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Another work, called Brihat Naradiya Purana, contains similar prayers to Vishnu, injunctions to ob- serve various rites and to keep holy’ seasons in honour .of him, as well as various legends... Both these. works are very recent; and Dr. Wilson conjectures they are not ‘the original works mentioned in Aas list of - rs Puranas. - |. | iW 7. Markandeya Sortaa oscupies itself ‘ane with ‘a narration. of legends.. Legends of Vritra’s death, of CHAP. V.] RELIGION, &C. ° 299 Baladeva’s penance, of Harischandra and of the quarrel between Vasishtha and Visvamitra are followed by a discussion about birth, death, sin, and hell, Then fol- lows a description of creation and of the Manvantaras. An account of the future Manvantara leads to a nar- rative of the actions of the goddess Durga, which is the special boast of this Purana, and is the text-book of the worship of Chandi or Durga, It is the famous Chandt Patha; and this portion of the work is read to the present day in Hindu nner as well as in temples of Durga. 8. Asnt Purdna,—The are chapters describe the incarnations of Vishnu. This is followed by accounts of religious ceremonies, many of which belong to the Tantrika ritual, and some to mystical forms of Saiva worship, Infterspersed with these are chapters des- criptive of the earth and the universe. These are followed by chapters on the duties of kings, on the art of war and on laws, after which we have an account of the Vedas and Puranas. The geneological lists are meagre, Medicine, Rhetoric, zaoeodys and 4 Grammar, | conclude the work. v 9. Bhavishya Puréna, with its continuation ' the Bhavishyottara Purdna.—The' first treats of creation, explains the Sanskdras and the duties of the different castes and orders of life, and describes’ various rites. All this, which occupies about ore-third of the work, is followed by .. conversations between Krishna, his son 300° PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK v: S4mba, Vasishtha, Narada, and Vyasa, on the power and . glory of the sun. “There is'some curious ‘matter in the last ‘chapters relating to the Magas, silent wor- shippers of the.sun,. from,SAkadvipa ; as if the compiler had adopted the Persian term Magh, and connected the fire-worshippers of Iran with those of India. i The. Bhavishyottara is like the pias a sort of _ maniial of religious offices, 10.. Brahma Vaivaria Purdna-—it is divided into four books, describing the acts of Brahm4, Devi, Ganesa, and Krishna, respectively. The original .character of the work has, however, been muich altered, the present work is decidedly sectarial, and. prominence is given to Krishna over all other deities.. The great mass of the existing work -is taken up with descriptions of Vrinda- vana with endless prayers to Krishna, and With tiresome descriptions of the loves of R&dha and the Gopis. Vir. Linga Purdna—The. work begins. with an account of creation, and Siva.is the ‘creator. ‘The ap- pearance of the great. fiery Linga takes place in the interval.of -a.-creation,.and.Brahm4& and Vishnu. are . humbled. The Vedas proceed from the Linga; by which Brahmé and ‘Vishnu ‘become enlightened and. acknow- ledge the-superior-.glory of-Siva.: Another’ ‘creation follows,. Siva.repéats’ the story. of. his 28 incarnations. (intended no doubt as a counterpart'of ‘the 24 incarna- ' wi i ‘Wilson. Prefaee to Vishnu ‘Purana, Ixiv. CHAP, V.] RELIGION, &C, ’ 301 tions of Vishnu* in the Bhdgavata Purdna), and this is followed by a description of the Universe and of the regal dynasties to the time of Krishna. Legends, rites, and prayers to Siva succeed. It is noticeable that even in the Linga Purana “there is nothing like the phallic orgies of antiquity; it is all ve and spiritual.” + 12, Varédha Purdna—The work is almost wholly occupied with forms of prayer and rules for devotional observances addressed to Vishnu, interspersed with legendary illustrations. A considerable portion of the work is taken up with accounts of various Tirthas or places of Vaishnava pilgrimage. 13. Skanda Purdna—This work, the most volu- ‘minous of all the Puranas, is not a work in a collective form, but exists in fragments, the aggregate of which exceeds the limit of 81,100 stanzas of which the Purana. is said to. consist. The Kasi Khanda is a-mintte description of the temples of Sivain Benares, mixed with directions for worship and a variety of legends. ‘The: Utkala Khanda gives an account of the holiness of Orissa and of Jagannatha, and is no doubt a later: appendage by Vaishnava writers, who thus added -an: account of a Vaishnava Tirtha to an eminently ae: * The idea of Vishna’s 24 incarnations was probably originally borrow: ed from the story of the 24 Buddhas who were hora before Gauttaima Buddha. “ff Wilson-Preface to Vishau Purina, Ixix. 302 PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK v. Puréna. Besides the different -Khandas, there ' are several Sanhités and numerous. Mahatmyas included in this very composite Purana. - 14, Véamana Puréna.—Contains an account of the dwarf-incarnation of Vishnu. .The worship of Linga is also treated of, but the main object of the work is to celebrate the sanctity of holy places in India, and the Purana therefore’ is little else than a’ succession: of Mahatmyas, “Legends of Daksha’s sacrifice, of the burning of Kamadeva, of the marriage of Siva and Uma, and the birth of K4rtikeya, of the greatness of Bali and his subjugation by Krishna as a dwarf—all come in apparently as reasons for particular sites and Tirthas being considered holy. _ 15. Ktrma Puréna.The name of this, as - the preceding Purana, is that of an incarnation of Vishnu, but nevertheless Kdirma is classed with Saiva Purdnas, and the greater portion of it inculcates the worship of Siva and Durga, The first part of the Purdna deals with creation, the incarnations of Vishnu, the solar and lunar dynasties up to the time of Krishna, the universe and the Manvantaras, and with these are mixed up hymns to. Mahasvara and various Saiva, legends: The second part deals “with the knowledge of Siva through contemplation and through Vedic rites. 16. .Matsya Purdna--The work opens with an account of the Matsya or fish~—incarnation -of Vishnu. The story is no doubt a: development .of: the.. simpler CHAP. V.] . RELIGION, &C. ~ 303 legend in' the Satapatha.Brahmana,* which — bears so curious a resemblance to the story of Noah and the Deluge in the Old Testament. In ‘the Purana it’ is Vishnu who in the shape of a fish preserves Manu with the seeds of all things in an ark from the waters of ari inundation.. Whilst the ark floats, fastened to the fish, Manu enters into conversation with him, and his ques- tions and Vishnu’s replies form the main substance of the Purana. The creation, :the royal dynasties, and the duties of the different orders, are successively dealt with. Legends about Siva’s marriage with Uma and the birth of Kartekeya follow, and these are mixed up with Vaishnava legends. Some Mahdtmyas are introduced, including the Narmada-Mahatmya, and there are chapters on law and morals, on the piahine os images, on future kings, and on gifts, a : 17. Garuda Purdna-—lIt contains a brief notice of the creation, but is mainly occupied with religious observances, holidays, prayers from the T4ntrika ritual, astrology, palmistry, medicine, &c. The last portion of the work is taken up with directions for the performance of obsequial rites. There is no account in the existing work of the birth of Garuda, and it is possible that: the original Garuda Puréna has been lost to us, . 18. Brahmdnda Puréna—This work like the Skan- da is no longer to be found as a collective work, but. i See ante vol, I, p. 281. 304 PAURANIK PERIOD. [Book Vv. exists in’ fragments; and later writers have’ taken advantage of. this to attach various independent’ trea- tises from time to time to the non-existent original. A very curious work; called the Adhydtma Ramayana, is considered to be a part of the Brahmanda Purana. The above rapid review of the contents of the .18 voluminous’ Puranas sufficiently indicates ‘the nature of the works, The 18 works were originally. composed or. recast in the Pauranik Period, and existed when Alberuni visited India in. the eleventh ‘century; but there can be no doubt that they have been considerably modified and. enlarged since, specially by Saiva and . Vaishnava writers, who were anxious to establish the supremacy’ of their respective creeds. Siva was the first popular god of the Pauranik Period, as we find in the annals of Orissa and: some other provinces, as well as in’ the: classic literature of the Pauranik Age. Krishna, who is. almost unknown to Kalidasa, Bharavi, Banabhatta Bhavabhati, and other classic authors, became the popular god of the Hindus ‘at a later date ;-MAgha and Jayadeva celebrated his deeds’in the eleventh and twelfth centuries’; and all through the Musalman rule-Krishna was no-doubt the most favorite’ diety of the Hindus, Much of the Puranas dwelling on’ the sports arid loves of Krishna, as well as all the por- tions. dealing with the worship of: Siva or Sakti: accord- ing to the. Tantrika ritual, appear to the productions of centuries subsequent to. the Mahommedan conquest. CHAP. V.] RELIGION, &C: 305 It is because the Puranas have been so -much changed and recast after the Moslem conquest that they are unsafe and unreliable as a picture of Hindu life and manners before the conquest. Beside these 18 Puranas an equal number of Upa- Puranas are mentioned, but the lists given by different authorities vary. The Upa- Puranas are certainly more recent than the Puranas, but the nature of the contents is much the same. The best known among the Upa- Puranas is the K€alika, dedicated to the worship of ' Siva’s wife, and essentially a Sakta work.