A PROSE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF VISHNUPURĀNAM
Transcriber's Note
This book was transcribed from scans of the original found at the Internet Archive. The original text badly neededproofreading. It contained inconsistent spellings of names, misplaced punctuation, misspellings, inconsistent useof the macron (ā), improper nested quotations, and other problems. I have attempted to correct these where theauthor's intent was obvious. Manmatha Nath Dutt's translation is based on an earlier one by H. H. Wilson, availableat sacred-texts.com. Where the wording or meaning of certain passages was unclear, either because of damage tothe book or bad proofing, I have consulted the Wilson translation to make sure I got the meaning right.
There are two words in the text that may seem like one word inconsistently spelled but which are not: Brahma and Brahmā.The former refers to the impersonal form of Vishnu, and the latter is the demigod in charge of creation of the materialuniverse.
The cover illustration makes use of art from the Met Museum, Krishna Govardhandhara, a miniature paintingcommissioned by Akbar (c.1590-95) Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper.
A
PROSE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
OF
VISHNUPURĀNAM
(BASED ON PROFESSOR H. H. WILSON'S TRANSLATION.)
EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY
MANMATHA NATH DUTT, M. A., M.R.A.S.,
Rector, Keshub Academy;
Author of the English Translations of the Srimadbhagavatam,Mahabharata, Bhagavat-Gita and other works.
CALCUTTA:
PRINTED BY H. C. DASS,
Elysium Press 65/2 Beadon Street.
1896
PREFACE.
That Purāna in which Parāsara, beginning with the eventsof Varāha Kalpa, expounds all duties, is called Vaishnava andis said to consist of twenty-three thousand stanzas. But theactual number of verses falls far short of the enumeration ofthe Matsya and the Bhagavata. Vishnu Purānam consists ofall the characteristics of the Purāna, namely, five specifiedtopics and has been divided into six books.
In this translation of Vishnupurānam I have principallydrawn upon Professor H. H. Wilson's splendid work, andhave tried, as best as lies in my power, to interpret theancient thought entombed in this great work. My work isnot so much intended for scholars as for the general readerswho have not the time and leisure to read the original.Professor Wilson's book is very costly and cannot be alwaysprocured by the readers; and in the face of this difficulty Ihope my edition will not be unwelcome to the general public.
CALCUTTA:
September 1894
CONTENTS:
PART I.
Section I.—Invocation. Maitreya inquires of his teacherParāçara, the origin and nature of the universe. Parāçara performsa rite to destroy the demons; reproved by Vasishtha, he desists;Pulastya appears, and bestows upon him divine knowledge; he repeatsthe Vishnu Purāna, Vishnu the origin, existence, and end of allthings.
Section II.—Prayer of Parāçara to Vishnu. Successive narrationof the Vishnupurana. Explanation of Vasudeva; his existence beforecreation; his first manifestations. Description of Pradhana or thechief principle of things. Cosmo