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26
INTRODUCTION
and the Rsis. (4) Manvantaras, Epochs between the Manus--the great periods, each of which has a Manu or primal ancestor of the human race, and (5) VanSanucharita, the history of the dynasties whose origin is traced back to the Sun (solar dynasty) and the Moon (lunar dynasty)'. The Brahmavaivartapurāna, however, says that the five laksanas' are only for the 'Puranas' and the •Upapurāmas', while the Mahapurana (the great Puranas) have ten laksanas' including praise of Visnu and the gods individually.! Vimalasari does not define either Purāņa or a Mabāpurāņa. Among the Jaina authors, Jinasena is probably the first to define Purāņa and Mahāpurāņa. Says he : "I shall describe the narrative of sixty-three ancient persons, viz., the (24) Tirthainkaras, the (12) Chakravartins, (9) Baladevas, (9) Ardha-Chakravartins (i.e., Vasudevas), and their (9) enemies (i.e., prativāsudevas)." The word Purāņa means 'old or ancient narrative.' It is called 'great' because it concerns the great (figures), or because it is narrated by the great (Tirthamkaras, Gapadharas, Acāryas) or because it teaches the way to supreme bliss. Other learned scholars say that it is called Purāņa because it originates with an old poet and it is called great because of its intrinsic greatness. The great Rşis called it a Mahapurāna as it relates to great men and teaches the way to highest bliss. Further he adds that the "Mahapurāņa" is regarded as Arsa because it was composed by Rsis. Sakta' because it expounds truth and Dharmaśāstra' because it declares Dharma. It is also looked upon as Itibāsa, or Aitihya or Amnāya as it contains many stories about 'Iti-ha-asa' ('90 it happened', i.e., 'traditional history').
Thus according to Jinasena Purāna and Itihasa are synonymous terms. The Tippaņakāra of Puşpadanta's Mahāpurāņa, makes, however, a distinction between the two, saying that Itihāsa means the narratives of sixty-three great men of the Jaina faith. In its defiuition of Itibāsa Kautilya Arthaśāstra (I. 5) enumerates Purana and Itivștta as belonging to the content of Itihasa. As Itivetta can only mean historical event' Purāna probably means 'mythological and legendary lore'.
एतदुपपुराणानां लक्षणं च विबुधाः । महताश्च पुराणानां लक्षणं कथयामि ते ॥ सृष्टिश्चापि विसृष्टिश्चेत् स्थितिस्तेषाञ्च पालनं । कर्मणां वासना वार्ता चामूनाञ्च क्रमेण च ॥ वर्णनं प्रलयानाञ्च मोक्षस्य च निरूपणं । उत्कीर्तनं हरेरेव देवानां च पृथक् पृथक् ॥ दशाधिक लक्षणश्च महतां परिकीर्तितम् । संख्यानश्च पुराणानां निबोध कथयामि ते ॥
-Krsnajanmakhanda, Ch. 131, vv. 6-10. Srimad Bhagawata-Mahāpurāņa likewise mentions the ten topics of a Mahāpurāna as follows:
अत्र सों विसर्गच स्थान पोपणमूतयः । मन्वन्तरेशानुकथा निरोधो मुक्तिराश्रयः ॥ Skandha 11, Adhyaya 10, v.1 and सर्गोऽस्याथ विसर्गश्च वृत्ती रक्षान्तराणि च । वंशो वंशानुचरितं संस्था हेतुरपाश्रयः॥ दशभिर्लक्षणयुक्तं पुराणं तद्विदो विदुः । केचित्पञ्चविधं ब्रह्मन् महदल्पव्यवरथया ॥ Skandha XII, Adhyaya 7,w.
9-10 2. तीर्थेशामपि चक्र शा हलिनामर्धचक्रिणाम् । त्रिषष्टिलक्षणं वक्ष्ये पुराणं तद्विषामपि ॥
पुरातनं पुराणं स्यात्तन्महन्महदाश्रयात् । महद्भिरुपदिष्टत्वात् महाश्रेयोऽनुशासनात् ॥ कवि पुराणमाश्रित्य प्रसृतत्वात्पुराणता । महत्त्वं स-महिम्नव तस्येत्यन्यनिरुच्यते ।।
महापुरुषसंबंधि महाभ्युदयशासनम् । महापुराणमाम्नातमत एतन्महर्षिभिः॥ Adipurana I-20-23. 3. ऋषिप्रणीतमार्ष स्यात् सूक्तं सुनृतशासनात् । धर्मानुशासनाच्चेदं धर्मशास्त्रमिति स्मृतम् ॥ 4. इतिहास इतीष्टं तदिति हासीदितिश्रुतेः । इतिवृत्तमथैतिह्यमाम्नायचामनन्ति तत् ॥ पुराणमितिहासाख्यं यत्प्रोवाच गणाधिपः
Adipurana I. 24-25.
Adipurāna I, 26a 5. See Puşpadanta's Mahapurāna (edited by Dr. P. L. Vaidya) Vol. I (p. 9).
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