93-552: [REDACTED] Look up Bhagavata Purana in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. There are two Bhagavatas in Hindu Puranic literature: Bhagavata Purana , Krishna-related text Devi Bhagavata Purana , Devi-related text See also [ edit ] Bhagavata (disambiguation) Purana (disambiguation) Mahapurana (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
186-504: A Vaishnava Upanishad The charity or gift is the armour in the world, All beings live on the gift of the other, Through gifts strangers become friends, Through gifts, they ward off difficulties, On gifts and giving, everything rests, That is why charity is the highest. — Mahanarayana Upanishad 63.6 Along with the reverence and exegetical analysis of the ancient Principal Upanishads , Vaishnava-inspired scholars authored 14 Vishnu avatar-focussed Upanishads that are called
279-483: A form of Vishnu. The legend goes that King Vibhishana , who was carrying the idol of Ranganatha on his way to Lanka , took rest for a while by placing the statue on the ground. When he prepared to depart, he realised that the idol was stuck to the ground. So, he built a small shrine, which became a popular abode for the deity Ranganatha on the banks of the river Kaveri. The entire temple campus with great walls, towards, mandapas, halls with 1000 pillars were constructed over
372-623: A northern ridge of the Hindu Kush, and absorbed into the Vedic orthodoxy as Purusa Narayana. Purusa Narayana may have later been turned into Arjuna and Krsna. In the late-Vedic texts (~1000 to 500 BCE), the concept of a metaphysical Brahman grows in prominence, and the Vaishnavism tradition considered Vishnu to be identical to Brahman, just like Shaivism and Shaktism consider Shiva and Devi to be Brahman respectively. This complex history
465-639: A period of 300 years from the 14th to 17th century CE. Most of the Gupta kings, beginning with Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) (375–413 CE) were known as Parama Bhagavatas or Bhagavata Vaishnavas . But following the Huna invasions, especially those of the Alchon Huns circa 500 CE, the Gupta Empire declined and fragmented, ultimately collapsing completely, with the effect of discrediting Vaishnavism,
558-655: A servant to those who are well-versed in the Vedic lore. Consisting of 26 chapters, the fifth canto focuses on the dialogue between Sukadeva Gosvami and Pariksit on the banks of the Ganges river . Notable additional layers of dialogue are between the avatar Rsabha and his sons, and between Bharata and King Rahugana (the former was perceived as a fool and made to carry the latter's palanquin ). Topics covered include the: SB 5.5.1 original Sanskrit: Vaishnavism Traditional Vaishnavism ( Sanskrit : वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः , romanized : Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ )
651-543: Is a monotheistic tradition wherein Vishnu (Krishna) is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent. In contrast, Sri Vaishnavism sampradaya associated with Ramanuja has monotheistic elements, but differs in several ways, such as goddess Lakshmi and god Vishnu are considered as inseparable equal divinities. According to some scholars, Sri Vaishnavism emphasizes panentheism, and not monotheism, with its theology of "transcendence and immanence", where God interpenetrates everything in
744-903: Is accepted as a teacher whose teachings are in the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana . Vaishnavism, just like all Hindu traditions, considers the Vedas as the scriptural authority. All traditions within Vaishnavism consider the Brahmanas , the Aranyakas and the Upanishads embedded within the four Vedas as Sruti , while Smritis, which include all the epics, the Puranas and its Samhitas, states Mariasusai Dhavamony, are considered as "exegetical or expository literature" of
837-532: Is acknowledged as the supreme goddess, for it is said that she controls Krishna with her love. It is believed that Krishna enchants the world, but Radha enchants even him. Therefore, she is the supreme goddess of all. Radha and Krishna are avatars of Lakshmi and Vishnu respectively. In the region of India called Braj, Radha and Krishna are worshipped together, and their separation cannot even be conceived. And, some communities ascribe more devotional significance to Radha. While there are much earlier references to
930-584: Is an Avatar , rather than a transcended Supreme Being. Vishnuism believes in Vishnu as the supreme being. When all other Vaishnavas recognise Krishna as one of Vishnu's avatars , though only the Krishnites identify the Supreme Being ( Svayam Bhagavan , Brahman , a source of the Trimurti) with Krishna and his forms ( Radha Krishna , Vithoba and others), those manifested themselves as Vishnu. This
1023-500: Is believed that God appears to his devoted worshippers in many different forms, depending on their particular desires. These forms include the different avataras of Krishna described in traditional Vaishnava texts, but they are not limited to these. Indeed, it is said that the different expansions of the Svayam bhagavan are uncountable and they cannot be fully described in the finite scriptures of any one religious community. Many of
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#17327722906601116-479: Is centred on the devotion of Vishnu and his avatars. According to Schweig, it is a "polymorphic monotheism, i.e. a theology that recognises many forms ( ananta rupa ) of the one, single unitary divinity," since there are many forms of one original deity, with Vishnu taking many forms. Okita, in contrast, states that the different denominations within Vaishnavism are best described as theism, pantheism and panentheism . The Vaishnava sampradaya started by Madhvacharya
1209-581: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Bhagavata Purana Divisions Sama vedic Yajur vedic Atharva vedic Vaishnava puranas Shaiva puranas Shakta puranas The Bhagavata Purana ( Sanskrit : भागवतपुराण ; IAST : Bhāgavata Purāṇa ), also known as the Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam) , Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana ( Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa ) or simply Bhagavata (Bhāgavata) ,
1302-416: Is its difference from such groups as Ramaism , Radhaism , Sitaism, etc. As such Krishnaism is believed to be one of the early attempts to make philosophical Hinduism appealing to the masses. In common language the term Krishnaism is not often used, as many prefer a wider term "Vaishnavism", which appeared to relate to Vishnu, more specifically as Vishnu-ism. In Vishnu-centered sects, Vishnu or Narayana
1395-483: Is often considered to be non-Vedic. According to Dandekar, such mergers consolidated the position of Krishnaism between the heterodox sramana movement and the orthodox Vedic religion. The "Greater Krsnaism", states Dandekar, then adopted the Rigvedic Vishnu as Supreme deity to increase its appeal towards orthodox elements. According to Klostermaier , Vaishnavism originates in the latest centuries BCE and
1488-439: Is often described as having the appearance of a dark-skinned person and is depicted as a young cowherd boy playing a flute or as a youthful prince giving philosophical direction and guidance, as in the Bhagavad Gita . Krishna is also worshiped across many other traditions of Hinduism. Krishna and the stories associated with him appear across a broad spectrum of different Hindu philosophical and theological traditions, where it
1581-631: Is one of Hinduism 's eighteen great Puranas ( Mahapuranas ). Composed in Sanskrit and traditionally attributed to Veda Vyasa , it promotes bhakti (devotion) towards Krishna , an avatar of Vishnu , integrating themes from the Advaita (monism) philosophy of Adi Shankara , the Vishishtadvaita (qualified monism) of Ramanujacharya and the Dvaita (dualism) of Madhvacharya . It
1674-420: Is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism , Shaktism , and Smartism . It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities , that is, Mahavishnu . Its followers are called Vaishnavites or Vaishnava s ( IAST : Vaiṣṇava ), and it includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism , which consider Krishna and Rama as
1767-540: Is reflected in the two main historical denominations of Vishnavism. The Bhagavats , worship Vāsudeva-Krishna, and are followers of Brahmanic Vaishnavism, while the Pacaratrins regard Narayana as their founder, and are followers of Tantric Vaishnavism. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar states that the lifetime of the Vaishnava Alvars was during the first half of the 12th century, their works flourishing about
1860-417: Is the fruit (essence) of the wish-yielding tree of Veda, dropped on earth from the mouth of the parrot-like sage Suka, and is full of the nectar of supreme bliss. It is unmixed sweetness (devoid of rind, seed or other superfluous matter). Go on drinking this divine nectar again and again till there is consciousness left in you. Consisting of 19 chapters, the first canto opens with an invocation to Krishna and
1953-655: Is the one supreme God. The belief in the supremacy of Vishnu is based upon the many avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu listed in the Puranic texts, which differs from other Hindu deities such as Ganesha , Surya , or Durga . To the devotees of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya , "Lord Vishnu is the Supreme Being and the foundation of all existence." Lakshmi, his consort, is described to act as the mediatrix between Vishnu and his devotees, intervening to offer her grace and forgiveness. According to Vedanta Desika ,
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#17327722906602046-417: Is therefore likely to have been composed after these texts, suggesting a chronological range of 500–1000 CE. Within this range, scholars such as R. C. Hazra date it to the first half of the 6th century CE, Bryant as well as Gupta and Valpey citing epigraphical and archaeological evidence suggest much of the text could be from the 4th to 7th century, while most others place it in the post- Alvar period around
2139-620: Is to promote Bhakti to Vishnu in his incarnation as Krishna referred to variously, and to illustrate and explain it... what makes the Bhagavata special is its emphasis on an intense personal and passionate Bhakti... As detailed in the Matsya Mahapurana , all Puranas must cover at least five specific subjects or topics referred to in Sanskrit as Pancha Lakshana (literally meaning 'consisting of five characteristics' – in addition to other information including specific deities and
2232-517: Is understood today as Vaishnavism did not originate in Vedism at all, but emerged from the merger of several popular theistic traditions which developed after the decline of Brahmanism at the end of the Vedic period, closely before the second urbanisation of northern India, in the 7th to 4th century BCE. It initially formed as Vasudevism around Vāsudeva , a deified leader of the Vrishnis , and one of
2325-446: Is widely available in almost all Indian languages . The Bhagavata Purana , like other puranas, discusses a wide range of topics including cosmology , astronomy, genealogy , geography, legend, music, dance, yoga and culture. As it begins, the forces of evil have won a war between the benevolent devas (deities) and evil asuras (demons) and now rule the universe. Truth re-emerges as Krishna (called " Hari " and " Vāsudeva " in
2418-699: The Cilappatikaram present Krishna, his brother , and favourite female companions in the similar terms. Hardy argues that the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana is essentially a Sanskrit "translation" of the bhakti of the Tamil alvars . Devotion to the southern Indian Mal ( Perumal ) may be an early form of Krishnaism, since Mal appears as a divine figure, largely like Krishna with some elements of Vishnu. The Alvars , whose name can be translated "immersed", were devotees of Perumal. They codified
2511-699: The Bhagavata cults of Vāsudeva-Krishna and Gopala-Krishna , as well as Narayana , developed in the 7th to 4th century BCE. It was integrated with the Vedic God Vishnu in the early centuries CE, and finalized as Vaishnavism, when it developed the avatar doctrine, wherein the various non-Vedic deities are revered as distinct incarnations of the supreme God Vishnu . Narayana , Hari , Rama , Krishna , Kalki , Perumal , Shrinathji , Vithoba , Venkateswara , Guruvayurappan , Ranganatha , Jagannath , Badrinath and Muktinath are among
2604-511: The Bhagavata Purana asserts that the inner nature and outer form of Krishna is identical to the Vedas and that this is what rescues the world from the forces of evil. An oft-quoted verse (1.3.40) is used by some Krishna sects to assert that the text itself is Krishna in literary form. The text consists of twelve books ( skandhas or cantos ) totalling 335 chapters ( adhyayas ) and 18,000 verses. The tenth book, with about 4,000 verses, has been
2697-402: The Bhagavata Purana . The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, the evidence inconsistent and scanty. Syncretism of various traditions resulted in Vaishnavism. Although Vishnu was a Vedic solar deity, he is mentioned less often compared to Agni, Indra, and other Vedic deities, thereby suggesting that he had a minor position in the Vedic religion. According to Dandekar , what
2790-670: The Dvaita school of Madhvacharya , the Dvaitadvaita school of Nimbarkacharya , and the Shuddhadvaita of Vallabhacharya . There are also several other Vishnu-traditions. Ramananda (14th century) created a Rama-oriented movement, now the largest monastic group in Asia. Key texts in Vaishnavism include the Vedas , the Upanishads , the Bhagavad Gita , the Pancharatra (Agama) texts, Naalayira Divya Prabhandham , and
2883-554: The Hindu scriptures sometimes differ in details reflecting the concerns of a particular tradition, while some core features of the view on Krishna are shared by all. Radha Krishna is the combination of both the feminine as well as the masculine aspects of God. Krishna is often referred as Svayam bhagavan in Gaudiya Vaishnavism theology and Radha is Krishna's internal potency and supreme beloved. With Krishna, Radha
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2976-578: The Paripatal , which contains seven poems in praise of Vishnu, including references to Krishna and Balarama. Aiyangar references an invasion of the south by the Mauryas in some of the older poems of the Sangam, and indicated that the opposition that was set up and maintained persistently against northern conquest had possibly in it an element of religion, the south standing up for orthodox Brahmanism against
3069-536: The Smritis and Puranas for the daily life of a Hindu, and also the worship of various deities like the sun, the moon, the grahas or planets, enjoined by the priestly Brahmin class for the sake of emoluments and gain. It enjoined the worship of no other deities except Narayana of the Upanishads , who was deemed the primal cause of srsti (creation), sthiti (existence) and pralaya (destruction). The accompanying philosophies of Advaita and Vishishtadvaita brought
3162-594: The Vrishni heroes . Later, Vāsudeva was amalgamated with Krishna "the deified tribal hero and religious leader of the Yadavas", to form the merged deity Bhagavan Vāsudeva-Krishna , due to the close relation between the tribes of the Vrishnis and the Yadavas. This was followed by a merger with the cult of Gopala-Krishna of the cowherd community of the Abhıras in the 4th century CE. The character of Gopala Krishna
3255-599: The four aims or goals of life . From the K. L. Joshi (editor) translation: The following are the five characteristics of the Puranas: They describe (1) the creation of the universe, (2) its genealogy and dissolution, (3) the dynasties, (4) the Manvantaras , (5) the dynastic chronicles. The Puranas, with these five characteristics, sing the glory of Brahma , Vishnu , the Sun and Rudra , as well as they describe also
3348-431: The " Advaita philosophy of Sankara ", lead many scholars to trace its origins to South India. However, J. A. B. van Buitenen points out that 10th–11th CE South Indian Vaishnava theologians Yamuna and Ramanuja do not refer to Bhagavata Purana in their writings, and this anomaly must be explained before the geographical origins and dating are regarded as definitive. Since the 19th-century, most scholars believe that
3441-435: The 10th century started to employ Vedanta-arguments, possibly continuing an older tradition of Vishnu-oriented Vedanta predating Advaita Vedanta . Many of the early Vaishnava scholars such as Nathamuni, Yamunacharya and Ramanuja, contested Adi Shankaras Advaita interpretations and proposed Vishnu bhakti ideas instead. Vaishnavism flourished in predominantly Shaivite Tamil Nadu during the seventh to tenth centuries CE with
3534-603: The 12th century. It was supported by the Puranic literature such as the Bhagavata Purana , poetic works, as well as many scholarly bhasyas and samhitas . This period saw the growth of Vashnavism Sampradayas (denominations or communities) under the influence of scholars such as Ramanujacharya , Vedanta Desika , Madhvacharya and Vallabhacharya . Bhakti poets or teachers such as Manavala Mamunigal , Namdev , Ramananda , Sankardev , Surdas , Tulsidas , Eknath , Tyagaraja , Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and many others influenced
3627-470: The 14th century, Sankaradeva in the 15th and Vallabha and Chaitanya in the 16th century. Historically, it was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who founded congregational chanting of holy names of Krishna in the early 16th century after becoming a sannyasi . During the 20th century, Vaishnavism spread from India and is now practised in many places around the globe, including North America, Europe, Africa, Russia and South America. A pioneer of Vaishnavite mission to
3720-433: The 9th century. Parts of the text use an archaic Vedic flavour of Sanskrit, which may either suggest that its authors sought to preserve or express reverence for the Vedic tradition, or that some text has an earlier origin. There are two flavors of Krishna stories, one of warrior prince and another of romantic lover, the former composed in more archaic Sanskrit and the later in a different linguistic style, suggesting that
3813-688: The Bhagavata Purana was written by a group of learned Brahmin ascetics, probably in South India, who were well versed in Vedic and ancient Indian literature and influenced by the Alvars . Postmodern scholars have suggested alternate theories. The Bhagavata Purana consists of twelve skhandas or cantos consisting of 18,000 verses of several interconnected, interwoven, and non-linear dialogues, teachings, and explanations espousing Bhakti Yoga that go back and forth in time: We have alluded to
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3906-538: The Bhagavata's identity as a Purana , an important feature of which is its multilevel dialogical structure ... the layered arrangement of dialogues, in which a speaker (typically Suka , the main reciter, addressing his interlocutor, King Pariksit ) quotes an "earlier" speaker (for example, Narada , addressing King Yudhisthira , Pariksit's granduncle, in a dialogue understood to have taken place earlier and elsewhere), who may in turn quote yet another speaker. Two or three such layers are typically operative simultaneously ...
3999-406: The Gupta age, Krishnaism rose to a major current of Vaishnavism, and Vaishnavism developed into various sects and subsects, most of them emphasizing bhakti , which was strongly influenced by south Indian religiosity. Modern scholarship posit Nimbarkacharya (c.7th century CE) to this period who propounded Radha Krishna worship and his doctrine came to be known as (dvaita-advaita). Vaishnavism in
4092-491: The Lord of excellent renown. A unique and especial emphasis is placed on fostering transcendental loving devotion to Krishna as the ultimate good, i.e. for its own sake rather than for fruitive results or rewards such as detachment or worldly or heavenly gains, a practice known as Bhakti Yoga : What makes the Bhagavata unique in the history of Indian Religion... is its prioritization of Bhakti. The main objective of this text
4185-526: The Lord who wields the discus in His hand is infinite; though the Maker of this world, He remains ever beyond it. He alone can know His ways who inhales the fragrance of His lotus-feet through constant and sincere devotion to them. Consisting of 10 chapters, the second canto opens with an invocation to Krishna . The second layer of overarching narration begins as a dialogue between Sukadeva Gosvami and Pariksit on
4278-503: The One Supreme form of God and source of all avatars, Svayam Bhagavan . Krishnaism is often also called Bhagavatism—perhaps the earliest Krishnite movement was Bhagavatism with Krishna- Vasudeva (about 2nd century BCE) —after the Bhagavata Purana which asserts that Krishna is "Bhagavan Himself," and subordinates to itself all other forms: Vishnu , Narayana , Purusha , Ishvara , Hari , Vasudeva , Janardana etc. Krishna
4371-476: The Puranas continue to form a part, such originality is neither promoted nor recognised. Like most forms of cultural creation in India, the function of the Puranas was to reprocess and comment upon old knowledge ... SB 1.1.3 original Sanskrit: निगमकल्पतरोर्गलितं फलं शुकमुखादमृतद्रवसंयुतम् । पिबत भागवतं रसमालयं मुहुरहो रसिका भुवि भावुका: ॥ ३ ॥ O ye devotees possessing a taste for divine joy, Srimad Bhagavata
4464-586: The Srimad Bhagavatam. The common manuscript for translations of the Bhagavata Purana – seemingly used by both Swami Prabhupada and Bibek Debroy – is the Bhāgavatamahāpurāṇam a reprint of Khemraj Shri Krishnadas' manuscript. In regard to variances in Puranic manuscripts, Gregory Bailey states: [S]ignificant are the widespread variations between manuscripts of the same Purana, especially those originating in different regions of India... one of
4557-726: The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Agamas are the scriptural sources of Vaishnavism. The Bhagavata Purana is a revered and widely celebrated text, parts of which, a few scholars such as Dominic Goodall, include as a scripture. Other important texts in the tradition include the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, as well as texts by various sampradayas (denominations within Vaishnavism). In many Vaishnava traditions, Krishna
4650-559: The Vaishnava Upanishads. These are considered part of 95 minor Upanishads in the Muktikā Upanishadic corpus of Hindu literature. The earliest among these were likely composed in 1st millennium BCE, while the last ones in the late medieval era. All of the Vaishnava Upanishads either directly reference and quote from the ancient Principal Upanishads or incorporate some ideas found in them; most cited texts include
4743-704: The Vaishnava canon of the south with their most significant liturgy, the Naalayira Divya Prabandham , traced to the 10th century as a compilation by Nathamuni. Their poems show a pronounced orientation to the Vaishnava, and often Krishna, side of Mal. But they do not make the distinction between Krishna and Vishnu on the basis of the concept of the avatars . Yet, according to Hardy, the term "Mayonism" should be used instead of "Krishnaism" when referring to Mal or Mayon. The early Alvars speak of glorifying Vishnu bhakti (devotion to Vishnu), but at
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#17327722906604836-635: The Vedic texts. The Vedanta schools of Hindu philosophy , which interpreted the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutra , provided the philosophical foundations of Vaishnavism. Due to the ancient and archaic language of the Vedic texts, interpretations varied among different schools, leading to differences between the denominations (sampradayas) of Vaishnavism. These interpretations have created different traditions within Vaishnavism, from dualistic ( Dvaita ) Vedanta of Madhvacharya , to nondualistic ( Advaita ) Vedanta of Madhusudana Sarasvati . Axiology in
4929-715: The West was sannyasi Baba Premananda Bharati (1858–1914), the author of the first full-length treatment of Bengali Vaishnavism in English, Sree Krishna—the Lord of Love . He founded the "Krishna Samaj" society in New York City in 1902 and a temple in Los Angeles . The global status of Vaishnavism is largely due to the growth of the ISKCON movement, founded by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966. Vaishnavism
5022-680: The assertion that the Srimad Bhagatavam, compiled by Vyasadeva , is sufficient alone to realise God. The overarching narration begins at the onset of Kali Yuga as a dialogue between Sukadeva Gosvami (the son of Vyasadeva) and a group of sages headed by Saunaka , as they perform a thousand-year sacrifice for Krishna and his devotees in the forest of Naimisaranya . Questioned by the sages , topics covered by Suta Gosvami include the: SB 1.3.38 original Sanskrit: स वेद धातु: पदवीं परस्य दुरन्तवीर्यस्य रथाङ्गपाणे: । योऽमायया सन्ततयानुवृत्त्या भजेत तत्पादसरोजगन्धम् ॥ ३८ ॥ The power of
5115-538: The balance in the universe. These avatars include Narayana, Vasudeva, Rama and Krishna; each the name of a divine figure with attributed supremacy, which each associated tradition of Vaishnavism believes to be distinct. The term "Krishnaism" ( Kṛṣṇaism ) has been used to describe a large group of independent traditions- sampradayas within Vaishnavism regarded Krishna as the Supreme God, while "Vishnuism" may be used for sects focusing on Vishnu in which Krishna
5208-606: The banks of the Ganges river (narrated by Suta Gosvami to a group of sages headed by Saunaka in the forest of Naimisaranya ). Questioned by Pariksit, the topics covered by Sukadeva Gosvami include the: SB 2.5.35 original Sanskrit: स एव पुरुषस्तस्मादण्डं निर्भिद्य निर्गत: । सहस्रोर्वङ्घ्रिबाह्वक्ष: सहस्राननशीर्षवान् ॥ ३५ ॥ Bursting open that (Cosmic) egg, issued therefrom the same Supreme Person (the Cosmic Being) with thousands of thighs, feet, arms and eyes and thousands of faces and heads too. Consisting of 33 chapters,
5301-400: The compounding of voices serve to strengthen the message delivered; and second, one is left with the sense that one cannot, and indeed need not, trace out the origin of the message. From the N. P. Jain for Motilal Banarsidass translation: The divine seer, Vedavyasa , composed this Purana , known by the name of Srimad Bhagavata, which stands on a par with the Vedas and contains the stories of
5394-644: The concept of the Vedic deity Bhaga , and initially it seems to have been a monotheistic sect, independent of the Brahmanical pantheon." The development of the Krishna-traditions was followed by a syncretism of these non-Vedic traditions with the Mahabharata canon, thus affiliating itself with Vedism in order to become acceptable to the orthodox establishment. The Vishnu of the Rig Veda
5487-495: The cosmic balance between the everpresent forces of good and evil. The most known and celebrated avatars of Vishnu, within the Vaishnavism traditions of Hinduism, are Krishna , Rama , Narayana and Vasudeva . These names have extensive literature associated with them; each has its own characteristics, legends, and associated arts. The Mahabharata , for example, includes Krishna, while the Ramayana includes Rama. The Vedas,
5580-455: The creation and dissolution of the Earth. The four [aims of human life] ( Dharma , Artha , Kama and Moksa ) have also been described in all the Puranas, along with evil consequences following from sin. In the sattvika Puranas there is largely a mention of Hari's glory. The Srimad Bhagavatam adds another five characteristics, expanding this list to ten. The Bhagavata further elaborates on
5673-732: The differences between lesser and greater Puranas possessing five or ten characteristics, respectively. According to Hariprasad Gangashankar Shastri, the oldest surviving manuscript dates to c. 1124-25 and is held in the Sampurnananda Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya in Varanasi. Poetic or artistic license with existing materials is a strong tradition in Indian culture, a 'tradition of several hundred years of linguistic creativity' . There are variations of original manuscripts available for each Purana, including
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#17327722906605766-577: The dualistic school of Madhvacharya has a rich and strong tradition of dualistic interpretation of the Bhagavata, starting from the Bhagavata Taatparya Nirnaya of the Acharya himself and later, commentaries on the commentary. The Chaitanya school also rejects outright any monistic interpretation of the purana. Modern scholarship dates its composition to between 500 CE to 1000 CE, but most likely between 800 and 1000 CE. A version of
5859-573: The early centuries CE, with the cult of the heroic Vāsudeva, a leading member of the Vrishni heroes , which was then amalgamated with Krishna , hero of the Yadavas , and still several centuries later with the "divine child" Bala Krishna of the Gopala traditions. According to Klostermaier, "In some books Krishna is presented as the founder and first teacher of the Bhagavata religion." According to Dalal, "The term Bhagavata seems to have developed from
5952-414: The encroachment of Buddhism by the persuasive eloquence and persistent effort of the Buddhist emperor Ashoka . The Tamil literature of this period has references scattered all over to the colonies of Brahmans brought and settled down in the south, and the whole output of this archaic literature exhibits unmistakably considerable Brahman influence in the making up of that literature. The Vaishnava school of
6045-442: The expansion of Vaishnavism. Even Mirabai took part in this specific movement. These scholars rejected Shankara 's doctrines of Advaita Vedanta, particularly Ramanuja in the 12th century, and Vedanta Desika and Madhva in the 13th century, building their theology on the devotional tradition of the Alvars ( Sri Vaishnavas ). In North and Eastern India, Vaishnavism gave rise to various late Medieval movements Ramananda in
6138-415: The faith in Karnataka. The Chalukyas and their rivals of the Pallavas appear to have employed Vaishnavism as an assertion of divine kingship, one of them proclaiming themselves as terrestrial emanations of Vishnu while the other promptly adopted Shaivism as their favoured tradition, neither of them offering much importance to the other's deity. The Sri Vaishnava sampradaya of Ramanuja would hold sway in
6231-401: The female descendants of Svayambhuva Manu , topics covered include the: SB 4.16.17 original Sanskrit: मातृभक्ति: परस्त्रीषु पत्न्यामर्ध इवात्मन: । प्रजासु पितृवत्स्निग्ध: किङ्करो ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥ १७ ॥ He regards and reveres the wives of others as His mother and loves His own wife as a half of His own body. He is loving as a father to those over whom He rules; He looks upon Himself as
6324-492: The heart as well as to the ear. By hearing such stories one is sure to develop one after another reverence and fondness for and Devotion to the Lord, whose realization is preceded by the cessation of ignorance. Consisting of 31 chapters, the fourth canto continues the dialogues of Sukadeva Gosvami , Uddhava , and Maitreya . There are additional layers of dialogue, such as between the sage-avatar Narada and King Pracinabharhisat (as narrated by Maitreya to Vidura ). Focusing on
6417-424: The individual self, mind, and egoism." Vaishnavism theology has developed the concept of avatar (incarnation) around Vishnu as the preserver or sustainer. His avataras, asserts Vaishnavism, descend to empower the good and fight evil, thereby restoring dharma . This is reflected in the passages of the ancient Bhagavad Gita as: Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increases I send myself forth. For
6510-418: The insurgent Buddhists and Jains. The Pallavas were also the first of various dynasties that offered land and wealth to the Venkatesvara temple at Tirumala, which would soon become the most revered religious site of South India. The Sri Vaishnava acharya Ramanuja is credited with the conversion of the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana (originally called Bittideva) from Jainism to Vaishnavism, consolidating
6603-463: The lower classes into the fold of practical Hinduism, and extended to them the right and privilege of knowing God and attaining mukti (salvation). The Pallava dynasty of Tamilakam patronised Vaishnavism. Mahendra Varman built shrines both of Vishnu and Shiva, several of his cave-temples exhibiting shrines to Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. In the age of the Pallava domination, which followed immediately, both Vaishnavism and Shaivism flourished, fighting
6696-433: The most popular and widely studied. It was the first Purana to be translated into a European language, as a French translation of a Tamil version appeared in 1788 and introduced many Europeans to Hinduism and 18th-century Hindu culture during the colonial era. The Bhagavata Purana has been among the most celebrated and popular texts in the Puranic genre, and is, in the opinion of some, of non-dualistic tenor. But,
6789-534: The names of popular avatars all seen as different aspects of the same supreme being. The Vaishnavite tradition is known for the loving devotion to an avatar of Vishnu (often Krishna), and as such was key to the spread of the Bhakti movement in Indian subcontinent in the 2nd millennium CE. It has four Vedanta -schools of numerous denominations ( sampradaya ): the medieval-era Vishishtadvaita school of Ramanuja ,
6882-546: The principal characteristics of the genre is the status of Purana as what Doniger calls "fluid texts" (Doniger 1991, 31). The mixture of fixed form [the Puranic Characteristics] and seemingly endless variety of content has enabled the Purana to be communicative vehicles for a range of cultural positions ... [the] idea of originality is primarily Western and belies the fact that in the kind of oral genres of which
6975-579: The protection of the good and for the destruction of evil, and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being age after age. In Vaishnava theology, such as is presented in the Bhagavata Purana and the Pancaratra , whenever the cosmos is in crisis, typically because the evil has grown stronger and has thrown the cosmos out of its balance, an avatar of Vishnu appears in a material form, to destroy evil and its sources, and restore
7068-759: The religion it had been so ardently promoting. The newly arising regional powers in central and northern India, such as the Aulikaras , the Maukharis , the Maitrakas , the Kalacuris or the Vardhanas preferred adopting Saivism instead, giving a strong impetus to the development of the worship of Shiva , and its ideology of power. Vaisnavism remained strong mainly in the territories which had not been affected by these events: South India and Kashmir . After
7161-440: The sage Maitreya ; their dialogues form a third layer of narration. Topics covered by Sukadeva Gosvami, Uddhava, and Maitreya include the: SB 3.25.25 original Sanskrit: सतां प्रसङ्गान्मम वीर्यसंविदो भवन्ति हृत्कर्णरसायना: कथा: । तज्जोषणादाश्वपवर्गवर्त्मनि श्रद्धा रतिर्भक्तिरनुक्रमिष्यति ॥ २५ ॥ Through the fellowship of saints one gets to hear My stories, leading to a correct and full knowledge of My glory and pleasing to
7254-431: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Bhagavata Puranas . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bhagavata_Puranas&oldid=1225879032 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
7347-458: The same time, they do regard Shiva bhakti (devotion to Shiva) with considerable sympathy, and make a visible effort to keep the Shaivas in countenance. The earliest Alvars go the length of describing Shiva and Vishnu as one, although they do recognise their united form as Vishnu. Srirangam , the site of the largest functioning temple in the world of 600 acres, is devoted to Ranganathaswamy ,
7440-493: The south based its teachings on the Naradiya Pancharatra and the Bhagavata from the north and laid stress on a life of purity, high morality, worship and devotion to only one God. Although the monism of Shankara was greatly appreciated by the intellectual class, the masses came increasingly within the fold of Vishnu. Vaishnavism checked the elaborate rituals, ceremonials, vratas, fasts, and feasts prescribed by
7533-801: The south, the Vadakalai denomination subscribing to Vedanta philosophy and the Tenkalai adhering to regional liturgies known as Prabandham. According to Hardy , there is evidence of early "southern Krishnaism", despite the tendency to allocate the Krishna-traditions to the Northern traditions. South Indian texts show close parallel with the Sanskrit traditions of Krishna and his gopi companions, so ubiquitous in later North Indian text and imagery. Early writings in Tamils ' culture such as Manimekalai and
7626-421: The supreme beings respectively. According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, constituting about 641 million or 67.6% of Hindus. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, and broadly hypothesized as a fusion of various regional non-Vedic religions with worship of Vishnu . It is considered a merger of several popular non-Vedic theistic traditions, particularly
7719-758: The supreme divine couple Lakshmi Narayana pervades and transcends the entire universe, which is described to be their body. They are described to support all life, both material and spiritual. In this manner, Lakshmi is conceived to be the supreme mother and Narayana as the supreme father of creation. In the Krishnaism group of Vaishnavism traditions, such as the Nimbarka Sampradaya (the first Krishnaite Sampradaya developed by Nimbarka c. 7th century CE), Ekasarana Dharma , Gaudiya Vaishnavism , Mahanubhava , Rudra Sampradaya ( Pushtimarg ), Vaishnava-Sahajiya , and Warkari , devotees worship Krishna as
7812-578: The text existed no later than 1030 CE, when it is mentioned by al Biruni and quoted by Abhinavagupta . The Bhagavata Purana abounds in references to verses of the Vedas , the primary Upanishads , the Brahma Sutra of Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy, and the Bhagavad Gita, suggesting that it was composed after these texts. The text contains more details of Krishna's biography than the 3rd- 4th-century Harivamsha and Vishnu Purana , and
7905-501: The text) first makes peace with the demons, understands them and then creatively defeats them, bringing back hope, justice, freedom and happiness – a cyclic theme that appears in many legends. The Bhagavata Purana is a central text in Vaishnavism . The text presents a form of religion ( dharma ) that competes with that of the Vedas , wherein bhakti ultimately leads to self-knowledge, salvation ( moksha ) and bliss. However
7998-543: The texts may not have been composed by one author or over a short period, but rather grew over time as a compilation of accretions from different hands. The Bhagavata Purana contains apparent references to the South Indian Alvar saints and it makes a post factum prophecy of the spread of Vishnu worship in Tamil country (BP XI.5.38–40); these facts, along with its emphasis on "emotional Bhakti to Krishna" and
8091-578: The third canto continues the dialogue between Sukadeva Gosvami and Pariksit on the banks of the Ganges river . Vidura , the sudra incarnation of Yama and devotee of Krishna , is the main protagonist narrated. After being thrown out of his home by King Dhritarashtra (his older half-brother) for admonishing the Kaurava's ignoble behaviour towards the Pandavas , Vidura went on a pilgrimage where he met other devotees of Krishna such as Uddhava and
8184-459: The time of the revival of Brahminism and Hinduism in the north, speculating that Vaishnavism might have penetrated to the south as early as about the first century CE. There also exists secular literature that ascribes the commencement of the tradition in the south to the 3rd century CE. U. V. Swaminathan Aiyar , a scholar of Tamil literature, published the ancient work of the Sangam period known as
8277-483: The twelve Alvars , saints who spread the sect to the common people with their devotional hymns . The temples that the Alvars visited or founded are now known as Divya Desams . Their poems in praise of Vishnu and Krishna in Tamil language are collectively known as Naalayira Divya Prabandha (4000 divine verses). The Bhakti movement of late medieval Hinduism started in the 7th century, but rapidly expanded after
8370-529: The universe, and all of empirical reality is God's body. The Vaishnava sampradaya associated with Vallabhacharya is a form of pantheism, in contrast to the other Vaishnavism traditions. The Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Chaitanya, states Schweig, is closer to a polymorphic bi-monotheism because both goddess Radha and god Krishna are simultaneously supreme. Vaishnavism precepts include the avatar (incarnation) doctrine, wherein Vishnu incarnates numerous times, in different forms, to set things right and bring back
8463-644: The verse describing this incident in Bhagavata Purana . It is also believed that Radha is not just one cowherd maiden, but is the origin of all the gopis , or divine personalities that participate in the rasa dance. According to The Bhagavata Purana, there are twenty-two avatars of Vishnu, including Rama and Krishna . The Dashavatara is a later concept. The Pancaratrins follow the vyuha s doctrine, which says that God has four manifestations ( vyuha s), namely Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. These four manifestations represent "the Highest Self,
8556-445: The worship of this form of God, it is since Jayadeva wrote the poem Gita Govinda in the twelfth century CE, that the topic of the spiritual love affair between the divine Krishna and his consort Radha, became a theme celebrated throughout India. It is believed that Krishna has left the "circle" of the rasa dance to search for Radha. The Chaitanya school believes that the name and identity of Radha are both revealed and concealed in
8649-698: Was assimilated into non-Vedic Krishnaism and became the equivalent of the Supreme God. The appearance of Krishna as one of the Avatars of Vishnu dates to the period of the Sanskrit epics in the early centuries CE. The Bhagavad Gita —initially, a Krishnaite scripture, according to Friedhelm Hardy —was incorporated into the Mahabharata as a key text for Krishnaism. Finally, the Narayana worshippers were also included, which further brahmanized Vaishnavism. The Nara-Narayana worshippers may have originated in Badari,
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