Reflections On Social and Religious Life In Mārkaṅdeya Purāṅa
KOUSHIK KARMAKAR;
Ph.D RESEARCH SCHOLAR; SANSKRIT,PALI & PRAKRIT;
VISVA-BHARATI UNIVERSITY, SANTINIKETAN, 731235
Email.id: karmakarkoushik3458@gmail.com
Abstract:
The word ‘Purāṅa’ means old or ancient. Purāṅa is a vast genere of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends and other traditional lore. This perception is famous among the people that Kṛiṣṅa Dvaīpāyana Vedavyāsa composed the Mahābhārata then he composed Purāṅas. Purāṅas contain narratives about the history of the Universe from creation to destruction and the genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and deities. Here in Mārkaṅdeya purāṅa a study of society and religion is to construct the history of ancient India as well as summarizing the present Indian civilization in its light. The term ‘society’ is used here for a large number of human beings as their relations wheather organised or not. This can not be just a substance but also implies their mutual relationships among all human beings. Thus, the study of society Takes into account the institutiion of caste or class, those of the Āśramas and slavery, marital laws etc. family life, position of women, food and drink, dress decoration, customs and conventions etc.
The social informations from the Mārkaṅdeya purāṅa are discussed under the following five parts viz.
1.Social Organisation
2.Marriage
3.Family
4.Position of women
5.Social thinking
A system of faith and worship which is implied in this purana on the basis of religilon. In the Mārkaṅdeya purāṅa a huge of materials on religion is available, particularly regarding the Devī, Dattatreya and Sun. Under the religious condition, we see that in the society of Mārkaṅdeya purāṅa ancestors, deities, śhrāddha rituals, yajña-affections are especially visible. In this purāṅa the parva śrāddha or the parvana śrāddha is the model of norm of the other śrāddhas(even including the astakas). This is also called Nitya-Naīmittika śrāddha and in the Mārkaṅdeya purāṅa the term Nitya-naīmittika is explained by the Nirūkta method of explanation. The term ‘nitya’ is prefferd as the time is ‘nitya’ or ‘fixed’. The term ‘niyata’ slowely becomes ‘nitya’ by metathesis. It has also been mentioned in this purāṅa that millions of yajñas are organised in the time of a king.
Keywords: Indian literature, Indian civilization, caste, Āśramas, marital laws, ancestors.
DOI link – https://doi.org/10.69758/GIMRJ/2506S01V13P013
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