Adi Puran Part 1

SR No.: 090010
Original Sutra Author: Jinsenacharya
Author: Pannalal Jain
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith
Publication Year: 2004
Total Pages: 782
Language: Sanskrit, Hindi
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Mythology, & Story
File Size: 27 MB

Page 20

आदिपुराण
अर्थात जैसे हिताधियों को देवगुरुद्रव्य ग्रहण नहीं करना चाहिए उसी तरह ब्राह्मण का धन भी। अत: द्विज का दण्ड-जुर्माना नहीं होना चाहिए। इन विशेषाधिकारों पर स्पष्टतया ब्राह्मणयुगीन स्मतियों की छाप है। शासन-व्यवस्था में अमुक वर्ण के अमुक अधिकार या किसी वर्ण विशेष के विशेषाधिकारों की बात मनुस्मृति आदि में पद-पद पर मिलती है। मनुस्मृति में लिखा है
"न जातु ब्राह्मणं हन्यात् सर्वपापेष्वपि स्थितम् ।
राष्ट्रादेनं बहिः कुर्यात् समप्रधनमक्षतम् ॥" (८।३८०-८१). "न ब्राह्मणवाद भयानधर्मो विद्यते भवि।
अहार्य ब्राह्मणद्रव्यं राज्ञा नित्यमिति स्थितिः॥" (१८९) अर्थात् समस्त पाप करने पर भी ब्राह्मण अवध्य है । उसका द्रव्य राजा को ग्रहण नहीं करना चाहिए। आदिपुराण में विवाह की व्यवस्था बताते हुए लिखा है
"शूद्रा शूद्रण वोढव्या नान्या तां स्वां च नंगमः।।
वहेत्स्वा ते च राजन्यः स्वां द्विजन्मा क्वचिच्च ताः ॥” (१६।२४७) अर्थात् शूद्र को शूद्रकन्या से ही विवाह करना चाहिए, अन्य ब्राह्मण आदि की कन्याओं से नहीं । वैश्य वैश्यकन्या और शूद्रकन्या से, क्षत्रिय क्षत्रिय वैश्य और शूद्र कन्या से तथा ब्राह्मण ब्राह्मण-कन्या से और कहीं क्षत्रिय वैश्य और शूद कन्या से विवाह कर सकता है। इसकी तुलना मनुस्मृति के निम्नलिखित श्लोक से कीजिए
"शूद्रव भार्या शूद्रस्य सा च स्वा च विशः स्मृते ।
ते च स्वा अब रामश्च ताश्च स्वा चापजन्मनः ॥" (३॥१३) याज्ञवल्क्य स्मृति (३१५७) में भी यही क्रम बताया गया है।
महाभारत अनुशासनपर्व में निम्नलिखित श्लोक आता है"तपः श्रुतं च योनिश्चाप्येतद ब्राह्मण्यकारणम् । त्रिभिर्गुणैः समुदितः ततो भवति वै द्विजः ।" (१२१७) पातंजल महाभाष्य (२।२।६) में इस श्लोक का उत्तरार्ध इस पाठभेद के साथ है
"तप:श्रुताभ्यां यो हीनः जातिब्राह्मण एव सः ।" आदिपुराण (पर्व ३८ श्लोक ४३) में यह जातिमूलक ब्राह्मणत्व इन्हीं ग्रन्थों से और उन्हीं शब्दों में ज्यों का त्यों आ गया है
"तपः श्रुतं च जातिश्च त्रयं ब्राह्मण्यकारणम् ।
तप:श्रुताम्यां यो हीनः जातिब्राह्मण एव सः।" इसी तरह अन्य भी अनेक स्थल उपस्थित किये जा सकते हैं जिनसे आदिपुराण पर स्मति आदि के प्रभाव का असन्दिग्ध रूप से शान हो सकता है।
२
पुत्री को समान धन-विभाग आदिपुराण में गृहत्याग क्रिया के प्रसंग में धन संविभाग का निर्देश करते हुए लिखा है--
"एकोशो धर्मकार्येतो द्वितीयः स्वगृहव्यये । तृतीयः संविभागाय भवेत् त्वत्सहजन्मनाम् ॥ पूज्यश्च संविभागार्हाः समं पुनः समांशकैः।"

Translation AI Generated

## Adipurana

Just as the righteous should not accept *devaguru* wealth, so too should they not accept the wealth of a Brahmin. Therefore, a *dvija* should not be subjected to punishment or fines. These privileges clearly bear the stamp of Brahminical Smritis. The matter of certain rights for certain castes or special privileges for a particular caste is found repeatedly in Manusmriti and other texts. Manusmriti states:

"Never kill a Brahmin, even if he is guilty of all sins. One should banish him from the kingdom, along with his property, unharmed and with his wealth intact." (8.380-81) "There is no sin greater than harming a Brahmin. The king should never confiscate the property of a Brahmin." (189)

In other words, a Brahmin is not to be killed even if he commits all sins. The king should not take his property. While describing the system of marriage, Adipurana states:

"A Shudra should marry a Shudra woman, not another, nor his own sister. A Kshatriya should marry his own, a *dvija* should marry his own, and never another." (16.247)

This means a Shudra should marry only a Shudra woman, not a daughter of a Brahmin or another caste. A Vaishya should marry a Vaishya woman and a Shudra woman. A Kshatriya should marry a Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra woman. A Brahmin should marry a Brahmin woman, and he can also marry a Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra woman. Compare this with the following verse from Manusmriti:

"A Shudra woman is for a Shudra, and his own sister is for him. A Vaishya woman is for a Vaishya, and his own sister is for him. A Kshatriya woman is for a Kshatriya, and his own sister is for him. A Brahmin woman is for a Brahmin, and his own sister is for him." (3.13)

The same order is described in Yajnavalkya Smriti (3.157).

The following verse appears in the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata:

"Penance, knowledge, and birth are the causes of Brahminhood. One who possesses these three qualities becomes a *dvija*." (1217)

The latter half of this verse appears in Patanjali's Mahabhashya (2.2.6) with this variant reading:

"One who is deficient in penance and knowledge is a *jatibrahmana*."

This *jatibrahmana* concept based on birth, as found in Adipurana (Parva 38, verse 43), is taken verbatim from these texts:

"Penance, knowledge, and birth are the three causes of Brahminhood. One who is deficient in penance and knowledge is a *jatibrahmana*."

Similarly, many other instances can be cited that clearly demonstrate the influence of Smritis and other texts on Adipurana.

## 2

**Equal Inheritance for Daughters**

Adipurana, while discussing the ritual of leaving home, instructs on the division of wealth:

"One share should be for religious purposes, the second for household expenses, and the third for the division among your siblings. Those who are worthy of respect should be given an equal share."