Agni Purana

Namaste Let us Start Reading Puranas. Puranas are also a Treasure to Sanathana Dharma.
Agni Purana, Brahma Purana, Garuda Purana, Markandeya Purana, Varaha Purana, Matsya Purana Vishnu Purana, Linga Purana, Narada Purana, Padma Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Vamana Purana
Let us start read one by one . We start with AGNIPURANA same li e be!ore I will "ost #a$h Purana as "art by "art. I %now while reading &anusmriti to read 'ther "uranas may be di!!i$ult ( but as you now atleast to taste our great )alues in Sananthana Dharma 'ne *uman li!e is not enough( so I try my le)el best to s"read this )alues to my res"e$ted !riends. I! anyone miss to read or interest to read my "re)ious "ostings +hana ya Neetisastra( %autiliya Arthasastra ( ,idura niti or Tiru)allurs Tiru ural(and Uddha)agita or any "art o! &anusmriti "ls mail to me ( I will send again to you. I humbly request you to forward this values to your family, friends and to your groups. Allow all people from different religion to understand the value of our Sanathana Dharma. At least let them learn and then let them criticize.
Here we start the translation of the text of the AGNIPURAN in Short at the currently available form :
I am not a scholar to modify any of this laws or uranas or its lan!ua!es suitable for modern life "I Humbly re#uest you to read it and thin$ in a modern scientific way" %i$e in &ha!avad!ita 'ha ter () text *+ it is said by lord ,rishna Thus I have explained t y u kn !ledge still m re " n#idential$ %eli&erate n this #ully, and then d !hat y u !ish t d $
A!ni Purana
part 1
-he A!ni Purana is a maha urana" It usually fi!ures ei!hth in the list of ei!hteen" -here are about fifteen and a half thousand shlo$as in the A!ni Purana"
-he A!ni Purana is a tamasi$a urana" -he others in this !rou .atsya/ ,urma/ %in!a/ Shiva and S$anda Puranas"
are the
-he narrator of the A!ni Purana is the fire0!od A!ni" A!ni related the sub1ect matter of the Purana to the sa!e 2ashishtha/ who in turn/ assed on the $nowled!e to 2yasadeva" 2yasadeva3s disci le Suta learnt the Purana from his teacher" .any sa!es had assembled in the forest naimisharanya" -he most im ortant of these sa!es was Shouna$a" All these holy men wished to hear what the A!ni Purana had to say" And that is how Suta came to relate the Purana" -he A!ni Purana has no se arate sections as such" It is sim ly s lit u into three hundred and ei!hty0three adhyayas 4cha ters5" 6ne of these cha ters/ cha ter number +)7/ is rather interestin!" It !ives in ca sule form the essence of advaita brahma1nana" -he brahman is the divine s irit and brahma1nana means the $nowled!e of the brahman" Advaita means one" Advaita brahma1nana teaches of the union of the individual human soul 4atman5 with the brahman" -he sections in the A!ni Purana are nothin! but a summary of the teachin!s of the 2edas and the U anishadas" -hese holy texts were difficult to understand/ there were restrictions on who mi!ht read them and who mi!ht not" -he Puranas were available to everyone" Anyone could read them or listen to their recitations" -hus/ this su reme $nowled!e of brahma1nana was summarised for the !eneral o ulation throu!h the Puranas" -he A!ni Purana is full of rituals" Its cha ters are !enerally not lon!/ they are very brief" And even when the stories are !iven/ they are in !reatly summari8ed form" -hey can be obtained in far more fascinatin! detail in the other Puranas" 9or exam le/ you will wonder why so much has been missed out about Rama" &ut that is because you are familiar with the story of the Ramayana" And you will also wonder why so much has been missed out about the ,auravas and the Pandavas" &ut that a!ain is because you are familiar with the story of the .ahabharata" -his is no doubt artly due to the fact that the A!ni Purana was written much after many of the other Puranas" It was a su lement to the other Puranas" -he stories were already there in the other Puranas/ what was missin! in them were the rituals" And the rituals are very much art and arcel of the 2edic tradition" -he A!ni Purana was also written at a time when the brahmana reli!ion had become much more ritualistic" -he su remacy of the brahmana as a caste is much more ronounced in the A!ni Purana than in the other Puranas" -radition too says that the Puranas differ in character because they were written in different $al as 4cycles5" -he A!ni Purana itself with tell you later what a $al a is"
Preliminaries In the forest that is $nown as naimisharanya/ Shouna$a and the other rishis 4sa!es5 were erformin! a ya1na 4sacrifice5 dedicated to the %ord 2ishnu" Suta had also come there/ on his way to a il!rima!e" -he sa!es told Suta/ :;e have welcomed you" Now describe to us that
which ma$es men all0$nownin!" <escribe to us that which is the most sacred in the whole world": Suta re lied/ :2ishnu is the essence of everythin!" I went to a hermita!e named vadri$a with Shu$a/ Paila and other sa!es and met 2yasadeva there" 2yasadeva described to me that which he had learnt from the !reat sa!e 2ashishtha/ 2ashishtha havin! learnt it from the !od A!ni himself" -he A!ni Purana is sacred because it tells us about the essence of the brahman 4the divine essence5" I learnt all this from 2yasadeva and I will now tell you all that I have learnt": Avataras <o you $now what an avatara is= An avatara is an incarnation and means that a !od ado ts a human form to be born on earth" ;hy do !ods do this= -his ur ose is to destroy evil on earth and establish ri!hteousness" 2ishnu is re!arded as the reserver of the universe and it is therefore 2ishnu3s incarnations that one encounters most often" 2ishnu has already had nine such incarnations and the tenth and final incarnation is due in the future" -hese ten incarnations of 2ishnu are as follows" 4(5 .atsya avatara or fish incarnation 4>5 ,urma avatara or turtle incarnation 4+5 2araha avatara or boar incarnation 4?5 Narasimha avatara 0 an incarnation in the form of a bein! who was half0man and half0lion 4@5 2amana avatara or dwarf incarnation 4*5 Parashurama 4A5 Sri Rama 4)5 Sri ,rishna 4B5 &uddha 4(75 ,al$i C this is the incarnation that is yet to come" -he A!ni Purana now describes these ten incarnations" .atsya avatara or fish incarnation A!ni told 2ashishtha the story of the fish incarnation" .any years a!o/ the whole world was destroyed" -he destruction in fact extended to all the three lo$as 4worlds5 of bhulo$a/ bhuvarlo$a and svarlo$a" &hulo$a is the earth/ svarlo$a or svar!a is heaven and bhuvarlo$a is a re!ion between the earth and heaven" All three worlds were flooded with water" 2aivasvata .anu was the son of the sun0!od" He had s ent ten thousand
years in rayers and ta asya 4meditation5 in the hermita!e vadri$a" -his hermita!e was on the ban$s of the river ,ritamala" 6nce .anu came to the river to erform his ablutions" He immersed his hands in the water to !et some water for his ablutions" ;hen he raised them/ he found that there was a small fish swimmin! in the water in the cu of his hands" .anu was about to throw the fish bac$ into the water when the fish said/ :<on3t throw me bac$" I am scared of alli!ators and crocodiles and bi! fishes" Save me": .anu found an earthen ot in which he could $ee the fish" &ut soon the fish became too bi! for the ot and .anu had to find a lar!er vessel in which the fish mi!ht be $e t" &ut the fish became too bi! for this vessel as well and .anu had to transfer the fish to a la$e" &ut the fish !rew and !rew and became too lar!e for the la$e" So .anu transferred the fish to the ocean" In the ocean/ the fish !rew until it became !i!antic" &y now/ .anu3s wonder $new no bounds" He said/ :;ho are you= Dou must be the %ord 2ishnu/ I bow down before you" -ell me/ why are you tantalisin! me in the form of a fish=: -he fish re lied/ :I have come to unish the evil and rotect the !ood" Seven days from now/ the ocean will flood the entire world and all bein!s will be destroyed" &ut since you have saved me/ I will save you" ;hen the world is flooded/ a boat will arrive here" -a$e the sa tarshis 4seven sa!es5 with you and s end the terrible ni!ht that will come on that boat" <on3t for!et to ta$e the seeds of food!rains with you" ;ill arrive and you will then fasten the boat to my horn with a hu!e sna$e": Sayin! this/ the fish disa eared"
Everythin! ha ened as the fish had romised it would" -he ocean became turbulent and .anu climbed into the boat" He tied the boat to the hu!e horn that the fish had" He rayed to the fish and the fish related the .atsya Purana to him" Eventually/ when the water receded/ the boat was anchored to the to most ea$ of the Himalyas" And livin! bein!s were created once a!ain" A danava 4demon5 named Haya!riva had stolen the sacred texts of the 2edas and the $nowled!e of the brahman" In his form of a fish/ 2ishnu also $illed Haya!riva and recovered the 2edas" ,urma avatara or turtle incarnation .any years a!o there was a war between the devas 4!ods5 and the daityas 4demons5 and the !ods lost this war" -hey rayed to 2ishnu to rescue them from the o ression of the demons" 2ishnu told &rahma and the other !ods that they should have a tem orary truce with the demons" -he two sides should !et to!ether to churn the ocean" 2ishnu would ensure that the devas benefited more from this churnin! of the ocean than the daityas did" -he truce was a!reed u on and the two sides !ot ready to churn the ocean" -he mountain .andara was used as a churnin! rod and the !reat
sna$e 2asu$i as the ro e for churnin!" -he devas !ras ed 2asu$i3s tail and the daityas !ras ed 2asu$i3s head" &ut as the churnin! be!an/ the mountain .andara which had no base/ started to !et immersed in the ocean" ;hat was to be done= %ord 2ishnu came to the rescue" He ado ted the form of a turtle and the ea$ was balanced on the turtle3s bac$" As the churnin! continued/ terrible oison named $ala$uta emer!ed from the de ths of the ocean and was swallowed by Shiva" Shiva3s throat became blue from this oison and he is therefore $nown as Nila$antha/ blue of throat" -he !oddess 2aruni/ the !oddess of wine 4sura5/ came out next" -he !ods readily acce ted her and thus they came to be $nown as suras" &ut the demons re1ected 2aruni and were therefore $nown as asuras" She was followed by the ari1ata tree/ a beautiful tree that came to occu y the ride of lace in Indra3s !arden" A 1ewel named $oustubha emer!ed and was acce ted by 2ishnu as his adornment" -hree wonderful animals came out next 0 the cow ,a ila/ the horse Ucchaishrava and the ele hant Airavata" -hey were followed by a saras/ beautiful women who became dancers of heaven" -hey were $nown as a saras because they emer!ed from a 4water5" -he !oddess %a$shmi or Shri came out next and was united with 2ishnu" 9inally/ <hanvantari emer!ed with a ot of amrita 4the life0!ivin! drin$5 in his hands" <hanvantariwas the ori!inator of medicine 4ayurveda5" -he daityas led by Fambha !ave half of the amrita to the devas and de arted with the remainin! half" &ut 2ishnu #uic$ly ado ted the form of a beautiful woman" So beautiful was the woman that the demons were charmed" :Pretty lady/: they said/ :-a$e the amrita and serve it to us" .arry us": 2ishnu acce ted the amrita/ but he had no intention of !ivin! it to the demons" He served it to the !ods instead" -here was only one demon who was somewhat clever" His name was Rahu" He ado ted the form of 'handra/ the moon0!od/ and succeeded in drin$in! some of the amrita" -he sun0!od and the moon0!od noticed what was ha enin! and re orted it to 2ishnu" 2ishnu thereu on cut off Rahu3s head with a sword" &ut Rahu had drun$ the amrita/ so he could not die" He rayed to 2ishnu and 2ishnu !ranted him a boon" -he boon was that occasionally Rahu would be ermitted to swallow u the sun and the moon/ since these were the !ods who had com lained about him" Dou can see this ha enin! at the time of the solar and the lunar ecli ses" Peo le who !ive alms durin! such ecli ses are blessed" -he !ods obtained the amrita and the demons did not" -hus/ the !ods became more owerful than the demons" -hey defeated the demons and re!ained heaven" ;ill be continue on art >
Namaste Let us +ontinue Reading Puranas. Puranas are also a Treasure to Sanathana Dharma.
Agni Purana, Brahma Purana, Garuda Purana,
Markandeya Purana, Varaha Purana, Matsya Purana Vishnu Purana, Linga Purana, Narada Purana, Padma Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Vamana Purana
Here we 'ontinue readin! translation of the text of the AGNIPURAN in Short at the currently available form :
A!ni Purana
part 2
2araha avatara or boar incarnation 2ishnu3s next incarnation was in the form of a boar" -he sa!e ,ashya a and his wife <iti had a son named Hiranya$sha3s meditation leased &rahma and &rahma !ranted him the boon that he would be invincible in battle" -hus armed/ Hiranya$sha went out to fi!ht with the devas" He com rehensively defeated 2arna/ the !od of the ocean" -hus/ Hiranya$sha became the $in! of the heaven/ the earth and
the underworld" &ut the asura was not articularly fond of the earth" He himself had be!un to live in 2aruna3s alace under the ocean" So he hurled the earth into the de ths of the ocean" -he !ods went to 2ishnu and rayed that somethin! mi!ht be done about Hiranya$sha" -hey wished to be restored to heaven and they wished that the earth mi!ht be brou!ht bac$ from the de ts of the ocean" In res onse to these rayers/ 2ishnu ado td the form of a boar and entered the ocean" ;ho should he meet there but Hiranyas$ha himself= Hiranya$sha of course did not $now that this boar was none other 2ishnu" He thou!ht that it was an ordinary boar and attac$ed it" -he two fou!ht for many years" &ut finally/ Hiranya$sha was !ored to death by the boar3s tus$s" -he boar raised the earth u once a!ain with its tus$s" 2ishnu thus saved the !ods and the dharma" rinci les of ri!hteousness or
Narasimha avatara or GHalf0man/ Half0lionG incarnation Hiranya$sha had a brother named Hiranya$ashi u" Hiranya$shi u was furious to learn that his brother had been $illed and he resolved to $ill 2ishnu" &ut this could not be done unless he himself became owerful and invincible" Hiranya$ashi u/ therefore/ be!an to ray to &rahma throu!h difficult meditation" &rahma was leased at these rayers and offered to !rant a boon" :I want to be invincible/: said Hiranya$ashi u" :Please !rant me the boon that I may not be $illed by ni!ht or dayH that I may not be $illed by man or beastH and that I may not be $illed in the s$y/ the water or the earth": &rahma !ranted the desired boon" And Hiranya$ashi u was ha y" He thou!ht that he had ta$en care of all ossible eventualities" And since he had become so owerful/ he con#uered all the three worlds and $ic$ed the !ods out of heaven" Hiranya$ashi u had a son named Prahlada" Dou no doubt remember that Hiranya$ashi u had resolved to $ill 2ishnu" &ut stran!ely enou!h/ Prahlada became devoted to 2ishnu" Hiranya$ashi u tried to ersuade his son" -hat did not wor$" He tried to $ill his son" -hat too did not wor$ since/ each time/ 2ishnu intervened to save Prahlada" .eanwhile/ the !ods had been driven off from heaven" -hey had also been de rived of their shares in ya1nas by Hiranya$ashi u" -hese shares now went only to the asura $in!" In des eration/ they went and rayed to 2ishnu and 2ishnu romised them that he would find a solution" 6ne day/ Hiranya$ashi u called Prahlada to him" :How is it that you esca ed each time I tried to $ill you=/: he as$ed" :&ecause 2ishnu saved me/: re lied Prahlada" :2ishnu is everywhere": :;hat do you mean everywhere=/: retorted Hiranya$ashi u" He ointed
to a crystal as well=:
illar inside the
alace and as$ed/ :Is 2ishnu inside this
illar
:Des/: re lied Prahlada" :2ery well then" I am !oin! to $ic$ the illar/: said Hiranya$ashhi u"
;hen Hiranya$ashi u $ic$ed the illar/ it bro$e in two " And from inside the illar/ 2ishnu emer!ed in his form of Narasimha/ half0man and half0 lion" He cau!ht hold of Hiranya$ashi u and laced the demon across his thi!hs" And with his claws/ he tore a art the demon3s chest and so $illed him" &rahma3s boon had been that Hiranya$ashi u would not be $illed by man or beast/ it was half0man and half0beast" -he boon had said that the asura would not be $illed in the s$y/ the water or the earth" &ut Hiranya$ashi u was $illed on 2ishnu3s thi!hs/ which were not the s$y/ the water or the earth" And finally/ the boon had romised that Hiranya$ashi u would not be $illed by ni!ht or day" Since the incident too$ lace in the evenin!/ it was not ni!ht or day" After Hiranya$ashi u died/ the !ods were restored to their ri!htful laces" 2ishnu made Prahlada the $in! of the asuras" 2amana avatara or -he <warf incarnation Prahlada3s !randson was 2ali and 2ali became very owerful" ;hen he was the $in! of the asuras/ there was a war between the devas and the asuras" -he !ods were defeated and were driven off from svar!a" As always/ the !ods fled to 2ishnu and be!an to ray to him to save them" 2ishnu assured the !ods that he would do somethin! about 2ali" Accordin!ly/ 2ishnu was born as the son of Aditi and ,ashya a" -he son was a dwarf" ,in! 2ali had arran!ed for a hu!e sacrifice and had announced that/ on the occasion of the sacrifice/ he would not refuse anyone a boon" -he dwarf arrived at this sacrifice and be!an to recite the 2edas" 2ali was so leased at this that he offered the dwarf a boon" 2ali3s !uru 4teacher5 was Shu$racharya and Shu$racharya thou!ht that there was somethin! fishy about the way the dwarf had arrived" So he tried to restrain 2ali" :No/: said 2ali" :I have offered a boon and I shall stic$ to my word": ;hat boon do you desire= I will !ive whatever you want": &efore a boon was actually !ranted/ a small rite had to be erformed with holy water" Shu$racharya was still tryin! to do his best to revent the boon from bein! !iven" So he entered the vessel in which the holy water was $e t to seal the mouth of the vessel and revent the water from bein! ta$en out" -o !et at the holy water/ the vessel was ierced with a straw" -his straw also ierced one of Shu$racharya3s eyes" Ever since that day/ the rece tor of the demons has been one0eyed" :Give me as much of land as may be covered in three of my ste s/: said the dwarf" :I need this as da$shina 4fee5 for my !uru": 2ali a!reed" &ut the dwarf ado ted a !i!antic form" ;ith one ste he covered bhulo$a" ;ith another ste he covered bhuvarlo$a" And with the
last ste he covered svarlo$a" -he three worlds were thus lost to 2ali and 2ishnu returned them to Indra" 2ali had no o tion but to !o down to the underworld 4 atala5" &ut so leased was 2ishnu at 2ali3s !enerosity that he !ranted the asura the boon that he would bear the title of Indra in the future" Parashurama avatara -he $shatriyas were the second of the four classes" It was their 1ob to wear arms and rotect the world" And rule" -he brahmanas were the first of the four classes" It was their 1ob to ray/ study the sacred texts and erform reli!ious rites" &ut the $shatriyas became very insolent and be!an to o ress the world and the brahmanas" 2ishnu was then born as the son of the sa!e Famada!ni and his wife Renu$a" Since this was the line of the sa!e &hri!u/ Parashurama was also called &har!ava" Parashurama3s mission was to rotect the brahmanas and teach a lesson to the $shatriyas" -here was a $in! named $artavirya who had received all sorts of boons from the sa!e <attatreya" -han$sto these boons/ ,artavirya had a thousand arms and con#uered and ruled over the entire world" 6ne day/ ,artavirya went on a hunt to the forest" He was very tired after the hunt and was invited by the sa!e Famada!ni to rest at the sa!e3s hermita!e" Famada!ni had a $amadhenu cow" -his meant that the cow roducted whatever its owner desired" Famada!ni used the $amadhenu to treat ,artavirya and all his soldiers to a sum tuous feast" ,artavirya was enamoured of the $amadhenu that he as$ed the sa!e to !ive it to him" &ut Famada!ni refused" ,artavirya then abducted the cow by force and a war started between ,artavirya and Parashurama" In this war/ Parashurama cut off ,artavirya3s head with his axe 4 arashu5 and brou!ht the $amadhenu bac$ to the hermita!e" After some time/ Parashurama was away when ,artavirya3s sons arrived at the ashrama and $illed Famada!ni" 6n the death of his father/ Parashurama3s an!er was aroused" He $illed all the $shatriyas in the world twenty0one times" 6n the lains of ,uru$shetra/ he built five wells which were filled with the blood of $shatriyas" Eventually/ Parashurama handed over the world to ,ashya a and went and lived on .ount .ahendra" ;ill be continue on art +
Let us start read one by one . We start with AGNIPURANA same li e
be!ore I will "ost #a$h Purana as "art by "art. I %now while reading &anusmriti to read 'ther "uranas may be di!!i$ult ( but as you now atleast to taste our great )alues in Sananthana Dharma 'ne *uman li!e is not enough( so I try my le)el best to s"read this )alues to my res"e$ted !riends. I! anyone miss to read or interest to read my "re)ious "ostings +hana ya Neetisastra( %autiliya Arthasastra ( ,idura niti or Tiru)allurs Tiru ural(and Uddha)agita or any "art o! &anusmriti "ls mail to me ( I will send again to you. I humbly request you to forward this values to your family, friends and to your groups. Allow all people from different religion to understand the value of our Sanathana Dharma. At least let them learn and then let them criticize.
Here we 'ontinue readin! the translation of the text of the AGNIPURAN in Short at the currently available form :
A!ni Purana
Sri Rama avatara
part 3
&rahma came out of 2ishnu3s navel" &rahma3s son was .arichi/ .arichi3s son ,ashya a/ ,ashya a3s son Surya/ Surya3s son 2aivasvata .anu/ .anu3s son I$shva$u/ I$shva$u3s son ,a$utstha/ ,a$utstha3s son Ra!hu/ Ra!hu3 son A1a/ A1a3s son <asharatha/ <asharatha3s sons were Rama/ &harata/ %a$shmana and Shatru!hna" Since Rama was descended from ,a$utstha and Ra!hu/ he was also called ,a$utstha and Ra!hava" Since his father3s name was <asharatha/ he was also called <asharathi" Rama3s story belon!s to the solar line 4surya vamsha5/ since one of his ancestors was Surya" 2ishnu himself wished to destroy Ravana and the other ra$shasas 4demons5" He therefore divided himself into four arts and was born as Rama/ &harata/ %a$shmana and Shatru!hna" Rama was ,oushalya3s son/
&harata ,ai$eyi3s" %a$shmana and Shatru!hna were the sons of Sumitra" -he sa!e 2ishvamitra came to <asharatha and leaded for Rama3s hel in defeatin! the ra$shasas who were disturbin! his ya1nas" Rama $illed these demons and 2ishvamitra was so leased that he tau!ht Rama the use of all divine wea ons" Rama bro$e a bow of Shiva3s that had been in the ossession of the $in! of .ithila/ Fan$a" -his was the tas$ that had been a ointed for marryin! Sita/ Fana$a3s dau!hter" Rama married Sita/ %a$shmana married Urmila/ &harata married .andavi and Shatru!hna married Shruta$irti" 6n the way bac$ to Ayodhya/ Rama also beat Parashurama in a duel" <asharatha resolved that Rama should be made yuvara1a/ that is/ the heir a arent to the $in!dom" &ut ,ai$eyi had a servant named .anthara who lotted otherwise" ;hen he was youn!/ Rama had ulled at .anthara3s feet and ever since that day" .anthara had not been $indly dis osed towards Rama" She reminded ,ai$eyi of the two boons that had been romised to her by ,in! <asharatha" Dears a!o/ the !ods had been fi!htin! with the demon Shambara and had as$ed <asharatha for his hel " In fi!htin! with Shambara/ <asharatha had been in1ured" He had been nursed bac$ to health by ,ai$eyi" <asharatha had romised two boons to ,ai$eyi as a reward and .anthara3s su!!estion was that ,ai$eyi should now as$ for these two boons" &y the first boon Rama would be banished to the forest for fourteen years and by the second boon &harata would become yuvara1a" ,ai$eyi listened to .anthara" At .anthara3s instance/ she as$ed for these two boons" <asharatha was very an!ry/ but Rama insisted that he would indeed !o to the forest for fourteen years" Rama/ %a$shmana and Sita first went to the ban$s of the river -amasa" 9rom there they went to the $in!dom of Guha/ the $in! of the hunters 4nishadas5" -hey crossed the river Fahnavi and arrived in Praya!a/ where the sa!e &haradva1a had his hermita!e" -heir final destination was the mountan ran!e of 'hitra$uta/ on the ban$s of the river .anda$ini" .eanwhile/ bac$ home in Ayodhya/ ,in! <asharatha who could not bear to be arted from Rama/ died" &harata and Shatru!hna had !one on a visit to their uncle3s house and were recalled" &ut &harata refused to be $in!" He went to the forest to try and ersuade Rama to return/ but Rama insisted that he would not return before the fourteen years were over" So &harata brou!ht bac$ Rama3s sandals" He laced these sandals on the throne as a to$en of Rama3s $in!shi " And he be!an to rule the $in!dom in Rama3s name from Nandi!rama/ rather than from Ayodhya" Rama/ %a$shmana and Sita then went to the forest that is $nown as the <anda$a forest/ danda$aranya" -his forest was on the ban$s of the river Godavari and there was a beautiful !rove inside the forest $nown as Panchavati" -hey built a hut there and resolved to live there" -here was a ra$shasa woman named Shur ana$ha" She ha ened to come to the lace where Rama/ %a$shmana and Sita had built their hut" Shur ana$ha li$ed Rama so much that she wanted to marry Rama and eat u %a$shmana and Sita" &ut %a$shmana cut off Shur aa$ha3s nose and ears with his sword"
Shur ana$ha fled to her brother ,hara and demanded reven!e" ,hara and fourteen thousand other demons 4ra$shasas5 attac$ed Rama/ but they were all $illed by Rama" Shur ana$ha then went to her other brother Ravana/ the $in! of %an$a" Ravana as$ed the ra$shasa .aricha to ado t the form of a !olden deer and roam around in front of Rama3s hut" Sita was so charmed by the deer that she as$ed Rama to ca ture it for her" Rama was lon! in returnin! and %a$shmana went to loo$ for him" -a$in! advanta!e of Rama and %a$shmana3s absence" Ravana $idna ed Sita" Fatayu/ the $in! of the birds/ did try to sto Ravana/ but he met his death at Ravana3s hands" Rama and %a$shmana were !reatly distressed to find Sita missin! and they loo$ed for her everywhere" Rama made friends with the mon$ey Su!riva" He $illed Su!riva3s brother &ali and made Su!riva the $in! of the mon$eys" -he mon$eys were sent off in all the four directions to loo$ for Sita" -he mon$eys who had !one towards the south learnt that Sita was in %an$a/ across the ocean" 6ne of these mon$eys was Hanumana" Hanumana lea t over the ocean and arrived in %an$a" He discovered the lonesome Sita in a !rove of asho$a trees/ the asho$avana" Hanumana introduced himself and assured Sita that he would soon be bac$ with Rama" Hanumana caused some !eneral havoc in %an$a and was ca tured by .e!hnada or Indra1it/ Ravana3s son" Ravana ordered that Hanumana3s tail should be set on fire" &ut Hanumana used his burnin! tail to set fire to all the houses of %an$a" He then returned to Rama with the news that Sita had been found" Rama/ %a$shmana and the army of mon$eys arrived at the shores of the ocean" -here they built a brid!e over the ocean so that they could cross over into %an$a" -here was a terrible war in which Rama $illed the !iant ,umbha$arna/ Ravana3s brother" %a$shmana $illed Indra1it" Rama $illed Ravana with a owerful divine wea on/ the brahamastra" -he fourteen years were by now over and Rama/ %a$shmana and Sita returned to Ayodhya" -here Rama was crowned $in! and he treated his sub1ects as his own sons" He unished the wic$ed and followed the ath of dharma" <urin! Rama3s rule there was no shorta!e of food !rains anywhere and the eo le were ri!hteous" No one died an untimely death" 6n Rama3s instructions/ Shatru!hna $illed the asura %avana and built the city of .athura in the lace where %avana3s $in!dom had been" &harata was sent by Rama to $ill a wic$ed !andharva a sin!er of heaven named Shailusha/ who lived on the ban$s of the river Indus with his sons" &harata $illed them and built two cities there/ -a$shashila and Push$aravati" In -a$shashila &harata established his son -a$sha as $in! and in Push$aravti he made his son Push$ara the $in!" Rama and Sita had two sons named ,usha and %ava" Rama ruled for eleven thousand years before he died" -his is the story of the Ramayana as recounted in the A!ni Purana" It was written by the sa!e 2almi$i after he had heard the story from the sa!e Narada" Rama was the seventh avatara of 2ishnu" ,rishna was the ei!hth"
Sri ,rishna avatara 4and the lina!e of Sri ,rishna5 As you have already been told/ &rahma emer!ed from 2ishnu3s navel" &rahma3 son was Atri/ Atri3s son Soma/ Soma3s son Pururava/ Pururava3s son Ayu/ Ayu3s son Nahusha and Nahusha3s son Dayati" Dayati had two wives/ <evayani and Sharmishtha" <evayani had two sons/ Dadu and -urvusu" And Sharmishtha had three sons/ <ruhya/ Anu and Puru" -he descendants of Dadu were $nown as the Dadavas" 2asudeva was a Dadava" His wife was <eva$i" 2ishnu was born as the son of 2asudeva and <eva$i in order to remove the wic$ed from the world" -he seventh son of 2asudeva and <eva$i was &aladeva" And the ei!hth son was ,rishna himself" ,rishna was born in the month of &hadra in the thic$ of the ni!ht" Scared that the wic$ed ,amsa mi!ht $ill the newly child/ 2asudeva left him with Dashoda/ the wife of Nanda" Nanda was the $in! of the cowherds and he brou!ht u &aladeva and ,rishna" ,amsa sent a ra$shasa woman named Putana to $ill ,rishna/ but ,rishna $illed her instead" In 2rindavana/ ,rishna subdued the terrible sna$e $nown as ,aliya" He $illed several other ra$shasas named Arishta/ 2rishabha/ ,eshi/ <henu$a and Gardhabha and made the country safe from the attac$s of these demons" He also sto ed the worshi of Indra" -his led to a fi!ht between Indra and ,rishna / Indra tried to destroy the inhabitants of Go$ula by sendin! down torrents of rain" &ut ,rishna held aloft the mountain Govardhana and saved the inhabitants of Go$ula" ,amsa3s ca ital was in .athura/ &aladeva and ,rishna went there" ,amsa let loose a mad ele hant named ,uvalaya ida on ,rishna" &ut ,rishna $illed ,uvalaya ida" &aladeva and ,rishna also $illed two stron! wrestlers/ 'hanura and .ushti$a/ whom ,amsa had instructed to $ill &aladeva and ,rishna" 9inally/ ,rishna $illed ,amsa and made U!rasena the $in!" ,amsa was Farasandha3s son0 in0law and Faradsandha became furious when he learnt of ,amsa3s death" He attac$ed the Dadavas and laid sie!e to the city of .athura" After a rolon!ed war/ ,rishna mana!ed to defeat Farasandha" ,rishna also defeated another evil $in! named Poundra$a" 6n ,rishna3s instructions/ the Dadavas built the beautiful city of <vara$a or <vara$ati" -he Dadavas be!an to live in <vara$a" -here was an asura named Nara$a who was $illed by ,rishna" Nara$a had im risoned sixteen thousand dau!hters of the devas/ !andharvas and ya$shas 4!uards of heaven3s treasury5" -hese women were freed by ,rishna and ,rishna married all of them" Amon! ,rishna3s other ex loits were defeatin! the daitya Pancha1ana/ $illin! ,alayavana/ sei8in! the ari1ata tree from Indra and brin!in! bac$ to life the sa!e Sandi ani3s dead son" ,rishna had several sons" Shamba was born of ,rishna3s wife Fambavati and Pradyumna was born of ,rishna3s wife Ru$mini" As soon as Pradyumna was born/ he was abductd by the asura Shambara" Shambara threw the baby into the sea/ but a fish swallowed the baby" A fisherman cau!ht the fish and brou!ht it to Shambara3s house" ;hen the fish3s stomach was cut o en/ the baby came out" -here was a woman named .ayavati who lived in Shambara3s house and Shambara handed over
baby Pradyumna to .ayavati so that he mi!ht be brou!ht u well" ;hen he !rew u / Pradyumna $illed Shambara and married .ayavati" -hey returned to <vara$a and ,rishna was ha y to see his lost son" Pradyumna and .ayavati had a son named Aniruddha" Aniruddha secretly married Usha/ the dau!hter of ,in! 2ana/ 2ana himself bein! the son of 2ali" 2ana3s ca ital was in a city named Shonita ura" 2ana had leased Shiva throu!h hard and difficult ta asya/ so that sometimes he was called the son of Shiva" 2ana loved to fi!ht and he had wanted a boon from Shiva that he mi!ht !et the chance to fi!ht with someone who was his e#ual in battle" A fla! with a eacoc$ on it used to fly from the ram arts of 2ana3s alace" Shiva told him that the day this fla! fell down/ 2ana3s desire for battle with an e#ual would be satisfied" ;ith the hel of a friend of Usha3s/ Aniruddha and Usha used to meet secretly in 2ana3s alace" 2ana3s !uards informed him about this and there was a fierce battle betweeen 2ana and Aniruddha" At the same time/ the fla! with the eacoc$ on it fell down" ,rishna !ot to $now from Narada about the fi!ht between 2ana and Aniruddha and he/ &aladeva and Pradyumna arrived in 2ana3s ca ital" Shiva came to fi!ht on 2ana3s side/ accom anied by Nandi and S$anda or ,arti$eya" &ut after a duel that lasted for a lon! time/ ,rishna trium hed over these enemies" ,rishna3s arrows also cut off the thousand arms that 2ana had" &ut at Shiva3s re#uest/ ,rishna s ared 2ana3s life and !ave him two arms with which to ma$e do" All of these stories about ,rishna are related in detail in the Harivamsha" -he A!ni Purana merely !ives a brief summary of the Harivamsha" &ut stories about ,rishna/ the ei!hth avatara of 2ishnu/ also cro u in the .ahabharata" -he A!ni Purana/ therefore/ next summarises the .ahabharata" ;ill be continue on art ?
Let us start read one by one . We start with AGNIPURANA same li e be!ore I will "ost #a$h Purana as "art by "art. I %now while reading &anusmriti to read 'ther "uranas may be di!!i$ult ( but as you now atleast to taste our great )alues in Sananthana Dharma 'ne *uman li!e is not enough( so I try my le)el best to s"read this )alues to my res"e$ted !riends.
I! anyone miss to read or interest to read my "re)ious "ostings +hana ya Neetisastra( %autiliya Arthasastra ( ,idura niti or Tiru)allurs Tiru ural(and Uddha)agita or any "art o! &anusmriti "ls mail to me ( I will send again to you. I humbly request you to forward this values to your family, friends and to your groups. Allow all people from different religion to understand the value of our Sanathana Dharma. At least let them learn and then let them criticize.
A!ni Purana
-he .ahabharta
part 4
-he Pandavas were merely a the world of evil men"
retext" ,rishna used the Pandavas to rid
Dou have already learnt that one of Dayati3s sons was Puru" In Puru3s line were born &harata and ,uru" 6ne of ,uru3s descendants was the $in! Shantanu" Shantanu married Gan!a and &hishma was born from this marria!e" &ut Shantanu also married Satyavati and had two more sons/ 'hitran!ada and 2ichitravirya" &hishma never married" 'hitran!ada died youn!" ;hen 2icitravirya !rew u / &hishma defeated the $in! of ,ashi and brou!ht two of the $in!3s dau!hters/ Ambi$a and ambali$a/ as brides for 2ichitravirya" 2ichitravirya was also #uite youn! when he died of tuberculosis" Since 2ichitravirya had left no children/ 2yasadeva was brou!ht to Hastina ura" 2yasadeva and Ambi$a had a son named <hritarashtra and 2yasadeva and Ambali$a had a son named Pandu" <hritarashtra married Gandhari and they had a hundred sons/ of whom the most im ortant was <uryodhana" Pandu had two wives/ ,unti and .adri" ,unti3s sons were Dudhishthira/ &hima and Ar1una and .adri3s son were Na$ula and Sahadeva" &ut Dudhisthira was really the son of the !od <harma and not Pandu3s son" Similarly/ &hima was the son of the !od Pavana" Ar1una the son of Indra and Na$ula and Sahadeva the sons of the two Ashvinis" Earlier/ ,unti had had a son named ,arna from the sun0!od" -his was before she had !ot married to Pandu" ,arna became a friend of <uryodhana3s" &ecause of a curse im osed on him by a sa!e/ Pandu died
in the forest" <uryodhana tried his best to $ill the Pandavas" He set fire to a house of lac 41atu!riha5 in which ,unti and the five Pandavas were stayin!" &ut the Pandavas were saved and fled to a city named E$acha$ra" -here they lived/ di!uised as brahmanas" In E$acha$ra/ they destroyed a ra$shasa named 2a$a" -hey then won the hand of the dau!hter of the $in! of Panchala" Her name was <rou adi and all five Pandava brothers married her" ;hen <uryodhana learnt that the Pandavas were alive/ he handed over half the $in!dom to them" .eanwhile/ the forest ,handava had to be burnt and ,rishna and Ar1una did this to!ether" ,rishna had befriended Ar1una" ;hen Ar1una successfully defeated the !od A!ni at the burnin! of the ,handava forest/ A!ni !ave him several divine wea ons" Ar1una had also obtained divine wea ons from his !uru <ronacharya" 6n the Pandava side/ Dudhishthira had become $in!" -he Pandavas or!anised a ra1asuya ya1na 4royal sacrifice5 in which they con#uered several $in!doms and accumulated a lot of wealth" -his made <uryodhana envious" He arran!ed a !ame of dice 4a$sha5 between Dudhishthira and <uryodhana3s uncle Sha$uni" Sha$uni did not lay fairly and Dudhisthira lost the !ame" As a enalty for the loss/ the Pandavas were to s end twelve years in the forest and one additional year without bein! detected" <rou adi went with them to the forest/ as did the Pandava3s riest/ <houmya" After the twelve years were over/ the Pandavas came to the $in!dom of ,in! 2irata where they ro osed to s end the additional year that had to be s ent in dis!uise" Dudhishthira retended to be a brahmana/ &hima coo$/ Ar1una dancer/ Na$ula and Sahadeva stable0hands" <rou adi became the #ueen3s maid" -he #ueen3s brother ,icha$a tried to molest <rou adi/ but was $illed by &hima" ;hen the year was over/ the ,auravas attac$ed ,in! 2irata to rob him of his cattle" &ut Ar1una defeated all the ,auravas and saved 2irata3s cattle" After this success/ the identity of the Pandavas could no lon!er be $e t a secret" &ut than$fully/ the one year durin! which identities had to be $e t a secret/ was over" ,in! 2irata3s dau!hter Uttara was married to Abhimanyu/ Ar1una3s son" Abhimanyu3s mother was Subhadra/ whom Ar1una had married" Subhadra also ha ened to be ,rishna3s sister" -he Pandavas now demanded their ri!htful share of the $in!dom/ but <uryodhana refused" A war was imminent" A hu!e battalion of soldiers was $nown as an a$shouhini" <uryodhana collected eleven a$shouhinis for the war and Dudhishthira collected seven" ,rishna was sent as a messen!er to <uryodhana to try and reserve the eace/ ,rishna told <uryodhana that the Pandavas would be satisfied with a mere five villa!es" <uryodhana refused to !ive them even this without a fi!ht" So the armies !athered for a war on the lains of ,uru$shetra" Noticin! that elders and relatives li$e &hishma and <ronacharyas were fi!htin! on the side of the ,auravas" Ar1una was reluctant to fi!ht" &ut ,rishna !ave Ar1una lessons which have come down to us as the Gita" He tau!ht that there was no reason for sorrow if &hishma or <ronacharya died" -hat true identity of a erson was his atman 4soul5 which never died/ but
assed from one body to another" -rue bliss was obtained when the atman united with the brahman4 divine essence5 or aramatman 4su reme soul5" -his was always the !oal of a yo!i/ that is a erson who sou!ht union with !od" -hus instructed by ,rishna/ Ar1una started to fi!ht" ;ith the hel of Shi$handi/ he defeated &hishma" -his ha ened on the tenth day of the fi!htin!" &hishma did not however die" He had earlier received the boon that he would only die when he actually wished to do so" 9or many days/ he lay there in the battlefield on a bed of arrows" After &hishma3s defeat/ <ronacharya became the !eneral of the ,auravas" <hrishtadyumna was the !eneral on the Pandava side" <ronacharya $illed 2irata/ <ru ada and several other $in!s and soldiers on the Pandava side" <hrishtadyumna also $illed many ,aurava soldiers" 6n the fifteenth day of the fi!htin!/ a rumour !ained currency that Ashvatthama/ <ronacharaya3s son/ had been $illed" <ronacharya abandoned his wea ons on hearin! this bad news and <hrishtadyumna faced not roblems in $illin! him" ,arna now became the ,aurava !eneral and lasted for two and a half days before he was $illed by Ar1una" Shalya was the last ,aurava !eneral" He fou!ht for only half a day and was $illed by Dudhishthira" &hima and <uryodhana fou!ht the last duel of the war with maces" &hima bro$e <uryodhana3s thi!hs and $illed him" Ashvatthama had been fumin! ever since his father <ronacharya had been $illed by unfair means" In the dead of the ni!ht/ he entered the Pandava cam where he $illed <hristadyumna and the five sons of <rou adi" <rou adi was disconsolate and demanded reven!e" Ar1una and Ashvatthama let loose divine wea ons at each other" Since this mi!ht destroy the world/ they were as$ed to withdraw these wea on" Ar1una could withdraw his wea on/ but Ashvatthama could not" Ashvatthama3s wea on $illed the baby that was in Uttara3s womb/ but when the dead baby was born/ ,rishna brou!ht it bac$ to life" -his baby was Pari$shita" .any $in!s and soldiers died in the course of the ,uru$shetra war" -he only ones left alive were ,ritavarma/ ,ri acharya and Ashvatthama on the ,aurava side and Satya$i/ ,rishna and the five Pandavas on the Pandava side" After the war was over/ &hishma tau!ht Dudhishthira the duties of a $in!" It was only after this that he died" As a $in!/ Dudhishthira erformed many ya1nas and !ave a lot of alms to brahmanas" ;hen Dudhishthira learnt that the Dadavas had been destroyed/ he no lon!er wished to rule" He handed over the $in!dom to Pari$shita and the Pandavas left on a il!rima!e/ in the course of which they died" It was ,rishna who had used the Pandavas as a tool to rid the world of evil $in!s and establish the !ood ones" Reali8in! that the Dadavas were also evil/ ,rishna also ensured that the Dadavas would be destroyed" He then !ave u his life at the lace of il!rima!e that is $nown as Prabhasa" After ,rishna died/ the city of <vara$a was swallowed u by the sea" -his was the story of the ei!hth avatara of 2ishnu" &uddha and ,al$i
-he ninth avatara of 2ishnu was &uddha and the tenth will be ,al$i" .any years a!o/ there was a war between the devas and the asuras in which the demons mana!ed to defeat the !ods" -he !ods went runnin! to 2ishnu for rotection and 2ishnu told them that .ayamoha would be born as &uddha/ the son of Shuddhodana" Such were the illusions that &uddha created/ that the asuras left the ath indicated by the 2edas and became &uddhists" -hese dastardly creatures erformed ceremonies that were a sure tic$et to nara$a" -owards the end of the ,ali era/ all eo le will be dastardly" -hey will o ose the 2edas/ become robbers and will be concerned only with wealth" -he disbelievers will then become $in!s and these $in!s will also be cannibals" .uch later/ ,al$i will be born on earth as the son of 2ishnuyasha" He will ta$e u arms to destroy these disbelievers" ,al$i3s riest will be the sa!e Da1naval$ya" -he norms of the four classes 4varna5 and the four sta!es of life 4ashrama5 will be etablished yet a!ain" Peo le will honour the sacred texts and become ri!hteous" It will then be time for the dawn of a new satya yu!a/ a fresh eriod of ri!hteousness" In every cycle 4$al a5 and in every era 4manvantara5 2ishnu is thus born in various forms" It is sacred duty to listen to the stories of then ten avataras" -he listener atttains his desires and !oes to heaven" 'reation A!ni next told 2ashishtha the history of creation" 2ishnu is the %ord of creation/ reservation and destruction" &efore creation/ it was only the brahman that was everywhere" -here was no day/ ni!ht or s$y" 9irst 2ishnu created the waters" And in the waters he sowed the seeds if brahmanda/ the !reat e!!" 9rom this seed there develo ed a !olden e!! which be!an to float on the waters" 9rom the e!! &rahma created himself" Since he created himself 4svayam sambhuta5" &rahma is also $nown as Svayambhu" Havin! created himself/ &rahma stayed inside the e!! for an entire year" And at the end of the year/ he s lit the e!! into two" 6ne art of the e!! formed the heaven/ the other the earth" And in between the two arts of the e!!/ &rahma created the s$y" &rahma next established the earth on the waters and made the ten directions" He created time/ li!htnin!/ thunder/ clouds/ rainbows/ words and an!er" -o ensure that ya1nas could be erformed/ texts of the Ri! 2eda/ the Da1ur 2eda and the Sama 2eda emer!ed from his body" Holy eo le use the 2edas to erform ceremonies meant for the !ods" 9rom the owers of his mind/ &rahma created seven sons" -heir names were .arichi/ Atri/ An!ira/ Pulastya/ Pulaha/ ,ratu and 2ashishtha" Prithu is reco!ni8ed as the first $in!" Prithu was descended from <hruva" And Prithu3s father 2ena was also a $in!" &ut 2ena was an evil $in!H he was sim ly not interested in rotectin! his sub1ects" -he sa!es therefore $illed 2ena with a straw" And after 2ena had died/ they be!an to $nead the dead body3s ri!ht hand and it was thus that Prithu emer!ed" He wore armour and carried bow and arrows when he was born" He ruled well/ as
er the dictates of dharma" He loo$ed u on all his sub1ects as his own sons" 9rom Prithu the earth came to be $nown as rithivi" How to Pray/ How to &uild -em les and Idols -he A!ni urana next has several cha ters on how to ray and on how to build tem les and idols" -he techni#ues of rayin! to 2ishnu/ Shiva/ Surya and the other !ods and !oddesses are decribed/ includin! the s ecial mantras 4incantations5 that must be used so as to lease s ecific !ods and !oddesses" Prior to rayers one must bathe and there are rescribed forms for such bathin! as well" A erson who builds tem les is blessed" Even if one merely thin$s of buildin! tem les/ the sins of a hundred lives are for!iven" -he ancestors of a builder of tem les are rescued from hell" A builder of a sin!le tem le !oes to heaven 4svar!a5" A builder of two tem les !oes to brahmalo$a/ a builder of five to shivalo$a/ a builder of ei!ht to vishulo$a and a builder of sixteen tem les is freed from the shac$les of bein! born a!ain and a!ain" ;hat is the oint of earnin! money if one does not build tem les= .oney is also meant to be donated as alms to brahmanas/ but the unya or merit earned from buildin! a tem le is !reater than the unya earned from donatin! alms" -he merit earned by a builder of tem les is !reatest for a !olden tem le/ lesser for a stone tem le/ still lesser for a wooden tem le and least for an earthen tem le" .ore unya is ac#uired from buildin! an idol than from a tem le/ Idols of !ods and !oddesses should always be set u so that they face the cityH they should not face away from the city" -he east is best for Indra3s idol / the south for 'handi3s/ the centre for &rahma3s/ 2ishnu3s idol can be set u anywhere at all" <ifferent idols of 2ishnu must have different forms" 'onsider/ for exam le/ idols or ima!es of the ten incarnations of 2ishnu" -he matsya 4fish5 avatara must naturally loo$ li$e a fish and the $urma 4turtle5 avatara must loo$ li$e a turtle" &ut the varaha 4boar5 avatara will have four arms li$e a man and will hold a !ada 4mace5/ a adma 4lotus flower5/ a shan$ha 4conch shell5 and a cha$ra 4bladed discus5 in these four arms" -he narasimha avatara should have two arms holdin! a cha$ra and a !ada and should wear a a !arland" -he vamana 4dwarf5 avatara should hold an umbrella and a stic$ in his two hands" Parashurama will have four hands with a bow/ arrows/ a sword and an axe in these hands" Rama3s ima!e can have either two arms or four" If there are four arms/ the four hands will hold a bow/ arrows/ a conch shell and a cha$ra" &alarama3s ima!e may also have either four arms or two" If there are two arms/ the hands will hold a lou!h and a mace" If there are four arms/ the hands will hold a lou!h/ a conch shell/ a club and a cha$ra" &uddha3s ima!e should have a calm a earance" It should be seated one lotus" -he ears should be elon!ated" ,al$i3s ima!e is that of a brahmana/ seated on a horse and holdin! a bow and arrows/ a conch shell/ a sword and a cha$ra" ,rishna3s ima!e may be either two0armed or four0armed" -hree of the four arms will hold a !ada/ a cha$ra and a shan$ha" -he fourth alm will be o ened out in the act of !rantin! a boon" 6n either side of ,rishna3s ima!e/ there will be ima!es of &rahma and Shiva" &rahma has four faces and four arms and the ima!e should have a ronounced stomach/ a beard and matted hair" &rahma rides a swam" 6n either side of &rahma3s
ima!e/ there will be ima!es of Sarasvati and Savitri" 2isnu3s ima!e has ei!ht arms" Seven of the arms hold a sword/ a mace/ arrows/ a bow/ a shield/ a cha$ra and a conch shell" -he ei!hth alm is s read out as if 2ishnu is !rantin! a boon" 2ishnu should be shown ridin! on Garuda" Garuda will also have ei!ht arms" -o the ri!ht of 2ishnu3s ima!e/ there should be ima!es of %a$shmi and Sarasvati/ %a$shmi holdin! a lotus and Sarasvati holdin! a veena 4 a musical instrument5" -here has also !ot to be an ima!e of 2ishnu exhibitin! his universal form 4vishvaru a5" -he 2ishvaru a ima!e has four heads and twenty arms" 'handi3s ima!e has twenty arms" -he ten arms on the ri!ht hold a s ear/ a sword/ a sha$ti 4a small s ear5/ a cha$ra/ a asha 4noose5/ a shield/ a drum and any two other wea ons" -he tenth arm on the ri!ht should be in the act of !rantin! a boon" -he ten arms on the left hold sna$es/ a rod/ an axe/ an am$usha 4used for drivin! ele hants5/ a bow/ a bell/ a fla!/ a mace/ a mirror and a club" In front of 'handi3s ima!e there will be the ima!e of a buffalo with its head cut off" -he ima!e of an asura will be shown emer!in! from the body of the buffalo" -he demon3s hair/ eyes and !arland will be red in colour" It will be shown to be vomitin! blood and it will hold wea ons in its hand" -he demon3s nec$ will be bound u in a noose and 'handi3s lion will be attac$in! it" 'handi3s ri!ht le! will be on the lion and her left le! will be on the demon3s bac$" Ima!es of 'handi may sometimes also have ten/ sixteen or ei!hteen arms" Shiva3s ima!e 4lin!a5 may be made out of earth/ wood/ iron/ 1ewels/ !old/ silver/ co er/ bron8e or mercury" ;ill be continue on art @
Let us start read one by one . We start with AGNIPURANA same li e be!ore I will "ost #a$h Purana as "art by "art. I %now while reading &anusmriti to read 'ther "uranas may be di!!i$ult ( but as you now atleast to taste our great )alues in Sananthana Dharma 'ne *uman li!e is not enough( so I try my le)el best to s"read this )alues to my res"e$ted !riends. I! anyone miss to read or interest to read my "re)ious "ostings +hana ya Neetisastra(
%autiliya Arthasastra ( ,idura niti or Tiru)allurs Tiru ural(and Uddha)agita or any "art o! &anusmriti "ls mail to me ( I will send again to you. I humbly request you to forward this values to your family, friends and to your groups. Allow all people from different religion to understand the value of our Sanathana Dharma. At least let them learn and then let them criticize.
A!ni Purana
part 5
Places of Pil!rima!e A visit to a lace of il!rima!e 4tirtha5 brin!s the same unya that is obtained from erformin! a ya1na" It is because eo le had not !one on il!rima!es or donated !old and cows in their earlier lives that they were born oor in their next lives" -he best lace of il!rima!e is Push$ara" &rahma/ other !ods and sa!es who wish to !o to heaven live there" -he best time to !o to Push$ara is in the month of ,arti$a" In Push$ara itself there are two other laces of il!rima!e $nown as Fambumar!a and -anduli$ashrama" It is difficult to !o to Push$ara" &ut there are several other tirthas as well" 6ne such is ,uru$shetra/ where 2ishnu and the other !ods $ee on comin!" -he river Sarasvati flows near ,uru$shetra" If one bathes in the Sarasvati/ one attains brahmalo$a" Any re!ion throu!h which the river Gan!a flows also becomes a tirtha" Even if one sees the Gan!a/ the unya of erformin! ya1nas is attained" A erson who bears earth from the bed of the Gan!a on his head is freed of all sins" Praya!a is another famous lace of il!rima!e" &rahma/ 2ishnu/ Indra and the other !ods/ !andharvas/ a asaras and the sa!es are always there in Praya!a" -his is because the two holy rivers/ Gan!a and Damuna/ come to!ether in Praya!a" -here are many tirthas inside Praya!a itself" -he sa!es have said that/ in the month of .a!ha/ if one bathes for three days in Praya!a/ that is better than donatin! crores and crores of cows" If one donates alms in Praya!a/ one !oes to svara!a and is born as a
$in! in one3s next life" If one dies in Praya!a/ one !oes strai!ht to vishnulo$a" Shiva himself had told Parvati that 2aranasi was a very holy tirtha and that Shiva never left the city" 2aranasi is so named because it is located at the 1unction of two rivers/ 2arana and Asi" 2arana is also $nown as ,ashi" -he river Narmada is also sacred" -here may be several holy tirthas/ but Gaya is the holiest of them all" A demon named Gayasura once started to erform ta asya and such were the owers of his ta asya that the !ods be!an to suffer" -hey went to 2ishnu and as$ed him to save them" 2ishnu a!reed and a eared before Gayasura" :Acce t a boon/: said 2ishnu" :Grant me the boon that I may become the most sacred of all tirthas/: re lied the daitya" -he boon was !ranted and Gayasura disa eared" -he !ods returned to svar!a/ but felt that the earth seemed to be deserted now that Gayasura had disa eared" 2ishnu then instructed &rahma and the other !ods to erform a sacrifice" He also as$ed them to !o to Gayasura and as$ for his body so that the sacrifice mi!ht be erformed on it" Gayasura readily a!reed/ and as soon as he a!reed/ his head fell off from the body" &rahma then roceeded to erform the sacrifice on Gayasura3s headless body" &ut as soon as the sacrifice started/ the body be!an to sha$e" -his meant that the sacrifice could not be ro erly erformed and a solution had to be found" -he solution was the !ods should all enter a stone which would be laced on Gayasura3s body so that the body would not sha$e" -he sacrifice could then be erformed" 2ishnu himself also entered the stone" It is because the !ods and 2ishnu are always there in Gaya that Gaya is sacred" In fact/ there is a story behind this stone as well" -he sa!e .arichi was &rahma3s son and had married <harmavrata" 6ne day/ .arichi went to the forest to collect wood and flowers and returned extemely tired" He called <harmavrata and said/ :I am very tired" -oday you must wash my feet for me": <harmavrata be!an to wash .arichi3s feet when &rahma suddenly arrived" <harmavrata did not $now what to do" Should she finish washin! her husband3s feet= 6r should she first attend to &rahma/ since &rahma was .arichi3s father= She decided to attend to &rahma first" At this/ .arichi became very an!ry and cursed <harmavrata that she would turn into a stone" <harmavrata was !reatly distressed at bein! cursed for what she thou!h had not been a fault at all" So she erformed ta asya for many years" ;hen 2ishnu and the other !ods were leased at <harmavrata3s meditation/ they a eared and offered to !rant her a boon" <harmavrata wished that the curse im osed on her by .arichi mi!ht be waived" -he !ods ex lained that this was im ossible/ since .arichi was a very owerful sa!e" ;hat they would however/ do was to ma$e <harmavrata a very holy stone desired even by the !ods" -he !od romised to be always inside this stone" It was this stone that was
laced on Gayasura3s body" 6nce the sacrifice was over/ Gayasura himself desired a boon from the !ods and the !ods !ranted him that Gaya would become the most sacred of all tirthas" It was in Gaya that the Pandavas had rayed to 2ishnu"
Geo!ra hy -he world is divided into seven re!ions 4dvi as5" -heir names are Fambu/ Pla$sha/ Shalmali/ ,usha/ ,rouncha/ Sha$a and Push$ara" -he seven dvi as are surrounded by seven oceans and the names of these oceans and the names of these oceans are %avana/ I$shu/ Sura/ Sar ih/ <adhi/ <u!dha and Fala" Ri!ht in the centre of Fambudvi a is .ount .eru" .ountains named Himavana/ Hema$uta and Nishada are to the south of .eru and mountains named Nila/ Shveta and Shrin!i are to the north of .eru" Fambudvi a is $nown by that name as there are a lar!e number of 1ambu 41amun5 trees in this area" 6n the to of .ount .eru is &rahma3s famous city" Under the earth is the underworld" -his too/ consists of seven re!ions and their names are Atala/ 2itala/ Sutala/ -alatala/ .ahatala/ Rasatala and Patala" -he daityas and the danavas live in the underworld" 2ishnu is also there in the underworld/ in his form of the !reat sna$e Shesha" -he sna$e Shesha holds u the earth on its hood" -hat art of the s$y which is lit u by sun0rays is $nown as Nabha" Above the earth is the sun/ above the sun the moon/ above the moon the stars/ above the stars .ercury/ above .ercury 2enus/ above 2enus Fu iter and above Fu iter the constellation of the !reat &ear 4Sa tarshimandala5" &eyond this constellation is the world of <hruva" Astrolo!y -he A!ni Purana next !ives a lot of information on astro!y" It states when marria!es should ta$e lace and when they should not" 9or exam le/ marria!es are never to be held in the months of 'haitra and Pousha or under the si!ns of %ibra or Gemini" If one is !oin! on a tri / then 9riday is the best day to start on" .edicine should not be ta$en if one of the na$shatras 4stars Pushya/ Hasta/ Fyeshtha/ Shravana or Ashvini is not in the s$y" If one wishes to have a bath after recoverin! from an illness/ then Saturday is the best day for such a bath" -he first time a child3s head is shaved should never be on a -uesday or a Saturday" Ears should be ierced on ;ednesday or -hursday" New 'lothes should not first be worn on ;ednesday/ -hursday or 9riday" A new house should not entered into in the months of 'haitra/ Fyeshtha/ &hadra/ Ashvina/ Pousha or .a!ha" It is best to rea !rain on a ;ednesday" .anvantaras Each manvantara 4era5 is ruled over by a .anu"
-he first .anu was Svayambhuva" Shata$ratu held the title of Indra durin! this manvantara" -he second .anu was Svarochisha" 2i ashchita held the title of Indra durin! this manvatara" -he third .anu was Uttama and Sushanti was Indra then" -he fourth .anu was -a asa and Shi$hi held the title of Indra then" -he fifth .anu was Raivata and 2itatha was Indra then" -he title of Indra was held by .ano1ava durin! the sixth manvantara/ the .anu bein! 'ha$husha" Next came Shraddhadeva/ the seventh .anu/ Purandara bein! the Indra" -h ei!hth .anu3s name is Savarni and the ei!hth Indra3s 2ali" -he ei!hth manvantara has not yet come" -he ninth .anu will be <a$shasavarni and the ninth Indra will be Adbhuta" <urin! the tenth manvantara/ the .anu will be &rahmasavarni and the title of Indra will beheld by Shanti" <urin! the rule of the eleventh .anu <harmasavarni/ the Indra will be Gana" -he twelfth .anu will be Rudrasavarni and the twelfth Indra will be Ritadhama" Rouchya will be the thirteenth .anu and <ivas ati will be the thirteenth Indra" -he fourteenth .anu will be &houtya and the title of Indra will then be held by Shuchi/" <urn! each of &rahma3s days/ ther are fourteen such manvantaras" After that comes &rahma3s ni!ht/ when all these livin! bein!s are destroyed. ;ill be continue on art *
Let us start read one by one . We start with AGNIPURANA same li e be!ore I will "ost #a$h Purana as "art by "art.
I %now while reading &anusmriti to read 'ther "uranas may be di!!i$ult ( but as you now atleast to taste our great )alues in Sananthana Dharma 'ne *uman li!e is not enough( so I try my le)el best to s"read this )alues to my res"e$ted !riends. I! anyone miss to read or interest to read my "re)ious "ostings +hana ya Neetisastra( %autiliya Arthasastra ( ,idura niti or Tiru)allurs Tiru ural(and Uddha)agita or any "art o! &anusmriti "ls mail to me ( I will send again to you. I humbly request you to forward this values to your family, friends and to your groups. Allow all people from different religion to understand the value of our Sanathana Dharma. At least let them learn and then let them criticize.
A!ni Purana
part 6
2arnashrama <harma All the .anus ractised the rece ts of dharma 4ri!hteousness5" -his meant non0violence/ truthfulness/ iety/ !oin! on il!rima!es/ donatin! alms/ servin! devas and brahmanas/ tolerance of all reli!ions and the followin! of the sacred texts" It also meant the ractice of the system of the four classes 4varna5 and the four sta!es in life 4ashrama5" -he four varnas are brahmanas/ $shatriyas/ vaishyas and shudras" Performin! sacrifices/ donatin! alms and studyin! the 2edas are duties that brahmans/ $shatriyas and vaishyas must erform" In addition/ the $shatriyas must rotect the !ood and unish the evil" -he vaishyas must ta$e care of trade/ a!riculture and animal husbandry" -he dutites of shudras are to serve the brahmanas and artisanshi " ;hen brahmanas
ta$e u the u avita/ the sacred thread that is the mar$ of the first three classes/ it is li$e a second birth for them" So brahmanas are $nown as dvi1as 4born twice5" An anuloma marria!e is a marria!e where the husband is from a hi!her class than the wife" -he offs rin! of such a marria!e belon! to the mother3s class" A ratiloma marria!e is a marria!e where the wife is from a hi!her class than the husband" 'handalas were born this way from brahmana women/ Sutas from $shatriya women/ <evalas from vaishya women/ Pu$$ashas from $shatriya women and .a!adhas from vaishya women" 'handalas are executioners/ Sutas charioteers/ <evalas !uards/ Pu$$ashas hunters and .a!adhas bards" 'handalas should live outside the villa!es and should not touch those belon!in! to any other class" -he best name for a brahmana is that which ends in Sharma" Similarly/ the best name for a $shatriya ends in 2arma/ for a vaishya in Gu ta and for a shudra in <asa" -he sacred thread ceremony is to be held at the a!e of ei!ht years for brahmanas/ eleven years for $shatriyas and twelve years for vaishyas" No sacred thread ceremony should be held beyond sixteen years of a!e" -he first sta!e in life is that of brahmacharya 4studenthood5" A student should never eat honey or meat and should never indul!e in sin!in! or dancin!" He should com letely !ive u violence and s ea$in! to women" His duties are to discuss the shastras 4holy texts5 and associate with leanred men" A art from that/ he will meditate in solitude on the true nature of the brahman" -he next sta!e of life is that of !arhasthya 4householder sta!e5" A brahmana may have four wives/ a $shatriya three/ a vaishya two and a shudra one" -he husband and the wife should be from the same varna" .arria!e across varnas is to be avoided" A woman can marry a!ain rovided that her husband has disa eared/ is dead/ has become a hermit or is such a sinner that he is ex elled from his own varna" If her husband dies/ a widow is ermitted to marry her late husband3s late youn!er brother" A householder should !et u at dawn and ray to the !ods" He should always bathe in the mornin!" He should not tal$ im olitely" He should not bite his nails" He should not lau!h at those who are inferior" And he should never reside in a lace where there is no $in!/ no doctor or no river" He must not insult his elders" He should never criticise the 2edas/ the shastras/ the devas/ the sa!es and the $in!" And he must never travel without a li!ht at ni!ht" -he third ashrama is vana rastha 4forest0dwellin! sta!e5" Such a erson should always slee on the !round and wear s$ins as clothes" He should wear his hair matted and !ive u the com any of other eo le" He has to serve !ods and !uests and live on fruit and roots" In the final sta!e of life 4sannyasa5 a erson becomes a hermit" In this ashrama/ a erson attains true $nowled!e and is com letely freed" &ut he should becomea hemit only when he is convinced that he has com letely lost all interest in material ursuits" Such a erson is not affected by birth or death" He reali8es that the hysical body is transient/ that it is of no concern at all" It is the $nowled!e of the atman 4soul5 that
is the best form of $nowled!e" ;hen one !ains this $nowled!e/ one reali8es the identification of the atman with the brahman/ one understands that the brahman is everywhere"
Sins and -heir Atonement If one commits a sin/ one has to atone for it" -his is $nown as rayashchitta" If one does not atone for the sins that one has committed/ it is the $in!3s duty to unish the sinner" If one drin$s from a well where the dead body of animal has been floatin!/ one has to fast for three days" -he worst ossible sins are the $illin! of a brahmana/ the drin$in! of wine and theft" 6thers sins are criticisin! the 2edas/ the bearin! of false witness/ $illin! a friend/ $illin! a cow/ forsa$in! one3s arents or sons/ the sellin! of onds/ murder/ lyin!/ $illin! animals and the cuttin! down of !reen trees for fodder" A $iller of a brahmana has to build a hut in the forest and live there for twelve years" He has to be! for a livin! and !ive u all that he ossess to another brahmana" A $iller of cows has to live on 1ust coarse for one month" He has to live with cattle and follow them around durin! the day" All his ossessions have to be !iven u to brahmana and he has to bathe in cow3s urine for two months" If a brahmana steals !old/ he should !o and re ort his crime to the $in!" -he $in! will then hit him with a club and this will be the brahmana3s rayashchitta" -he sin of $illin! a $shatriya is one0fourth the sin of $illin! of brahmana" If one $ills a vaishya/ the sin is one0ei!hth the sin of $illin! a brahmana" And if one $ills a shudra/ the sin is one0sixteenth of the sin of $illin! a brahmana" ,illin! a cat/ a mon!oose/ a fro!/ a do!/ a li8ard or a crow is as sinful as $illin! a shudra"
2ratas <e endin! on the tithi 4lunar day5/ the day of the wee$/ the na$shatras 4stars5/ the month/ the season and the osition of the sun/ certain s ecific reli!ious rites and ceremonies have to be erformed" -hese are $nown as vratas" -he first day of the lunar fortni!ht is $nown as arati ada" -he day of rati ada in the months of ,arti$a/ Ashvina and 'haitra are &rahma3s tithis" It is then that the worshi of &rahma must be done" 6n the second day of the lunar fortni!ht 4dvitiya5/ one should eat only flowers and ray to the two Ashvinis" -his ma$es the su licant handsome and luc$y" Shu$la a$sha is that lunar fortni!ht in which the moon waxes and $rishna a$sha is thatlunar fortni!ht in which the moon wanes" Shu$la a$sha dvitiya in the month of ,arti$a is earmar$ed for the worshi of Dama" If one erforms this vrata/ one does not have to !o to nara$a 4hell5" -his is also the day for rayin! to &alarama and ,rishna" It was on the third day of the lunar fortni!ht 4tiritiya5/ in shu$la a$sha
and in the month of 'haitra/ that Shiva married Parvti or Gouri" Rites erformed on this day are thus $nown as !ourivrata" Shiva and Parvati have to be !iven offerin!s of fruit" -he ei!ht names of Parvati have to be recited" -hese are %alita/ 2i1aya/ &hadra/ &havani/ ,umuda/ Shiva/ 2asudevi and Gouri" 'haturthi vrata is erformed on the fourth day of the lunar fortni!ht/ in shu$la a$sha and in the month of .a!ha" -his is the day for worshi in! the common !ods 4!ana devata5" -he offerin!s on this occasion are to be wine and fra!rant erfumes" 6n the fifth day of the lunar fortni!ht/ one erforms anchami vrata" -his !rants !ood health and ta$es care of bad omens" Particularly aus icious for anchami vrata are the shu$a a$shas in the months of Shravana/ &hadra/ Ashvina and ,arti$a" 6n the sixth day of the lunar fortni!ht one erforms shashthi vrata" 6ne has to live only on fruit and if one erforms this vrata/ the fruits of any action that one erforms live forever" Shashthi vrata should be observed es ecially in the months of ,arti$a and &hadra" Surya is to be worshi ed on the seventh 4sa tami5 day of the lunar fortni!ht" If sa tami vrata is observed in shu$la a$sha/ all sorrow disa ears" Sins are atoned for and all one3s desires are attained" ;omen who have no children can have sons if they observe these rites" -he ei!hth day of the lunar fortni!ht 4ashtami5 is very si!nificiant" ,rishna was born on this tithi in the month of &hadra when the na$shatra Rohini was in the s$y" Ashtami is therefore aus icious in the month of &hadra" If one fasts on that day and rays to ,rishna/ the sins of one3s earlier seven lives are atoned for" &ut this vrata is to be observed in $rishna a$sha and not in shu$la a$sha/ since ,rishna was born in $rishna a$sha" -o!ether with ,rishna/ Rohini and the moon/ <eva$i/ 2asudeva/ Dashoda/ Nanda and &alarama are also to be worshi ed on the occasion" Since ,rishna too$ birth 41anma5 on this ashtami tithi/ this articular day is $nown as 1anmashtami" -he ei!hth day of the lunar fortni!ht can be im ortant even if it is not the month of &hadra" 9or exam le/ the ei!hth day of the lunar fortni!ht mi!ht be a ;ednesday 4budha vara5 in both su$la a$sha and $rishna a$sha" Irres ective of the month/ such an ashtami is im ortant and is $nown as budhashtami" 6n that day one has to live only on molasses and rice and erform the vrata" -here used to be a brahmana named <hira whose wife was named Rambha" <hira3s son was ,oushi$a/ his dau!hter was 2i1aya and <hira3s bull was named <hanada" ,oushi$a would !o with the other cowherds to !ra8e the bull" 6nce when ,oushi$a was havin! a bath in the river &ha!irathi and the bull was !ra8in!/ some thieves came and stole the bull" ,oushi$a and his sister 2i1aya loo$ed everywhere for it/ but could not find it" In searchin! for the bull/ they came to la$e where some women were bathin! in the course of erformin! a vrata" &rother and sister were tired and hun!ry and they craved for some food" -he women a!reed to !ive them food/ but only after ,oushi$a and 2i1aya had also erformed the budhashtami vrata" And as soon as ,oushi$a erformed the ritual/ the bull was miraculously returned to him" Such were the owers of the vrata that ,oushi$a could !et his sister 2i1aya married off
to Dama and himself became the $in! of Ayodhya" After their arents <hira and Rambha had died" 2i1aya discovered that her father and mother were in nara$a" ;hen she as$ed Dama as to how her arents mi!ht be delivered from nara$a/ Dama told her that ,oushi$a and 2i1aya should erform budhashtami vrata a!ain" And immediately after they did so/ the arents attained svar!a" -he ninth day of the lunar fortni!ht is navami and navami in shu$la a$sha/ es ecially in the month of Ashvina/ is earmar$ed for the worshi of Gouri" An animal has to be sacrificed and offered to the !oddess on this occasion" -he brahmanas become all owerful if they observe dashmai vrata on the tenth day of the lunar fortni!ht and donate ten cows" -he eleventh day of the lunar fortni!ht 4e$asdashi5 is for fastin!" It is also the tithi for rayin! to 2ishnu" -he observance of e$adasi vrata !rants sons and wealth and stones for one3s sins" -he twelfth day of the lunar fortni!ht is dvadashi" Any dvadashi in shu$la a$sha is aus icious for worshi in! 2ishnu" <vadashi in the month of &hadra is for rayin! to cows and calves and in the month of 'haitra it is for rayin! to the !od of love 4.adana5" If one observes dvadashi for an entire year/ one never has to !o to nara$a" An es ecially !ood con1unction is dvadashi in shu$la a$sha in the month of &hadra when the na$shatra Shravana is in the s$y" If one fasts and observes a brata then/ one earns !reater unya than from bathin! in the confluence of sacred rivers" If &udha 4.ercy5 is also in the s$y/ the unya is multi lied severalfold" -rayodashi vrata is on the thirteenth day of the lunar fortni!ht and this ritual was first erfromed by the !od of love when he wanted to lease Shiva" -his is the tithi on which Shiva is worshi ed" In the month of Ashvina/ Indra is also revered on this tithi" And in the month of 'haitra/ the !od of love is worshi ed in shu$la a$sha on the same tithi" -he fourteen day of the lunar fortni!ht 4chaturdashi5 is also earmar$ed for Shiva/ articularly in the month of ,arti$a" 6ne fasts and donates to brahmanas and thereby attains svar!a" -he chaturdashi in $rishna a$sha that comes between the months of .a!ha and 9al!una is $nown as Shivaratri" -hen one has to fast and stay awa$e the whole ni!ht" Earlier/ there used to be an evil hunter named Sunarasena" &ut because he erformed a vrata on Shivarati/ all his sins were for!iven" Nara$as 4Hells5 If one worshi s 2ishnu with flowers/ one never !oes to hell" -here are several such hells" Althou!h eo le do not wish to die/ they are bound to die once their redestined time s an on earth has been exhausted" 6ne then has to ay for whatever sins one mi!ht have committed" -he sinners suffer and those who have erformed !ood deeds are naturally rewarded" -here are in fact two !ates that lead into Dama3s abode" -he !ood are brou!ht by yamadutas 4Dama3s servants5 throu!h the western !ate and are then ta$en to svar!a" Dama3s servants brin! the evil to him throu!h the southern !ate and Dama then des atches them to the various hells"
If one $ills a cow/ one has to s end one la$h years in a nara$a $nown as .ahavicha" If one $ills a brahmana or steals land/ there is a burnin! nara$a named Ama$umbha that one !oes to" -here one suffers till the day when the world is destroyed" A $iller of women/ children or old men stays in Rourava nara$a for the s an of fourteen manvantaras" An arsonist is sent to .aharourava and burnt there for an entire $al a" A thief !oes to -amisra/ where he is continuously ierced with s ears by Dama3 servants for several $al as" After that/ a thief is ta$en to .ahatamisra to be bitten by sna$es and insects" If you $ill your father or mother/ you will be sent to the hell Asi atravana" -here you will be continuously sliced into ieces with swords" If you burn someone to death/ you will !o to ,arambhavalu$a where you wll be laced on burnin! sands" A erson who eats sweets alone !oes to ,a$aola and is fed only worms" A erson who does not erform ya1nas !oes to ,uttala and is fed blood" An o ressor is sent to -aila a$a and is crushed li$e an oilseed there" A liar is sent to the nara$a named .aha ata" -here are several other nara$as for those who encoura!e inter0class marria!es/ those who $ill animals/ those who cut trees/ those who eat too much meat/ those who criticise the 2edas/ those who bear false witness and those who criticise their teachers" ;ill be continue on art A
Let us start read one by one . We start with AGNIPURANA same li e be!ore I will "ost #a$h Purana as "art by "art. I %now while reading &anusmriti to read 'ther "uranas may be di!!i$ult ( but as you now atleast to taste our great )alues in Sananthana Dharma 'ne *uman li!e is not enough( so I try my le)el best to s"read this )alues to my res"e$ted !riends. I! anyone miss to read or interest to read my "re)ious "ostings +hana ya Neetisastra( %autiliya Arthasastra ( ,idura niti or Tiru)allurs Tiru ural(and Uddha)agita or any "art o! &anusmriti
"ls mail to me ( I will send again to you. I humbly request you to forward this values to your family, friends and to your groups. Allow all people from different religion to understand the value of our Sanathana Dharma. At least let them learn and then let them criticize.
A!ni Purana
part 7
Givin! alms Givin! alms is extremely im ortant as a means for achievin! unya" Alms always have to be donated when one !oes to visit a tem le or a lace of il!rima!e" -he !iver must always face the east and the receiver must always face the north when alms are bein! !iven" Such donations have to be made after one has had a bath" -he best ob1ects for donations are !old/ horses/ oilseeds/ sna$es/ maids/ chariots/ trees/ houses/ dau!hters/ and cows" If one romises to !ive somethin! but later !oes bac$ on one3s romise/ one is sure to be destroyed" It should be remembered that the entire ob1ect of donatin! alms is lost if one ex ects !ratitude or friendshi in return" It is better to !ive somethin! to a brother than to a dau!hter/ it is better to !ive to a father than to a mother" -he entire conce t of donatin! alms is different in the four different eras" In satya yu!a/ the !iver went out/ in search of a reci ient to whom he could !ive somethin!" In treta yu!a/ the reci ient had to come to the !ivers house before he would be !iven anythin!" In dva ara yu!a/ the !iver never !ave anythin! without bein! as$ed for it by the reci ient" And in $ali yu!a/ the !iver !ives only to those who are servile to him" Gayatri .antra Gayatri mantra is a very owerful incantation"
-he human body has many veins" 6ut of these/ ten veins are im ortant and their names are Ida/ Pin!ala/ Sushumna/ Gandhari/ Hasti1ihva/ Pritha/ Dasha/ Alambusha/ Huhu and Shan$hini" -hese veins bear the
breath of life" -he breath of life is called rana vayu" A art from rana vayu/ nine other ma1or breaths course throu!h the human body" -heir names are A ana/ Samana/ Udana/ 2yana/ Na!a/ ,urma/ ,ri$ara/ <evadatta and <hanan1aya" Gayatri is a !oddess worshi ed even by 2ishnu and Shiva" -his !oddess is there everywhere/ even in every individual3s heart in the form of a swan" Gayatri mantra is an incantation to the !oddess" If one chants the mantra seven times/ one3s sins are for!iven" 'hantin! it ten times means that one attains svar!a" -o attain worlds 4lo$as5 which are even more desirable than svar!a/ one has to chant !ayatri mantra twenty times" If one chants the mantra a hundred and ei!ht times/ one does not have to be born a!ain" -he severest of sins/ li$e $illin! cows/ brahmanas or arents/ are for!iven if one chants the mantra a thousand times" Gayatri mantra has always to be receded by the chantin! of the sacred word 6m" -he ,in! -he $in!3s duties are many" He has to unish his enemies/ ensure the ros erity of his sub1ects and arran!e tha this $in!dom is ruled well" He has to rotect the sa!es who erform ta asya inside the boundaries of his $in!dom" A $in! should a oint a wise brahamana as his riest" His ministers
should also be wise and his #ueen should be a woman who follows the ath of dharma" ;hen a $in! dies/ time must not be wasted" -he riest must immediately find an aus icious occasion so that a new $in! can be anointed and crowned" A $in!dom can never be without a $in!" &efore the coronation/ a ros ective $in! has to urify himself by rubbin! his body with mud" .ud from a mountain ea$ is used for the ears/ from a ,rishna tem le for the face/ from an Indra tem le for the bac$/ from a alace for the chest/ mud raised by an ele hant3s tus$s for the ri!ht hand/ mud raised by a bull3s horns for the left hand/ mud from a ond for the bac$/ from a river for the sides/ from a ya1na for the thi!hs and from a cowshed for the feet" After the $in! has thus rubbed himself with different forms of mud and urified himself/ he is ready to be anointed" 9our ty es of ministers will anoint him" &rahmana ministers with !olden vessels full of clarified butter will stand on the eastern side" ,shatriya ministers with silver vessels full of sweet and thic$ened mil$ will stand on the southern side" 2aishya ministers with co er vessels full of curds will stand on the western side" And shudra ministers with earthen vessels full of water will stand on the northern side" -he riests will then use material from all four directions to anoint the $in!" ;ater from all the laces of il!rima!e will be oured on the $in!3s head and throat" -here must be son!s and musical instruments must be layed" -he $in! will next ray to &rahma/ 2ishnu/ Indra and the other !ods" He will loo$ at a mirror/ some clarified butter and the various si!ns of !ood omen that have been laced all around" -he $in! will then be crowned and introduced to his ministers/ advisers and !uards" -he riest will be !iven cows/ !oats/ buffaloes and houses by the $in!" He will also bow before the brahmanas" After all these ceremonies have been com leted/ he truly becomes the $in!" He circles the fire/ touches his !uru3s feet and
with all his soldiers/ !oes out on a rocession throu!h the streets so that his sub1ects can see him" At that time/ the $in! must be seated either on an ele hant or a horse" After the rocession is over/ the $in! may return to his alace" -he $in! has to a oint many officials" -he !eneral has !ot to be a brahmana or $shatriya" -he messen!ers must be stron! and courteous" -he charioteer must $now about horses and ele hants/ the teasurer must be familiar with different 1ewels" -here has to be a doctor/ a $ee er of ele hants/ a $ee er of horses/ a ca tain for the alace and another ca atain for loo$in! after the women of the royal household" Each erson must be a ointed to the 1ob which suits his ex ertise and tem erament best" Anyone thus a ointed by a $in! has to stic$ to certain rules" He must always obey the $in!3s orders and must never do anythin! that is contrary to the $in!3s commands" In ublic he must always say leasant thin!s to the $in!" If there are any un leasant utterances to be made/ they have to be made in a rivate audience with the $in!" -hose who serve the $in! must not be thieves/ nor must they ever insult the $in!" -hey will not dress li$e the $in!/ nor will they become too intimate with the $in!" -hey must not divul!e royal secrets" 9or a fort/ the $in! should choose a lace that cannot readily be attac$ed by enemies" -he $in! must ensure that the !ods are worshi ed/ the sub1ects are rotected and the evil are unished" He should never steal from the tem les/ instead he should build tem les and set u idols of the !ods there" -he brahmanas must also be rotects and the $in! has to ma$e sure that no brahmanas are $illed in his $in!dom" 9or a #ueen/ he has to choose a woman who subscribes to these beliefs" -he $in! will a oint an official to loo$ after every ten villa!es and another official to loo$ after every hundred villa!es" S ies must be a ointed to find out all that is !oin! on in the $in!dom" -he $in! is entitiled to one0sixth of all the unya that accrues in his $in!dom throu!h his sub1ects" &ut he is also credited with one0sixth of all the sins that are committed in his $in!dom" -he taxes will be levied as er the dictates of the sacred texts" 9rom whatever is received as taxes/ half will !o into the royal teasury and the remainn! half will be distributed amon!st the brahmanas" If there is a liar/ the $in! will im ose a enalty on him to the extent of one0ei!ht of the liar3s total wealth" If the owner of any ro erty is is not $nown/ the $in! will $ee the ro erty in safe custody for a eriod of three years" 6nce the owner is identified within a eriod of three years/ he can claim the ro erty" &ut beyond three years/ the $in! becomes entitled to the ro erty" -he ro erty ri!hts of any minor or han are to be rotected by the $in!" If there is a theft in the $in!dom/ the $in! must immediately re lace what bas been stolen with wealth ta$en from his own royal treasury" If the thief is cau!ht and the stolen !oods recovered/ they are used to re lenish the treasury" 6ne0twentieth of rofits made from trade are to be aid to the $in! as taxes" 6ne0fifth or one0sixth of food!rains are to be aid as taxes" 6ne day every month/ craftsmen will wor$ free of char!e for the $in!" -hey will only be !iven food from the royal $itchen" -he $in! has to ay ro er attention to the rinces" -hey have to be tau!ht four ty es of shastras" -he first is dharma shastra/ which teaches
what is ri!ht and what is wron!" -he second is artha shastra/ economics" -he third is dhanurveda/ the art of fi!htin!" And the last sub1ect that has to be tau!ht to rinces is shil a/ arts and crafts" -he $in! has to assi!n body!uards to ta$e care of the rinces" He must ensure that the rinces associate with honourable and learned eo le and not with undesirable characters" In instances where the rinces do not !row u ro erly des ite the $in!3s best efforts/ the $in! is free to $ee them im risoned" &ut they should be comfortable in the rison and should not be made to suffer there" -he $in! should !ive u huntin!/ drin$in! and the layin! of dice" He must not unnecessarily waste time in travellin! around" He must first win over his servants throu!h his behaviour and then do the same for his sub1ects" It is only after this has been achieved that he attains a osition to con#uer his enemies throu!h the use of arms" Anyone who brin!s harm to the $in!dom must immediately be $illed" If the $in! delays in doin! what which has to be done/ the ur ose of the action is com letely lost" Nor must the $in! inform others in advance about what is !oin! to be done" No one must !et to $now about $in!3s intended actions" 6nce the actions erformed are information enou!h for everyone to see" -his does not mean that the $in! will not consult his ministers" 6f course he will/ that is why they are ministers" &efore slee in! or eatin!/ the $in! must chec$ whether the bed or the food is safe" -here were seven techni#ues that $in!s were su sed to use in rulin! their $in!doms" -hese were $nown as sama/ dana/ danda/ bedha/ maya/ u e$sha and indra1ala" 6f these/ the first four are the most famous" Sama means the art of !entle ersuasion" <ana means the usa!e of donations or money to achieve one3s ur ose" <anda is unishment" And bheda is the art of a!!ravatin! dissension amon!st arties o osed to each other" .aya means to use illusions or deceit and u e$sha is to deliberately i!nore eo le so as to achieve one3s ur ose" Indra1ala literally means 1u!!lery" In this context/ it would mean to erform a balancin! act amon!st o osin! ulls and o osin! arties" ;hat sort of unishment the $in! should mete out is also laid down" If anyone lies and says that his ossessions have been stolen/ he is to be fined an amount e#ual in value to that of the ossessions which have su osedly been stolen" A brahmana who bears false witness is to be banished from the $in!dom" A erson who $ills cows/ ele hants/ horses or camels will have a le! or a hand cut off" A theif who steals !old or silver or an abductor of women will be executed/ Execution is also rescribed in cases of arson and oisonin!" A wife who does not obey her husband shall be torn to death by do!s" A woman who does not obey her husband or brahmanas may also have her nose/ ears or arms cho ed off" She will then be set astride a cow and banished from the $in!dom"
<reams Some dreams are bad omens" In fact/ they ni!htmares" Exam les are: dreams about !rass or trees !rowin! on one3s body/ dreams in which the dreamer is shaven0headed or is wearin! shabby clothes or dreams in which one is fallin! from above" It is also bad to dream of marria!es/ sin!in!/ the $illin! of sna$es and the $illin! of chandalas or animals" If you dream that you are drin$in! oil or eatin! bird meat/ that is also a bad omen" 6ther exam les are: where the dreamer dreams that he is layin!
with mon$eys or chandalas/ when he dreams that devas/ brahmanas/ the $in! or the !uru is an!ry or when he dreams that his house had colla sed" Remedies have to be found if one dreams such evil dreams" &rahmanas have to be worshi ed/ a ya1na has to be erformed and the dreamer has to ray to 2ishnu/ Shiva/ &rahma/ Ganesha or Surya" <reams dreamt in the first #uarter of one3s slee normally come true over the next one year" <reams from the second #uarter come true over the next six months and dreams from the third #uarter over the next three months" <reams from the #uarter come true over the next fortni!ht and dreams dreamt ri!ht at dawn come true within the next ten days" If one first dreams a !ood dream and then an evil one/ it is the evil dream that will come true" -herefore/ if one dreams a !ood dream/ one should not slee anymore" 6ne should immediately arise" -here are many dreams that are !ood dreams" 9or exam le/ dreams that involve mountains/ alaces or sna$es" 6r the dreamer mi!ht dream that he is ridin! on a horse or a bull" It is also !ood to dream of white flowers in the s$y or to see trees in a dream" Es ecially !ood dreams are those of the dreamer3s ossessin! many arms or many heads or of !rass and bushes s routin! from his navel" ;hat if you dream of wearin! white !arlands or clothes= -hat too is !ood" If you dream of ecli ses of the sun/ the moon or the stars/ by all means re1oice" And if in a dream you see that yu have cau!ht hold of the enemy3s fla!/ that surely means that you will trium h ove the enemy" And if you actually dream of defeatin! the enemy/ the inter retation is clear enou!h" Stran!ely enou!h/ a dream where the dreamer sees that he is eatin! rice uddin! is a !ood dream" As is the case with dreams of drin$in! wine or blood" 6r even of eatin! wet meat" A clear s$y in a dream is !ood" <reamin! of mil$in! a cow or a buffalo with one3s own mouth is also !ood" -he dream continues to be a !ood one if one dreams of mil$in! a lioness or a she0ele hant thus" 6ther dreams which have !ood inter retations are/ for exam le/ dreams of the dreamer3s receivin! blessin!s from devas or brahmanas or of bein! anointed with water" -he dreamer who dreams of his coronation is blessed" And he is doubly blessed if he dreams that his head has been cut off or that he has died or even that his house has been burnt down" -he relatives of such a dreamer increase in number and he also ros ers" It is !ood to dream of musical instruments bein! layed" 6r of ridin! a bull or climbin! a tree" ;et clothes/ trees laden with fruit and clear blue s$ies in dreams are es ecially !ood" 6mens and Si!ns If one is about to !o out of the house/ one should ta$e care of any omens that there mi!ht be" Such bad omens are cotton/ dried !rass/ cowdun!/ coal/ molasses/ leather/ hair/ a lunatic/ a chandala/ a widow/ a dead body/ ashes/ bones and a bro$en vessel" If one comes across these as one is about to leave/ one should not start without acifyin! the elements throu!h rayers to 2ishnu" -he sound of musical instruments is not an aus icious sound at the be!innin! of a 1ourney" If the means of trans ort by which one is travellin! brea$s down/ that too/ is a bad omen" If wea ons brea$/ erha s you should ost one the 1ourney" -he same is
the case if an umbrella held over one3s head ha ens to fall" If one hits one3s head a!ainst the lintel of the door as one is about too cross the threshold/ rayers are a!ain indicated" And never call bac$ someone who has 1ust left" -hat is a bad omen and bodes ill for the success of the 1ourney" -here are !ood omens for a de arture and if one sees these !ood omens/ the 1ourney is bound to be successful" Good omens are white flowers/ full vessels/ meat/ distant noises/ an old !oat/ a cow/ a horse/ an ele hant/ fire/ !old/ silver/ a sword/ an umbrella/ fruit/ clarified butter/ curds/ a conch shell/ su!arcane/ the sound of thunder/ li!htnin! and a dead body with no one cryin! over it" 6mens are im ortant even if one is not !oin! on a 1ourney" A eacoc$ cryin! on the left means that somethin! is !oin! to be stolen" If a don$ey brays with a bro$en voice/ that is a !ood omen and somethin! !ood will ha en" If a boar or a buffalo crosses over from the left to ri!ht/ that is a !ood omen" &ut if they cross over from the ri!ht to the left/ that is a bad omen" 6ne3s desire will be attained if horses/ ti!hers/ lions/ cats or done$ys cross over from the ri!ht to the left" Fac$als/ moles/ li8ards/ i!s and cuc$oos are !ood omens on the left and mon$eys are !ood omens on the ri!ht" If a 1ac$al calls once/ twice/ thrice or four times/ that is a !ood omen" It is a bad omen if a 1ac$al calls five or six times" It is a very !ood omen if a 1ac$al calls seven times" If crows caw on the left of an army/ the soldiers will not be able to win" If a crow can be seen near the door of a house/ this means that there will soon be a !uest" A crow loo$in! at the sun with one si!nifies !reat dan!er" A crow covered with mud means the attainment of one3s desires" A do! bar$in! inside the house leads to the death of the householders" A erson whose left limbs are sniffed by a do!/ will attain riches" If the ri!ht limbs are sniffed/ there will be dan!er" A do! bloc$in! one3s ath si!nifies theft" A do! with a bone or a ro e in its mouth means the loss of ro erty" &ut it is a !ood omen to see a do! with meat in its mouth" 'ows mooin! irre!ularly mean threats to the master of the house" If this ha ens at ni!ht/ there will be a theft or death in the house" If this ha ens at ni!ht/ there will be a theft or a death in the house" If the cows have horns that are wet or daubed with mud/ that is a !ood si!n for the householders" A cow that lays with cranes or doves is bound to die" A cow that lic$s its feet is also destined to die" If an ele hant stri$es its ri!ht foot with its left/ that is a !ood si!n" Pros erity comes if an ele hant rubs its ri!ht tus$ with its foot" -here is !reat dan!er if an umbrella falls 1ust as one is about to leave on a tri " Fourneys are to be avoided if the stars are not favourable" ;ill be continue on art )
Agni Purana, Brahma Purana, Garuda Purana, Markandeya Purana, Varaha Purana, Matsya Purana Vishnu Purana, Linga Purana, Narada Purana,
Padma Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Vamana Purana
A!ni Purana
part 8
&attle 6nce a $in! decides to !o out to battle/ seven days are needed for reliminaries" 6n the first day/ 2ishnu/ Shiva and Ganesha have to be worshi ed" 6n the second day the di$ alas 4!uardians of all the directions5 are worshi ed/ the Rudras on the third day/ the lanets and the stars on the fourth day and the two Ashvinis and the rivers on the fifth day" 6n the sixth day/ the $in! has a ceremonial bath in honour of
the victory that is to come" And on the seventh day/ the $in! leaves to do battle" Prior to the marchin!/ the army must always assemble to the east of the ca ital city" -he start of the march must be accom anied with the layin! of musical instruments" 6nce the army has be!un to march/ it must never loo$ bac$" After havin! travelled for a cou le of miles/ it must sto to rest and ray to the !ods and the brahmanas" -he $in! must never directly fi!ht" &ecause if the $in! is $illed/ the battle is lost" -he $in! must be ri!ht behind his army/ not too far away from it" An ele hant will be !uarded by four chariots/ a chariot by four horses and a horse by four infantryment" -he infantry will also be at the front of army/ followed by archers and then by the horses" -he chariots and the el hants come last of all" -he cowards in the army must not be in the front/ they must be at the bac$" -he front is for the brave soldiers" -o the extent ossible/ one should fi!ht with the sun behind one3s army" If a soldier dies in the course of battle/ he !oes strai!ht to heaven" -he blood of brave men wash away all sins" -o be struc$ with a wea on is better than to erform many sacrifices" A erson who flees from the field of battle erforms a sin that is worse than that of $illin! a brahmana" -he fi!ht should be between e#uals" -hose who are runnin! away should not $illed" Nor should s ectators and those who are unarmed be $illed" An enemy ca tured in battle should not be $e t im risoned" He should be release and treated li$e a son" Rama3s Prece ts Rama had once tau!ht %a$shmana about the duties of a $in!" -he A!ni Purana now relates these rece ts of Rama3s" -he duties of a $in! are fourfold" 9irstly/ he has to earn wealth" Secondly/ he has to increase it" -hirdly/ he has to rotect it" And fourthly and finally/ he has to donate it" -he $in! must also be olite and oliteness comes throu!h the con#uerin! of the senses" -he $in! must be humble" -he senses are li$e mad ele hants" If the senses are am ered/ li$e mad ele hants/ they tram le oliteness and humility underfoot" -he $in! must also be non0violent/ truthful/ clean and for!ivin!" He should ta$e care to observe all the rituals" He should !ive food to those who are oor/ he should rotect those who see$ royal rotection" He should always use words that are leasant to hear" -he body is here today and !one tomorrow" Stu id is the $in! who deviates from the ath of ri!hteouness to !ive leasure to a body that is transient" -he curses of unha y eo le are enou!h to brin! down a $in!" -here is only one difference between !ods and animals" Gods use leasant words/ while animals use rou!h words" -he $in! must use leasant words li$e a !od" And he must use leasant words not only for those who are his friends or are !ood/ but also/ for those who are his enemies or are evil" ;ith obeisance the $in! leases his !uru/ with !ood behaviour the ri!hteous/ with duties the !ods/ with love the servants and with alms those who are inferior"
-he $in!dom has seven com onents" -hese are the $in!/ the ministers/ the friends/ the treasury/ the army/ the forts and the state itself" 6f these/ the most im ortant is the state and it has to be reserved at all costs" -he $in! must be extremely careful in the choice of the ministers and the royal riest" -he $in! must not choose or consult ministers who are stu id" -he $in!3s si!ns are his !olden rod or sce ter and an umbrella that is held over his head" -he umbrella should be made of the feathers of swans/ eacoc$s or cranes/ but the feathers of different ty es of birds should not be mixed in the same umbrella" -he throne should be made of wood and should be embellished with !old" A bow can be made of iron/ horn or wood" -he best bow is one that extends over four armlen!ths" -he $in! can s end u to one year3s tax revenue on armaments and fla!s" <hanurveda -he section on <hanurveda is on arms and wea ons" -here are five ty es of wea ons that are used in war" -he first cate!ory is that of yantramu$ta wea ons/ released from a machine 4yantra5" -his machine may be a launcher or even a bow" -he second cate!ory is that of animu$ta wea ons/ wea ons that are flun! by the hand 4 ani5" Exam les are s ears and stones" -he third cate!ory is $nown as mu$tasandharita" -hese are wea ons that can be flun! and also withdrawn" -he fourth cate!ory consists of wea ons li$e swords that are never released from the hand durin! battle" -hese are $nown as amu$ta wea ons" And the last cate!ory of wea ons consists of brute force and stren!th" -his is of use in bouts of wrestlin!" -he best form of fi!htin! is that with bows and arrows" Next comes fi!htin! with s ears/ followed by fi!htin! with swords" ;restlin! is the worst form of fi!htin!" &efore aimin!/ the bow 4dhanusha5 should be held with the arch ointin! down towards the earth" -he arrow 4vana5 should be laced a!ainst the bow with the head ointin! down" -he bow should now be raised and the lower end of the bow should be in line with the archer3s navel" -he #uiver should be at the bac$" &efore releasin! the arrow/ the bow should be held firm with the left hand and the arrow with the fin!ers of the ri!ht hand" -he strin! of the bow should be ulled bac$ such that the tassel of the arrow is between the archer3s ear and ri!ht eye" -he body should not be bent when one is releasin! an arrow" Nor should one !et excited" -he archer has to be still as a illar" -he tar!et has to be in line with the left fist and the archer3s osture has to be li$e that of a trian!le" It is best to ull bac$ the strin! of the bow u to the ri!ht ear" A noose 4 asha5 is ten arms in len!th/ with both ends of the wea on bein! circular" -he main body of the wea on is made of ro e" -here are eleven different ways in which a noose may be held" A noose must always be flun! with the ri!ht hand" A sword 4asi5 must han! to the left of the waist" ;hen a sword is to be ta$en out/ the scabbard should be !ras ed in the left hand and the sword
should be ta$en out with the ri!ht hand" -here are thirty0two different ways in which a sword and a shield may be held" Pro erty ;hat ha ens to a erson3s debts when he dies= If he does not have any sons/ the erson who inherits the ro erty also inherits the debts and has to ay them off" If there is a son/ the son ays the debts off" &ut a woman is not be held res onsible for debts contracted by her husband or her son" Nor is a man res onsible for debts contracted by his wife or son" Exce tions are instances where a husband and a wife contract a debt 1ointly" If there are no witnesses to a contracted debt but the $in! feels that the debt was indeed contracted/ the $in! must arran!e for the debt to be re aid within a eriod of sixty0four days" In cases of a dis ute/ the erson who brin!s a false suit will be unished by the $in!" And a false witness will be !iven twice the unishment that is meted out to the one who brin!s a false suit" A brahmana who bears false witness will be banished from the $in!dom" A erson who a!rees to be a witness/ but later withdraws/ will be unished ei!ht times as much as the brin!er of the false suit" A brahmana who does this will be banished from the $in!dom" It is better that the details of a debt contracted be written down/ with the names of the two arties and the witnesses clearly indicated" If the debtor ays in instalments/ the details of all such ayments must be recorded on the written document" <ebts made in the resence of witnesses " If a witness has to ta$e an oath/ the oath should be administered after cotton/ fire/ water or oison has been laced on the head of the witness" 9ire or water can be used to find out if a erson is lyin! or not" If fire is used/ seven banyan leaves are laced on the accused3s hand" A red hot lum of iron is then laced on the hand and the accused has to !o around a fire seven times" If it is found that the hand has not been burnt/ the erson has been tellin! the truth" And if the hand has been burnt/ he has been lyin!" Similarly/ an accused erson can be immersed in the water and if he does not drown/ he has been tellin! the truth" Aternatively/the accused can be made to drin$ oison" If the oison does him no harm/ he is truthful" If the father ma$es a will/ the ro erty will be divided amon!st the sons in accordance with the rovisions of the will" &ut if all the sons !et an e#ual share of the ro erty/ the wife should also be !iven an e#ual share" 6therwise/ the father can leave all his ro erty to the eldest son" -he sons and the father obtain e#ual shares to any ro erty or debt that has been left by the !randfather" &ut the sons are not necessarily entitled to any ro erty that has not been left by the !randfather/ but been earned by father" If a son is born after the ro erty has been divided/ he too will be entitled to an e#ual share of any ro erty left by the !randfather" <au!hters are not entitled to ro erty" &ut sons who have married will use one0fourth of their inherited ro erty to !et their sisters married"
;ill be continue on
art B
A!ni Purana
part 9
<onatin! the Puranas
-he A!ni Purana now describes the benefits of !ivin! alms alon! with the Puranas" -he Puranas are to be donated to!ether with cows" And in tal$in! of the maha urans/ the A!ni Purana also mentions most of their len!ths/ in terms of the number of sholo$as 4cou lets5 that each has" -his is worth statin!" -he &rahma Purana twenty0five thousand -he Padma Purana 0 twelve thousand -he 2ishnu Purana 0 thirteen thousand -he 2ayu Purana 0 fourteen thousand -he &ha!avata Purana 0 ei!hteen thousand -he Narada Purana 0 twenty0five thousand -he .ar$andeya Purana 0 nine thousand -he A!ni Purana 0 twelve thousand -he &rahmavaivarta Purana 0 ei!hteen thousand -he %in!a Purana 0 eleven thousand -he 2araha Purana 0 fourteen thousand -he S$anda Purana 0 ei!hty0four thousand -he 2amana Purana 0 ten thousand -he ,urma Purana 0 ei!ht thousand -he .atsya Purana 0 thirteen thousand -he Garuda Purana 0 ei!ht thousand -he &rahmanda Purana 0 twelve thousand -he only maha urana which is missin! from the above list is the &havishya Purana" Dou now have a retty !ood idea of how lon! the Puranas are" -he S$anda Purana is the lon!est and the ,urma and Garuda Puranas the shortest" &ut unfortunately/ the numbers in the A!ni Purana are not terribly accurate" -he Padma Purana has fifty0five thousands cou lets and not twelve thousand as stated" -he 2araha Purana has twenty0four thousand cou lets and not fourteen thousand" -he A!ni Purana itself has sli!htly over fifteen thousand cou lets and not twelve thousand" &ut at least you have some a roximate idea about the len!ths of the various Puranas" -he &rahma Purana is to be !iven in the month of 2aisha$ha" -he Padma Purana is to be donated in the month of Fyaishtha" -he 2ishnu Purana is to be donated in the month of Ashada and the 2ayu Purana in the month of Shravana" -he &ha!avata Purana is to be !iven in the month of &hadra/ the Narada Purana in the month of Ashvina/ the .ar$andeya Purana in the month of ,arti$a/ the A!ni Purana in the month of
.ar!ashirsha and the &havishya Purana in the month of Pousha" -he &rahmavaivarta Purana is for the month of .a!ha/ the %in!a Purana for the month of 9al!una and the 2araha Purana for the month of 'haitra" -he S$anda Purna is to be !iven to brahmans" -he 2amana Purana is to be !iven in the autumn" -he ,urma Purana is to be !iven to!ether with a !olden urn" -he .atsya Purana is to be donated to!ether with a !olden swan" -he &rahmanada Purana is to be !iven to brahmanas" Great benefits are also to be derived from hearin! the Puranas recited" -he reciter has to be !iven alms and the brahmanas must be !iven cows/ rice and land at the time of the recitation" If one arran!es for a recitation of the Puranas/ one lives lon!/ stays healthy and attains heaven" <ynasties &rahma was born from 2ishnu3s navel" &rahma3s son was .arichi/ .arichi3s son ,ashya a and ,ashya a3s son 2ivasvana" 9rom this line was descended Pururava and Pururava3s descendants were the $in!s of the surya 4solar5 dynasty" &rahma also had a son named Atri and Atri had a son named Soma" Soma erformed a ra1asuya ya1na 4royal sacrifice5" Havin! erformed the sacrifice/ Soma became the ruler of all the worlds" -his made him very arro!ant and he abducted the sa!e &rihas ati3s wife -ara" -his led to a terrible war between devas and the asuras" -ara was eventually to restored to &rihas ati/ but Soma and -ara had a son named &udha" 9rom &udha were descended the $in!s of the chandra 4lunar5 dynasty" -here were twelve ma1or wars between the devas and the asuras" -he first of these was $nown as the Narasimha ;ar" -his too$ lace when Hiranya$ashi u was the $in! of the asuras" 2ishnu ado ted the form of Narashimha and $illed Hiranya$ashi u" He then made Prahlada the $in! of the demons" -he second war was the 2amana ;ar and it too$ lace when 2ali was the $in! of the demons" 2ishnu ado ted the form of a dwarf 4vamana5 to sub1u!ate the demons" -he third war was the 2araha ;ar and this too$ lace when Hiranya$sha was the $in! of the demons" 2ishnu ado ted the form of a wild boar 4varaha5 and $illed Hiranya$sha" -he fourth war was the Amritamanthana ;ar and this too$ lace over the manthana 4churnin! 5 of the ocean for amrita 4nectar5" -he fifth war between the devas and the asuras too$ lace over the abduction of -ara and this came to be $nown as the -ara$amaya ;ar" -he sixth war was $nown as the A1iva$a ;ar" -he seventh war too$ lace when -ri ura led the asuras and this was $nown as the -ri ura!hatana ;ar" It was Shiva who $illed the demon -ri ura in this war" -he ei!hth war/ the Andha$a ;ar/ too$ lace when Andha$a led the asuras" It was 2ishnu who en!ineered that Andha$a be $illed when Andha$a ex ressed a desire to abduct Shiva3s wife" -he ninth war was $nown as 2ritrasambhara and too$ lace when 2ritra led the demons" -he tenth war was sim ly $nown as Fita" In this war/ 2ishnu $illed Shalva and the other demons/ and Parashurama $illed the evil $shatriyas" -he eleventh war was $nown as Halahala" An asura named Halahala 4 oison5 had invaded Shiva3s body and flooded it with oison" &ut 2ishnu mana!ed to destroy the demon" In the twelfth war/
$nown as ,olahala/ 2ishnu destroyed an asura named ,olahala 4tumult5" .edicine <hanvantari was the hysician of the !ods and he tau!ht Sushruta the art of ayurveda 4medicine5" -he A!ni Purana now describes what the sa!e Sushruta had learnt/ that is/ the treatment for various diseases" -his does not sim ly mean the treatment of human illnesses" -here is a section $nown as vri$sha ayurveda/ which describes what tree are to be lanted where" It describes how a !arden is to be constructed and maintained" -he cha ters on medicine also describe the treatment of ele hants/ horses and cattle" -he mantras 4incantations5 which are the remedy for sna$e oison are also related"
%iterature and Grammar -herafter/ the A!ni Purana has many cha ters on literature and !rammar" It describes the different ty es of chhanda 4metres5 that are used in oetry" Next it discusses the al habet" -here are sixty0four letters 4varna5 in the al habet/ of which twenty0one are vowels 4svara varna5" -here are three tones 4svara5 in which the letters of the al habet may be uttered" -heir names are udatta/ anudatta and svarita" -here are ei!ht laces from which the letters may be ronounced" -hese are the chest/ the throat/ the head/ the bac$ of the ton!ue/ the teeth/ the nose/ the li s and the alate" Pronunciations should be clear and audible" -hey should not be nasal and mumbled" -he A!ni Purana then discusses the alam$aras 4rehetoric5 that are used in oetry and lays" Poetry is entirely different from the shastras 4sacred texts5 and itihasa 4history5" -he sacred texts are full of words and historical texts are full of narrations of incidents that too$ lace" &ut that does not constitute oetry" Real men are difficult to find on this earth" Amon! the learned men/ it is not easy to find some who have a oetic sense" And amon!st those who have oetic sense/ it is difficult to find a few who can com ose oetry" Poetry is im ossible without a $nowled!e of the rules of oetry and even more im ortant/ without a sense of feelin!" Sans$rit is the lan!ua!e of the !ods" -he lan!ua!e of humans is Pra$rita" Poetry can be either in Sans$rit or in Pra$rita" -here are three ty es of oetry" -hese are !adya 4 rose5/ adya 4 oetry5 or mishra 4 a mixture of the two5/ Genuine oetry is/ however/ only adya" Gadya can be of three ty esC churna$a/ ut$ali$a and vritta!andhi" 'hurna$a rose is easy on the ears/ it has very few com ound words" Ut$ali$a rose is hard on the ears/ it is full of com ound words" 2ritta!andhi rose is somewhere between churna$a and ut$ali$a" An e ic must always be s lit u into sections 4sar!a5" It has to be written
in Sans$rit/ althou!h some mixture of Sansh$rit words with Pra$rita onces is ermissible" -he theme of an e ic must always be !ood and historical elements may be introduced if the author so desires" %iterature is useless without the flavour of sentiments 4rasa5" -here are nine sentiments that are used" -he first is hasya rasa 4humour5" -he second is $aruna rasa 4 athos5" -he third is roudra rasa 4that which is wrathful and awe0ins irin!5" -he fourth is vira rasa 4heroic themes5" -he fifth is bhayana$a rasa 4horror5" -he sixth is bibhatsa rasa 4vul!ar and obscene themes5" -he seventh is adbhuta rasa 4that which is stran!e5" -he ei!hth is shanta rasa 4 lacidity5" And the ninth is shrin!ara rasa 4amorous themes5" &ut the sentiments must be used with feelin!" ;ithout feelin!/ all literature becomes mediocre" Particularly in a lay/ sentiments can be su lemented with s$ills 4$ala5" -hese s$ills are normally associated with women and there are sixty0four of them" -he more im ortant ones are sin!in!/ layin! musical instruments/ dancin!/ actin!/ drawin!/ ma$in! !arlands/ sewin!/ hairdressin! and usin! ma!ic" Grammatical rules of sandhi and samasa 4rules for formin! com ound words5 are next described" -he difference between the two is that in sandhi/ the two words that are bein! 1oined retain their ori!inal senses in the com ound word" -he case of samasa is different" Sandhi occurs when two varnas 4letters5 meet" Samasa is a condensation or conversation of two or more words into one" Sandhi does not create any new word" Samsa leads to the formation of a third word which refers to somethin! related to but distinct from either or any of the words combined" Pita 4yellow5 and ambara 4cloth5 combined by way of sandhi are ronounced itambara and mean cloth that is yellow" -he same two words combined by way of samasa result in the third word itambara which means :the one dressed in yellow/: that is ,rishna" -here are several ossible declensions of words/ de endin! on the vachana and the vibha$ti" -he vachana refers to the number" E$a0 vachana is when there is only one 4 halam/ a fruit5/ dvivachana when there are two 4 hale/ two fruits5 and vahu0vachana when there are more than two 4 halani/ more than two fruits5" -here are three !enders/ umlin!a 4masculine5/ strilin!a 4feminie5 and $livalin!a 4neuter5" <eva/ asura/ 2ishnu are/ for exam le/ masculine in !ender" <evi/ ,ali$a or maya are feminine" Push a 4flower5 or hala 4fruit5 are neuter" -here are six $ara$as 4cases5 and seven vibha$tis 4case0endin!s5" -he a!ent who erforms the action indicated by the $riya 4verb5/ is the $artri or doer" -o the $artri $ara$a or Nominative 'ase/ the rathama vibha$ti or first case0endin! is attached" -he ob1ect of the action is $arma and to the $arma $ara$a or 6b1ective 'ase/ the second 4dvitiya5 case0endin! is attached" -he means or instruments by which the action is erformed ta$es on the $arana $ara$a or Instrumental 'ase and the third 4tritiya5 case0endin!" ;hen a !ift is !iven irrevocably/ the reci ient ta$es on the sam radana $ara$a or <ative 'ase and the case0endin! in #uestion is the fourth 4chaturthi5" -hat which is the source of somethin! ta$es on the a adana $ara$a or Ablative 'ase and the fifth 4 anchami5 case0endin!" ;hen there is a relation of ossession/ the ossessor ta$es on the shashthi vibha$ti 4sixth case0endin!5" -here is no counter art of the Possessive case of En!lish !rammar because the relation of ossession is not directly related to the verb 4$riya5 and therefore to the doer
4$ara$a5" In case of the location in which the action ta$es lace/ the $ara$a is adhi$arana 4%ocative 'ase5 and the case0endin! the seventh 4sa tami5" ;ill be continue on art (7 4%ast art5
A!ni Purana
Last part 10
Pralaya or <estruction Periodically ralayas 4destructions5 ta$e lace" A destruction comes at the end of four thousand yu!as on earth" 9or a hundred years there are no rains and there is wides read drou!ht" -herafter/ 2ishnu uses the rays of the sun to drin$ and dry u all the waters that there are on earth" Seven different a ear in the s$y and they burn u the three worlds of heaven/ the earth and the underworld" -he earth becomes as flat as the bac$ of a turtle" -he breath of the !reat sna$e 4Shesha5 also serves to burn u the three worlds" After the three worlds have been burnt u / dar$ clouds full of thunder and li!htnin! a ear in the s$y" 9or a hundred years it continue to rain" -he rain uts out the fires that have been ra!in!" 9rom 2ishnu3s breath are created tremendous winds and these drive way the clouds" &ut there is water everywhere" And 2ishnu slee s on these waters" 9or an entire $al a he slee s" -he sa!es then ray to 2ishnu for the three worlds to be created yet a!ain" Dama and Hell ;hen human bein!s die/ their hysical bodies are !iven u " &ut they ac#uire new bodies that are $nown as ativahi$a bodies" In these bodies/ they are brou!ht to Dama3s abode by Dama3s servants" %ivin! bein!s other than human are not brou!ht to Dama" Dama then decides whether the dead erson should !o to heaven or to hell" After he has served his time in heaven or in hell/ he is born a!ain" Dama further decides what livin! bein! the erson should be born as/ de endin! on the actions in his ast life" And so the cycle of birth/ death and rebirth !oes on and on" Since he $ee s tally of all !ood deeds and all sins" Dama is also $nown as the !od <harma" -hose who have done !ood deeds are rewarded by Dama and those who have committed sins are unished" 'hitra!u ta is Dama3s accountant/ he $ee s the account of all unya and a a" -here are twenty0ei!ht circles of hells with many hells located in each circle" A sinner may have to !o to more than one hell de endin! on the sins that he has committed" Some sinners are boiled in oil/ others are ierced with s ears and still others are whi ed" Some sinners are fed heated iron balls/ others are fed blood and rubbish" -here are also machines for torturin! sinners" -errible birds eat u some sinners" 6ther sinners have their heads cut off" ;hen it is time to reborn/ the $iller of a brahmana is born as a deer/ do!/ i! or camel" A drun$ard is born as a don$ey" A stealer of !old is born as a worm or an insect" A $iller of a brahmana may also suffer from tuberculosis/ a drun$ard will have teeth li$e a do! and a stealer of !old will have malformed nails" A stealer of food is born dumb" A erson who has stolen the ro erty of brahmanas is born as a ra$shasa and lives
alone in the forest" A stealer of fra!rant scents is born as a mole" 6ne who steals food!rains is born as a rat" 6ne who steals animals is born as a !oat/ one who steals mil$ as a cow/ one who steals means of trans ort as a camel/ one who steals fruit as a mon$ey and one who steals meat as a vulture" A stealer of clothes is born as a crane and a stealer of salt as a cric$et" Do!a Do!a is the way to circumvent the miseries of life" -rue $nowled!e is that which informs one about the true nature of brahman or aramatman" -he atman or 1ivatman is that which characterises an individual" Do!a means union/ it is the union of the 1ivatman with the aramatman" Do!a concentrates one3s mind on the aramatman" -he first rere#uisite of yo!a is non0violence" A non0violent erson is always ri!hteous" -he second re#uirement of yo!a is truthfulness" -he third rere#uisite is celibacy" -he fourth is controllin! one3s senses and the last is the worshi of !od" 6ne who ractices yo!a should not !o around collectin! material ossessions" A iece of cloth / a coverin! a!ainst the cold/ and a air of sandals are ossessions enou!h for him" &efore meditatin! on the true nature of the aramatman/ one has to seat oneself in a ro er asana 4 osture5" -he iece of cloth on which one is to sit should be laced ina clean lace" 6ne sits on such a seat and tries to urify one3s atman by controllin! one3s mind and senses throu!h yo!a" -he head and the nec$ should be held strai!ht u / motionless" -he oint of vision should be directed towards the ti of one3s nose" 6ne should not loo$ in any direction" -he arms should li!htly rest on the folded thi!hs and the ri!ht hand should be laced/ alm u wards/ on the left alm" Padmasana 4lotus osition5 is one such recommended osture" -he breath of life 4 rana vayu5 has to be controlled" -his rocess of control is $nown as ranayama" A fin!er is laced on the nose when the breath is bein! exhaled" -he entire breath should be exhaled from the body" Since rechana means exhalation/ this rocess of control is $nown as recha$a" ;hen the breath is inhaled/ the inhalation should be such that it fills the entire body" Since ura$a literally means that which fills/ this rocess of control is $nown as ura$a" ;hen the breath is neither bein! exhaled nor inhaled/ one sits com letely still li$e a $umbha 4 ot5 and this is $nown as $umbha$a" Pranayama ma$es one healthy/ swift/ enthusiatic/ stron! and collected" Since the senses are controlled/ one !oes to heaven and avoids !oin! to hell" .aterial ursuits are li$e the stron! current of a river" -he atman drowns in it" Pranayama alone is not enou!h" It has to su lemented with dhyana or 1a a 4meditation and contem lation5" 6ne contem lates the true nature of the aramatman" -he body is li$e a chariot" -he senses are its horses/ the mind is the charioteer and ranayama is the bridle" An individual who dies while erformin! dhyana is immediately assimilated with 2ishnu" <hyana involve four different thin!s/ all of which must be in com lete harmony" -he first is the meditator/ the second is the act of meditatin!/ the third is the ob1ect that one is meditatin! u on and the fourth is the reason why one is erformin! the mediation" 6ne does not have to sit in a ri!ht osture for dhyana to be ossible" It can be done while one is
wal$in!/ sittin! or even slee in!" -he im ortant as ect is to establish the ob1ect of one3s meditation in one3s heart" -here are different ways of establishin! one3s concentration" As an ob1ect of meditation/ one can meditate on three concentric circles which are blac$/ red and white" In the centre of the circles is a divine lotus" -he lotus has ei!ht etals" 6ne thin$s that detachment is the stem of the lotus and rayin! to 2ishnu its stamen" Ri!ht in the centre of the lotus is a ure s ar$ of fire and that is the aramatman" Alternatively/ one can visualise the aramatman in a bla8e of li!ht/ in the centre of the lotus" <yana is far far su erior to any ya1na that one mi!ht erform" 6ne articular form of dee and intense meditation is $nown as samadhi" -he meditator is then com letely still/ as calm as the ocean" He loses all trac$ of the outside world" He does not hear/ smell/ see or touch" His mind has no wishes and feels nothin!" He is com letely united with !od" Such a meditator automatically !ets to $now all the $nowled!e that can be !leaned from the 2edas or the shastras" He can obtain all the material ossessions that he wants/ but he re!ards them all as no more im ortant than a blade of !rass" Such a meditator attains su reme $nowled!e" If you loo$ at various ots full of water/ you will find that the same s$y is reflected in them all" If you loo$ at different ools of water/ you will find that the same sun is reflected in them all" Su reme $nowled!e tells one that/ exactly similarly/ it is the same atman that is everywhere" It is the atman which is the same as the aramatman/ it is this atman that is in the water/ in ener!y/ in water/ in the earth and in metals" -he atman is everywhere" -he $nowled!e of the &rahman &rahma 1nana is the $nowled!e of the brahman" -his $nowled!e/ which !ives the ultimate bliss/ is nothin! but the sense that the individual atman is identical with the universal brahman or aramatman" -he hysical body is not the atman" -he mind or intelli!ence is not the atman" %ife itself is not the atman" -he atman is different from all the ob1ects that have been mentioned above" -he atman is in an individual3s heart" It sees everythin! and senses everythin!/ but is different from the hysical body" It is this that sa!es contem late when they meditate" -he s$y was created from the brahman/ from the s$y came wind/ from wind fire/ from fire water/ from water the earth and from the earth the five elements" 6ne has to meditate on the hysical body !radually disa earin! and mer!in! into the brahman" -he brahman is neither true nor untrue" It has neither form nor is it without form" -he brahman has several arts/ but at the same time it is an inte!ral whole" -he brahman cannot be described" It cannot be achieved throu!h the ower of action" -he brahman is always ure" It has no ties and it is the true form of ha iness" ;hat is re#uired is the sense that it is I/ the individual/ who am the brahman/ I am nothin! but the atman and the atman is nothin! but the brahman" -his sense is true $nowled!e" -he brahman is the %ord who is the ori!in of everythin! and the individualis art of the brahman" It is this $nowled!e that frees one from the ties of the world and this is what brahma 1ana is all about"
-he brahman is not the earthH it is beyond the earth" -he brahman is not the wind/ nor is it the s$y" -he brahman has no be!innin!H it is inde endent of all action" -he brahman is hu!eH it is everywhere all form" -he brahman cannot be described with words/ it cannot be seen/ smelt or heard" It cannot be touched" -he brahman has neither intelli!ence nor mind" It has no sense of e!o or vanity" It does not have life/ birth/ old a!e or death" -he brahman is neither ha y nor unha y" It does not feel hun!ry or thirsty" It cannot be measured" At the same time/ it is both nothin! and everythin!" %ife has five ossible ends" &y erformin! ya1nas one can attain heaven" &y erformin! ta asya one can become an ascetic" &y erformin! actions one can attain brahmalo$a" &y detachment from material ursuits 4vaira!ya5 one can mer!e oneself into nature" And by true $nowled!e the individual !ets absorbed into the divine essence" -his is $nown as $aivalya" <etachment means to withdraw oneself from the feelin!s of the senses/ ascetism 4sannyasa5 means to withdraw oneself from the effects of all actions" And $nowled!e means the $nowled!e that the atman is no different from the brahman" -his is $nown as 1nana yo!a 4the yo!a of $nowled!e5" -here are few eo le who attain this $nowled!e" 6ne of those was &harata" &harata had done a lot of meditation in a lace $nown as Shala!rama" &ut he became very attached to a deer and when he died/ he died thin$in! of the deer" -he result was that in his next life/ &harata was born as a deer" &ut the deer ha ened to be a 1atismara/ that is/ it remembered its earlier life" -he deer eventually died and &harata was a!ain born as a 1atismara human" -he $in! of Soubira was once travellin! on a alan#uin and he wanted someone who would bear his alan#uin free of char!e" -he $in!s3s servants cau!ht hold of &harata to bear the alan#un" &ut &harata moved slowly and could not $ee u with the other beares" -he alan#uin did not ro!ress smoothly and the $in! as$ed &harata/ :why are you so tired= Dou have not been bearin! my alan#uin for lon!" 'an3t you bear some toil= Dou loo$ fairly stron! to me": &harata re lied/ :I am not stron!" Nor am I bearin! your alan#uin" I am not tired/ nor am I la8y" I am my atman and my atman is not carryin! you" See/ my $in!/ my feet are on the !round" .y thi!hs are borne on to my feet and my body is balanced on my thi!hs" .y shoulders are on my body and your alan#uin rests on my shoulders" &ut I am not my feet/ thi!hs/ body or shoulders" I am the atman" -he atman is not carryin! you" So why do you say that I am bearin! you=: &harata then instructed the $in! on the mysteries of true $nowled!e" -he atman was ure/ ever0lastin!/ calm/ without traits and beyond natural characteristics" Since the atman had no traits and since an individual was the atman and not the body/ it was meanin!less to say that an individual was stron! or wea$" -he hysical body was made of the elements and so was the alan#uin" ;hat was the oint therefore in sayin! that the hysical body was bearin! the alan#uin= Hearin! these words of wisdom/ the $in! fell at &harata3s feet" :9or!ive
me/: he said/ :And let !o of the
alan#uin" ;ho are you=:
:;ho am I=/: as$ed &harata" :-hat is not a #uestion that can easily be answered": -he $in! answered/ :I fail to understand" Surely the form in which you are now existin! is who you are": :No/: said &harata" :I am the atman and the atman is the same a the aramatman" -he aramatman is everywhere and therefore/ the atman is also everywhere" I am everywhere" I am in all hysical bodies" It is meanin!less to as$ who you are and who I am" ;e are all one and the same" ;ood has come from the trees and this alan#uin is made of wood" &ut is the alan#uin wood or tree= ;hen you ride on the alan#uin/ does anyone say that you are ridin! on a tree= .en/ women/ cows/ horses/ ele hants/ birds and trees/ these are all meanin!less names" -hey are all illusions" Everythin! is one and the same/ I am everywhere" If there had been a lace or an ob1ect where I do not exist/ I could have answered the #uestion of who I am" &ut since I am everywhere/ I do not $now how to answer your #uestion" -ell me $in!/ are you your head or your stomach= 6r is all of it/ you= &ut then/ what will you call that which is distinct from your hysical body= -hin$ about what I have said": &harata3s words were so rofound that the $in! immediately acce ted &harata as a teacher" And &harata told the $in! the story of Ribhu and Nida!ha" -he sa!e Ribhu was &rahma3s son" He was also extemely learned" Nida!ha was Ribu3s disci le" After Ribhu had tau!ht Nida!ha what there was to be tau!ht/ Nida!ha went to live in a city" After a thousand years had asses/ Ribhu went to the city to see how Nida!ha was !ettin! on" Nida!ha worshi ed his teacher and !ave him all sorts of thin!s to eat" After Ribhu had eaten/ Nida!ha as$ed him/ :Are you satisfied=: :;hat do you mean=/: as$ed Ribhu" :-he #uestion of satisfaction would have arisen had I been hun!ry or thirsty" I am my atman and the atman is always satisfied" So what is the oint of as$in! me that #uestion" I am art of the brahman that is omni resent and so are you" Dou are not distinct from me/ we are both art of the same whole" I came to teach you this $nowled!e" Now that you have learnt that the brahman is everywhere/ let me leave": After another thousand years had assed/ Ribhu came to the city a!ain and discovered that Nida!ha no lon!er lived in the city" He had be!un to live on the outs$irts of the city" :;hy have you !iven u livin! in the city=/: Ribhu as$ed Nida!ha"
:&ecause I do not li$e to live in the city/ where there is a $in!/: re lied Nida!ha" :;ho is the $in!=/: as$ed Ribhu" :Point him out to me in this that is assin!" And oint out to me the sub1ects": rocession
Nida!ha said/ :-he $in! is the one who is as tall as a mountain ea$" He is the one who is ridin! the ele hant" -he ones who are wal$in! are the
sub1ects": :;hat do you mean=/: as$ed Ribhu" :-he brahman is in the $in! and the brahman is in the ele hant" How do you distin!uish one from the other/ how do you say that one is ridin! the other= Is the $in! the hysical body or the atman= ;ho is ridin! on whom= I do not understand": -his $nowled!e/ that the atman is the same as the brahman/ is $nown as advaita 4unified5 brahma01nana" Ribhu tau!ht this to Nida!ha and &harata tau!ht this to the $in! Soubira" -his is the $nowled!e that all elements are one and the same" It is only those who suffer from illusions who thin$ that different elements and different bein!s have different identities" -he Gita ,rishna had tau!ht Ar1una the lessons of the Gita on the lains of ,uru$shetra" -he A!ni Purana now relates the essence of the Gita" If the hysical body is alive/ that is no reason for re1oicin!" Fust as/ if the hysical body is dead/ that is no reason for mournin!" -he atman does not die" It does not decay/ it cannot be destroyed and it is immortal" -he atman does not warrant any tears that mi!ht be shed over it" Peo le who are addicted to sensual leasures cannot reali8e this" -he erson who is addicted to the atman alone has no desire for anythin! else" He has no action to erform" He has neither !ains nor losses" -he $nowled!e of this is li$e a raft that rescues one from the flood of illusions" -his $nowled!e frees one from the shac$les of all actions 4$arma5/ since all actions are vested in the brahman" A erson with this $nowled!e is as ure as a dro of water on a lotus flower" Such a erson sees himself in everythin! and everythin! in himself" -here are four ty es of eo le who worshi 2ishnu" -he first cate!ory consists of eo le who are in trouble/ the second consists of eo le who desire wealth" -hird consists of eo le who are merely curious/ while the last consists of eo le who han$er after true $nowled!e" It is the last cate!ory of eo le who reali8e the union and identity of the atman and the brahman" -he brahman is there in the smallest blade of !rass" It is there in the most owerful and sacred of eo le" -he hysical senses mean nothin!/ they merely further the illusion of one3s hyscial identity" -he brahman extends beyond all these senses" -he brahman has neither traits/ nor is it without traits" -he brahman creates and destroys/ it is th most owerful of all ener!ies" Some reali8e the identity of the atman and the brahman throu!h meditation/ others throu!h actions" Dama Gita -here was a $in! named 2a1ashrava" His son was Nachi$eta" 2a1ashrava arran!ed for a wonderful sacrifice at which he !ave away all his wealth" Nachi$eta as$ed/ :9ather/ whom have you !iven me to=: His father did not re ly/ but Nachi$eta $e t as$in! a!ain and a!ain" At this/ 2a1ashrava became an!ry and said/:I have !iven you to Dama"
9aithful to his father3s word/ Nachi$eta decided to !o to Dama3s abode" -he road was difficult/ but Nachi$eta !ot there and waited for three days to see Dama" No on returns to the earth from Dama3s abode" &ut Dama was so leased to have met Nachi$eta that he !ranted him the boon that Nachi$eta could return to the earth" Nachi$eta however/ had no desire to acce t such a boon" Instead he wanted to $now from Dama the true nature of the atman" -he instructions that Dama !ave to Nachi$eta have come to be $nown as the Dama Gita" -he A!ni Purana now reca titualtes the essence of the Dama Gita" Dama said that it was indeed stran!e that men craved after ositions/ ossessions/ houses and clothes" -he sa!es have all tau!ht that one should not !et addicted to these sensual leasures" And yet/ man did not learn" -he brahman is that which ossesses nothin! and everythin!" It cannot be seen and yet it is everywhere" -he atman is li$e a warrior on a chariot/ the hysical body bein! the chariot/ the intelli!ence the charioteer and the mind the bridle" -he senses are the horses and the warrior3s 1ob is to control the horses and tar!et his arrow at the $nowled!e of the brahman" -hose who are truly learned $now of the identity between the atman and the brahman" Samadhi is nothin! but the reco!nition of this union" ;hen the hysical body comes to an end/ the atman is free and can mer!e with the brahman" -he A!ni Purana3s 2irtues -he last cha ter of the A!ni Purana describes the virtues of the Purana" -he A!ni Purana is most holy" It !ives health and ends ni!htmares" It s reads ha iness" Ill omens vanish from houses where the A!ni Purana is $e t" A man who listens to the recital of the A!ni Purana every day/ has no need of il!rima!es/ alms/ sacrifices and fasts" Readin! one cha ter of the text yields the same unya as may be obtained from donatin! a cow" Even if one only wishes to hear a recital of the A!ni Purana/ the sins committed over the duration of a day are for!iven" Readin! the whole of text !ives one the unya that can be obtained by donatin! a hundred cows at a sacred lace of il!rima!e" Enemies and thieves dare not fre#uent a house where there is a a text of the A!ni Purana" Ghosts !ive such a house a miss" A brahmana who listens to a recital of the Purana becomes learned in the 2edas" A $shatriya becomes the ruler of the world/ a vaishya becomes rich and a shudra attains !ood health" Nothin! is so sacred as writin! down the text of the Purana and donatin! it to brahmanas" 6. -A- SAHere Ends a shortest form of AGNI PURAN"
I Believe y u all en' y !ith Agni Purana reading, a value # sanathana %harma$ I hum&ly re(uest y u t spread all this values t y ur #riends, enemies , relatives et"
. I! anyone miss
to read or interest to read my "re)ious "ostings +hana ya Neetisastra(
%autiliya Arthasastra ( ,idura niti or Tiru)allurs Tiru ural(andUddha)a Gita or "arts o! &anusmriti or Agni Puran "ls mail to me ( I am )ery mu$h ha""y to send you again. &y sin$ere than s to moderator to "ost my mails in our grou". And my heartiest than s to all readers one who a$$e"t my "ostings. Let us +ontinue reading other Purana named Brahma Purana

Agni Purana

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Agni Purana

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Namaste Let us Start Reading Puranas. Puranas are also a Treasure to Sanathana Dharma.

illar inside the

alace and as$ed/ :Is 2ishnu inside this

Let us start read one by one . We start with AGNIPURANA same li e

-he Pandavas were merely a the world of evil men"

retext" ,rishna used the Pandavas to rid

Padma Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Vamana Purana

<onatin! the Puranas

me/: he said/ :And let !o of the

alan#uin" ;ho are you=:

to read or interest to read my "re)ious "ostings +hana ya Neetisastra(

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