo Rocher Ludo Rocher (1926–2016) was an eminent Sanskrit scholar, and the W. Norman Brown Professor Emeritus of South Asia Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Biography
Ludo Rocher was born in Hemiksem in the province of Antwerp, Belgium on 25 Apri ...
considers the ''Sattva-Rajas-Tamas'' classification as "entirely fanciful" and argues there is nothing in this text that actually justifies this classification.
Content
The text's title ''Brahmavaivarta'' means "metamorphosis of
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
", who is identified with Krishna. This Purana takes a view on the creation where the
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
as Krishna creates the universe and is the universe. The evolution and the nature of the universe is presented through the legend of
Radha and Krishna in this Purana. The seduction stories and legends of this text have attracted many scholarly studies.
The first ''khanda'' (part) presents the theme that Krishna is the primordial creator, universal soul and supreme reality concept called
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
. The second part presents ''Prakriti'' or matter, which through mythology is equated to five goddesses –
Radha,
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around c ...
,
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
,
Saraswati
Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati.
The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a g ...
and
Savitri. However, many other goddesses are introduced, but ultimately every goddess and feminine is asserted to be the same essence of Radha (
Prakriti). The third part presents
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...
, the highly popular elephant headed god, his life story along with that of his family and brother, and he is asserted to be an incarnation of Krishna as well. The last part of this Purana is all about Radha and Krishna, painted with erotic themes, hymns, legends and mythology. Radha and Krishna are presented as inseparable, and Radha is described as the energy and power (''shakti'') of Krishna.
The Purana presents an egalitarian view towards women, wherein it asserts ideas such as, "all female beings have come forth out of the divine female" in chapter 4.13, and that "every insult to a woman is an offence against divine Rädhä" in ''Prakrti-khanda''. Along with equating all women with goddess Radha, the text equates all men with Krishna. These sections may be from possible influences of the ancient Shaktism tradition of Hinduism.
Reception
![Krishna-radha ardhanari](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Krishna-radha_ardhanari.jpg)
The ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' focuses on Vishnu and in particular Krishna like the ''Bhagavata Purana'', but its stories and legends have been far less popular than the ''Bhagavata'' text. Its style has been called "insipid, puerile", and its content and layout of a form so different from the other Puranas that Wilson wrote, "the ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' has not the slightest title to be regarded as a Purana".
In contrast to Wilson's views, Parmeshwaranand states that this a
bhakti text oriented towards a mystical experience, and the text in its own way, tries to discuss religious and philosophical questions as in other religious works, that is of duality and non-duality between God and the world.
The ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' emphasizes the unity, interdependence and inseparability of the feminine and the masculine, through Radha and Krishna, across its various chapters, and through the concept of ''Ardhanari-Krishna'' (also called ''Ardha-radha-venudhara-murti''), a concept similar to
Ardhanarishvara in Shaivism. This idea of Purana has been traced to an art work found in
Maharashtra where Krishna
murti
In the Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' ( sa, मूर्ति, mūrti, ) is a devotional image such as a statue, or "idol" (a common and non-pejorative term in Indian English), of a deity or saint. In Hindu temples, it is a symbolic icon. T ...
is sculpted as half man and half woman. The first part, ''Brahma-khanda'' of the ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' was translated into
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
ese, and this manuscript has been dated to the early 19th century.
The text is part of the Vaishnavism literature in Bengal, but is not considered a canonical scripture, states
Edward Dimock.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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External links
Complete Brahma Vaivarta and other Puranas in Devanagari – pdf
{{Hindudharma
Puranas
Vaishnava texts
Shaktism
Krishna