1 - Classification of the Puranas. The Nature of Deities 

1. The lord of Yadavas,¹ accompanied by his elder brother Balarama,² looked splendid in the battle-field--the lord who was a thunderbolt to the enemy, the best and the noblest among men, cupid incarnate to the women, kith and kin of the cowherds, chastiser of the wicked kings, a loving child to his parents, Yama to the lord of Bhojas³ as ordained by fate, the transcendental soul for meditation on the part of Yogins.⁴ 

1. Vrushninam pati-lord of the descendents of Vrushni, an ancestor of lord Krishna. 

2. Balarama—The elder brother of Sri Krishna, son of Vasudeva and Rohini was the incarnation of Shesha, the serpent chief. -PE., p. 99. 

3. Bhojas-a branch of Yadu dynasty inimical to the Vrushnis.

4. Lord Krišhna is called the greatest of Yogins (Yogishvara).

2. Salutation to lord Narayana,⁵ the source of the universe. After paying due homage to the lord, I shall narrate his story. 

5. Lord Vishnu is called Narayana because he abides in the waters of the ocean:

3. The great sages, Shaunaka and others preached spirituality and practised penance in the holy region of Naimisha.⁶ 

6. Naimisha or Naimisha, mod. Nimsar. It is situated in the Sitapur district in the Uttara Pradesha, on the left bank of the Gomati river. The place is so called because the rim (nimi) of the revolving wheel of virtue was shattered here and Virtue had to make a permanent abode in the region (Vayu 2.7). Or the place is so called because here an army of asuras was destroyed by the sage Gauramukha in a twinkling of an eye (Varaha Purana). On the authority of the Matsya Purana A.A. Borooah (Ancient Geography of India) places it about the confluence of the Gomati and the Ganges. It was sacred in the Kita age, as Pushkara in the Treta, Kurukshetra in the Dvapara and the Ganges in the Kali age. 

4. They had conquered their senses, regulated their diet, were devoted to truth. They worshipped Vishnu, the primeval preceptor of the universe with supreme devotion. 

5. Versed in the knowledge of shastras, invested with supreme glory they meditated on brahman-the eye of the universe and practised penance in the Naimisha region. 

6. Some worshipped the lord of sacrifices with sacrifices. Some worshipped the lord incarnate of knowledge through knowledge. Some worshipped him with supreme devotion. 

7. Once upon a time, the sages held a council with a desire to ascertain the means of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.¹ 

1. Chaturvarga-four ends of human life taken collectively are called Purushartha. 

8. Twenty-six thousands of sages reputed for their self-control gathered there. They were accompanied by their disciples and disciples of disciples who could not be counted in number. 

9. The pure-souled sages of great lustre who were devoid of malice and attachment assembled there to devise ways for the welfare of the people. 

10. How can we create the people's firm devotion for lord Hari? How could our threefold activity bear fruit for the welfare of the world? 

11. The sages were eager to put up such queries to Shaunaka. He, the wise man, could very well guess their anxiety. With hands joined in reverence and head bent as a token of modesty he said in reply. 

Shaunaka said:

12. In the holy hermitage of the Siddhas² there abides Suta who is well versed in the Puranic lore. He, the best of the self-controlled, is the disciple of Vyasa. He will answer the queries to your entire satisfaction. 

2. Siddhas: Some divine beings of great purity and holiness characterized by eight super natural faculties (siddhis), viz. anima, laghima, prapti, Prakamya, Mahima, Ishitva, Vashitva and Kamavasayita. 

13. Let us put our queries to him. Thus, Shaunaka, accompanied by the sages, went to the hermitage of the Siddhas. 

14. Shaunaka and the Naimisha-dwelling sages approached Suta and put their queries to him when they found him in proper mood. 

The sages said:

O you of good vow, please know that we have come to you as guests and we expect that you will receive us as such. 

15. By what means and in what manner with sacred ablution, gifts, etc. shall lord Vishnu be worshipped so that he may be gratified thereby. 

16. Please tell us your conclusive answers to our query so that they may serve as the means of our final release. 

Suta said:

O sages, listen, I am going to tell you my conclusive answers to your queries. 

17. Having paid homage to lord Vishnu, Lakshmi, Vayu, Bharati, Śhesha, the preceptor Vyasa and lord Krishna I shall answer your queries as far as I understand. 

18. There is nothing equal to Narayana, nor has it been nor would it be. In this faith, I accomplish my task, achieving purpose. 

Shaunaka said:

19. O noble Suta, please tell us why homage is paid to lord Vishnu at the very beginning. O you of good vow, do also tell us about the proper procedure of rechiting a Purana. 

20. You have paid homage to lord Vishnu, Lakshmi, Vayu, Bharati and Vyasa. Why this order in paying homage? O Suta of blessed virtue, let us know the reason thereof. 

Suta said:

21. Vishnu shall be worshipped at the outset-He who is knowable through the Vedas, Shastras and Puranas. He alone is the source of energy and lumination. He alone is worthy of our praise. 

22-23. He is the supreme deity, superior to the gods. He alone is worthy of adoration, not Shiva or others. The arrogant people who bypass Vishnu and pay homage to Shiva, Ganesha, Chandika, Renuka, Surya, Bhairava, Vayu, Sarasvati, Parvati and Lakshmi are a-Vaishnavas, i.e., averse to the worship of Vishnu.¹ The sages have proclaimed thus. 

1. This shows the sectarian character of this Kanda. 

24-25. Hence, one should not bow to each deity separately, for they are not satiated by individual worship. Whatever worship is rendered unto them they reciprocate partially and at the same time dedicate that worship to the supreme lord Vishnu adored by Lakshmi and others. 

26. O lord of birds, these deities should neither be worshipped nor saluted by brahmins and other castes desirous of salvation, for they are the source of trouble here and here after. They can grant the worshipper the dark, inferior regions. 

27-28. People in any stage of life² should not worship them even in adverse circumstances Those who for the accomplishment of desire worship Lakshmi, Brahma, Shiva, Indra, Yama, undergo great hardships, great calamities, foul discases such as leprosy, fistula. Those who vow to Brahma, Rudra, Vayu and other gods, excluding Vishnu are called a-Vaishnavas. 

2. The life of a twice-born is divided into four stages, viz; Brahmacharya, Garhasthya, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa; each consists of a period of twenty-five years, the total extent of the period being one hundred years. Shatayur vai Purushah. 

29. O great sages, I shall tell you an important secret which you should keep close to the heart and not divulge to any other. O brahmins, you should worship the image of Vayu³ and not the image of Brahma, Rudra, or other deity. 

3. The deity Vayu is identical with Vishnu. When the worship of a deity other than Vishnu is forbidden, that of Vayu is allowed. Vayu is a symbolical representation of Vishnu. 

30-32. When at worship, you should set up an image of Vayu, the symbol of Vishnu at an appropriate place. You should worship Vishnu, the lord of Lakshmi, in the appropriate manner. You should thereafter worship the image of Vayu with the remains of gifts. The stupid people who worship Vayu and the rest with fresh garlands, incense and sandal but not with the remains considerably suffer here and hereafter. There is no doubt in this. As an expiation, they should rechite Svasti mantras¹ and meditate upon Vishnu. 

1. VS. 36.17. 

33. The stupid who bow to the images of Shiva, Vayu and others set up by the hypocrites, the followers of Tamasa god Rudra² for the attainment of desire suffer eternally. 

2. Rudra. Rudras, eleven in number, are the inferior manifestations of Shiva who is the head of the group. Emanated from the fire of fury of Brahma he is possessed of Tamoguna. 

34. If the best of brahmins have set up an image of Vayu, one should pay homage to the same. If with the remains of offering made to Vishnu, Vayu is worshipped, there is not in the least any fault. 

35. Vayu, the father of Hanuman,³ is the preceptor of all. Hanuman is the regular worshipper of Rama. Knowing this, one should pay homage to Vishnu as well as Hanuman, the offspring of the great god Vayu. 

3. In fact Hanuman was a foster-child of Vayu. His actual parents were lord Shiva and Parvati. 

36-37. There is no other way of paying homage, O best of brahmins, you all should keep this as a guarded secret. 

The devotees of Vishnu or the followers of the sect should pay homage to Vishnu and Vishnu alone. By doing so, in an appropriate manner they can acquire virtue. 

38. Those who do not worship, even in adversity, any god other than Vishnu are the true devotees of the lord. Those whose minds are diverted to other gods are not the real devotees in any sense. You should not entertain any doubt in this respect. 

39. The learned declare those Puranas to be sacred or worth hearing which preach the cult of Vishnu from beginning to the end. In the iron age, such Puranas are welcome to attain popularity among the masses. 

40. There are a number of Puranas which preach respective dharmas to the four castes. Stupid people accept their verdict and feel jealous of one another. 

41. There is no deity equal to Vishnu, no preceptor equal to Vayu, no place of pilgrimage holier than the bank of the Ganges, no devotee of gods equals to the devotee of Vishnu. 

42. The Puranas devoted to Vishnu are called sattvikas.¹ These should be preached to the people but not others which cause suffering. 

1. The Mahapuranas are classified into three categories- Vaishnava, Brahma and Shaiva. The Puranas glorifying Vishnu are styled as Sattvika; glorifying Brahma as Rajasa and those glorifying Agni and Shiva as Tamasa. According to this description the eighteen Mahapuranas can be classified into Sattvika, Rajasa and Tamasa as under. 

Sattvika: Bhagavata, Vishnu, Garuda, Matsya, Kurma, Vayu. Rajasa: Skanda, Padma, Vamana, ‘Varaha, Agni, Bhavishya. 

Tamasa: Brahmanda, Linga, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya, Brahma, Aditya. 

Garuda mentions Aditya instead of Narada.

43. In the Kali age, only three principal puranas are devoted to Vishnu. Among these the Bhagavata Purana renders more good to the people. 

44. The Bhagavata Purana opens with the description of the origin of the universe, Vishnu, Brahma, Rudra and others. 

45. The wise declare knowledge to be manifold, consisting of various grades high, low and middling. All that knowledge is found in the Bhagavata Purana. Hence, Bhagavata is the highest of all Puranas. 

46. The Vishnu Purana comes next, then comes Garuda. The three are principal Puranas in the Kali age. Garuda contains some additional matter. 

47-48. O brahmanas, listen to that speciality. The Garuda Purana is divided into three parts. The first part is called Karma Kanda², the second Dharma Kanda³ and the third Brahma Kanda.⁴ Among these the third part is the best. 

 2. The same as Acharakanda.

 3. The same as Dharmakanda.

             4. The same as Mokshakanda. 

Listening to this part grants virtue which is equal to the virtue of listening to complete Bhagavata. 

49. When the third part is rechited one obtains merit equal to the merit of rechiting the Vedas. There can be no second thought in this respect. 

50. O brahmins, by listening to the third part of the Purana one obtains merit equal to that one obtains by rechiting and understanding the same. Mere rechitation awards one-tenth of the merit which accrues to the person who listens to and understands the same. 

51. Next in order of merit is the Matsya Purana, then comes Kurma Purana, then Vayu. These three are also Sattvika Puranas. O best of sages, in the sixfold series of Sattvika Puranas, there is lot of knowledge to be discovered. 

52. Among the Sattvika Puranas, Matsya and Kurma are inferior, Vayu is middling. Vishnu and Bhagavata are superior. 

53. Skanda, Padma, Vamana, Varaha, Agni and Bhavishya are Rajasa Puranas. Each of these contains sections on the Rajasa and Tamasa material. 

54. They are Rajasa, Rajas being prominent in them. Those seeking for release should not listen to these sections. Only the Sattvika part among these Puranas should be listened to-that provides merit equal to that of listening to Garuda. 

55. Brahma, Brahmanda, Brahmavaivarta, Linga, Markandeya and Aditya are the Tamasa Puranas. Parts of these Puranas are sattvika and rajasa. 

56. They should not be listened to by the seekers of truth, for they are Tamasa. O best of sages, there are Sattvika portions in them, listening to which accords merit equal to the merit of listening to Garuda (in part). 

57-59. Smaller in size are the Upapuranas¹ which are eighteen in number. Among these, Vishnudharmottara, Bhagavata,¹ Tattvasara, Nrusimha, Vayu and Hamsa are Sattvika, undoubtedly. By listening to these one secures half of the merit one would receive by listening to Garuda. 

1. On the nomenclature of the Upapuranas, authorities differ. PE. designates the eighteen Upapuranas as under: 

(1) Sanatkumara, (2) Narasimha, (3) Nāradiya, (4) Shivadharma, (5) Durvasas, (6) Kapila, (7) Manava, (8) Ushanas, (9) Varuna, (10) Kalika, (11) Samba, (12) Saura, (13) Aditya, (14) Maheśhvara, (15) Devibhagavata (16) Vasishtha (17) Vishnudharmottara (18) Nilamata. Other authoritics replace Naradiya, Aditya, Vasishthia and Nilamata by Paraśhara, Narada, Brahmanda and Samba. 

The Garuda mentions Tattvasara, Vayu and Hamsa among the Upapuranas. 

1. By 'Bhagavata' Devi bhagavata is means. 

60-63. Bhavishya, Bruhannarada and Laghunarada consisting of a dialogue between Yama and Narada, Karttika Purana and Bruhad Brahmanda are the Rajasa Puranas. By listening to these one gets full enjoyment. One gets one-fourth of the merit one would obtain by listening to Garuda. The wise have declared thus. Bhagavata, Shiva, Nandi, Pashupata, Rainuka, Bhairava are Tamasa Puranas-so declare the wise who are conversant with the cult of Vishnu. 

64. Listening to these Puranas imparts merit equal to 1/8 of the merit accruing from listening to Garuda. Bhagavata is the best of all Puranas. 

65. By rechiting the Purana one gets merit equal to that one would get by rechiting the Vedas. One who hears the Purana rechited gets half of the merit one gets by hearing the Vedas. If one hears the Purana rechited and understands what he hears gets tenfold the merit of the one who hears the Vedas and understands them. 

66-67. The rechiter (who understands the meaning) gets twice that merit and the commentator or expositor gets even more. 

The wise declare that the Purana is equal to the Vedas in the weightiness of purpose and the greatness of glory. It is more valuable than the Vedas so far as the meaning is concerned. This is declared by those who understand the mystery of Vishnu. 

68. The wise declare that the praise of Vishnu and the thousand appellations of the deity recorded in this Purana are the best among those who can bestow merit. Listening to the two obtains tenfold or more merit one earns by hearing the Bharata. 

69. In Bhiratavarsha¹, in the golden age (salyayuga), the daityas² are born in the brahmin families. They take some Verses out of the Bharata consisting of 6000 verses and replace them by new ones. 

1. Garuda (1.54, 13-14) speaks of Bharata, son of Rushabha and Merudevi. Bharata (derived from Bharata) is the southern Varsha Jambudvipa. 

2. The terms, Daityas, Danavas, Asuras denote peoples originally (AIHT, pp. 290-291) and refer to human beings. As the people deviated from the prescribed rules of conduct they were called by such appellations which denoted hared, opprobrium and abuse. 

70. The sage Vyasa (the author of this Purana) paid homage to Vishnu and composed among the Puranas the Bhagavata Purana, at first, in the glorification of Lord Vishnu. Thereafter he composed Garuda. 

71. Garuda is one of the principal Puranas as declared in the Šhastras. There is no Purana equal to Garuda in the exposition of Vaishnava cult. 

72. As Vishnu is the best of Gods, as Sudarśanas³ is the best of missiles, as the horse sacrifice⁴ is the best of sacrifices, as Rudra is the best among the inferior deities. 

3. This discus-weapon produced by Višhvakarman was given to Mahavishnu to be used by him to destroy the enemies (Vishnu P. Amsha 3 Ch. 2). According to another account the fire-god gave the discus-weapon to lord Krishna to fight against Indra. 

4. On the efficacy of Ashvamedha (horse-sacrifice) see Manusmruti:

The sacrifice was regarded as a symbol of sovereignty and power. The performer of the sacrifice let loose a horse to wander at will for a year, attended by a guardian. When the horse entered a foreign country, the ruler was bound chither to submit or to fight. In this way, the horse returned at the end of a year, with the guardian obtaining or enforcing the submission princes whom he brought in his train. After the successful return of the horse, the horse was sacrificed amidst great rejoicings. 

73. As the Ganges is the best among the rivers, lotus among the water-plants, Vayu among the superior deities, so Garuda is the best of all Puranas devoted to the cult of Vishnu. 

74. In the Garuda Purana, Vishnu is the principal deity. Being worthy of praise and easy to approach he should be honoured and worshipped at first. 

75-76. After Vishnu comes the blissful Lakshmi who is equally worthy of honour and worship. 

O best of brahmins, then comes Vayu, the noblest and the best among the brahmins and the lord of aspirants of Vishnu. He should be worshipped when the rechitation of a Purana begins. 

Next, the Goddess Bharati should be worshipped as she represents the Goddess speech itself. 

77. Next, among men, the sage Vyasa, the author of the Puranas should be worshipped. Being the devotee of Vishnu, he is entitled to worship. 

Shaunaka said:

78-79. How is it that the Sage Vyasa comes last in the list of those who are worthy of worship? O you of good vows, tell us the reason thereof. 

Suta said:

80. Homage should be paid 10 Vyasa at the end while homage is rendered to Vishnu at the beginning. Vishnu is the principal deity in the Puranas and Vyasa the incarnation of speech--words and their meaning. Vyasa cannot be equated with Vishnu. 

81. O best of sages, out of regard for you, I shall tell you the reason thereof. In the Puranas dominated by Tamoguna, Vyasa is eulogized as a great sage. 

82. Enticed by the knowledge of this fact, the asuras and their followers who worship Vyasa at first in preference to Vishnu enter the region of pitch darkness. Hence, Vyasa is worshipped at the end. This knowledge is the secret of secrets which should be kept close to the heart. 

83-84. Whoever is said to be worthy of homage, should not be accepted as such, for Vishnu alone is worthy of worship. 

85. Vishnu and Vyasa are identical. The Smrutis declare that Vyasa resembles Vishnu in many respects. 

86. The three-Vayu, etc., are declared to be worthy of worship. 

87. In lightening the burden of the earth, Hanuman¹ the son of Maruti is the principal organ of Vishnu. 

1. Hanuman--The son of Anjana by god wind or Marut. For a different version, see note 3, p. 959. 

88. Bharati (also called Sarasvati), identical with speech, is the second organ. Shesha² is the third organ. The trio is not treated on equal terms with Vishnu. 

2. Shesha-a celebrated serpent chief having one thousand heads and represented as forming the couch of Vishnu or as supporting the entire world on his head. 

89. They who are declared to be principal deities are worthy of worship. Vayu and the rest are secondary; hence they are not to be worshipped (on equal terms with Vishnu). 

90. Among Bhima³ and others Bhishma⁴ and Drona⁵ are the principal. The noblest of men they are worthy of worship. Thus, I have told you about the relative status of the gods who are more or less worthy of worship. What else do you wish to hear. 

3. Bhima - third among the sons of Pandu. In age he was junior to Yudhishthira and Arjuna and senior to Nakula and Sahadeva. 

4. Bhishma-son of Shantanu and Ganga was the ancestor of Pandavas and Kauravas and fought on the side of Kauravas. 

5. Drona-taught the Kauravas and Pandavas the science of arms and archery. He fought for the Kauravas but was killed by trickery.