i02 Smriti: Indian Knowledge, Wisdom, and Law

Indian Knowledge Systems - Puranas and Itihasam

Dr Sudheendra S G  summarizes the key concepts and themes related to Puranas and Itihasam within the Indian knowledge system,. It highlights their distinction from Shruthi and Smrithi, their historical and literary significance, and their unique contributions to human understanding.

1. Context: The Indian Knowledge System Hierarchy

The source positions Puranas and Itihasam as integral components of a broader Indian knowledge system, building upon the foundational concepts of Shruthi and Smrithi:

• Shruthi: Defined as "apouresheya vedas," the "user manual given to humans from god," representing "the basic principle of our life."
• Smrithi: Formulates the principles of Shruthi into "rules, rights and duties."
• Puranams: The third category, serving as "documented references to various events," akin to ancient "news papers" that archive daily occurrences.
• Itihasam: The fourth category, likened to "Social studies of today," dealing with "historical events that happened in our land and also its precise geographical locations."

2. Puranas: Ancient Archives and the Birth of Literature

The Puranas are presented as a sophisticated system of documentation, predating European newspapers, and crucially, as the origin of human literature.

2.1. Structure and Content of Puranas:

Puranas are categorized into ten sections, each documenting a specific aspect of existence:

• Sargah: "dealing with the creation of our solar system."
• Visargah: "about creation of planets."
• Vruthi: "all about the evolution of life."
• Raksha: "all about the sustainability of nature."
• Antarani: "all about the history of time and measurement of time."
• Vamsa: "about the family tree of various human species." This practice of recording family trees "existed in our Indian knowledge system long back."
• Vamsanucharita: "all about the rulers, kings and dynasties." This category allows for precise historical tracing, such as Bhagiratha being the "43rd ruler in ishkvaaku family," and identifying Krishna and Pandava/Kouravas' family lineages.
• Samstha: "about the natural calamities that has occurred."
• Hetu: "about the prime causes for this calamities."
• Apasarayah: "about the super humans and history of great people."

2.2. Maharshi Vedavyasa: The World's First Storyteller and the Architect of Literature:

A pivotal figure in the discussion of Puranas is Maharshi Vedavyasa, credited with transforming mere information into literature:

• "The ten segments of documented contents are just informations."
• "But vedavyasaru added emotions to it and created literature through his eighteen puranams."
• "The 18 puranams of Vedavyasaru is the world’s first ever documented literature and it thought humans how to narrate events as stories and make it interesting to humans."
• "The world’s first story teller is none other than vedavyaasaru."

2.3. The Concept of "Rasa" (Emotions):

Vedavyasa is credited with defining how "human interact with nature through nine emotions," which were later termed "rasas" by Bharata Muni in Naatya Shaastra. These nine emotions are:

• Shringara rasa: Love
• Haasya: Laughter
• Karuna: Kind or compassionate
• Raudra: Anger
• Veera: Courage
• Bhayanaka: Fear
• Bibhatsya: Disgusted
• Adbudha: Wonder
• Shantha: Peaceful

The source highlights the story of Lord Srinivasa and Padmavathi, documented by Vedavyasa in the Bhavishya, Skanda, and Vishnu Puranas, as "the world’s first love story," showcasing how emotions were formulated and explored through narratives.

2.4. Documentation of Vishnu's Avatars:

The Puranas also serve as a record of divine incarnations, specifically the nine appearances of Vishnu to save the earth:

• Matsya Purana: Documents Vishnu's "matsa avatar" (fish), saving Manu.
• Kurma Purana: Documents Vishnu's "kurma avatar" (tortoise).
• Varaha Purana: Documents Vishnu's "varaha avatar" (boar/wild pig).
• Vishnu Purana (and others): Documents Vishnu's "Narasimha" (lion) incarnation.
• Vamana Purana: Documents Vishnu's "vamana" (dwarf) incarnation.
• The remaining thirteen Puranas (Markhandeya, Bhagavata, Bhavishya, Brahmanda, Brahma, Brahmavaivarta, Vaayu, Agni, Narada, Padma, Linga, Garuda, and Skanda) record "other avataras and other historical events."

3. Itihasam: Historical Narratives and Literary Innovation

Itihasam, the fourth category, focuses on historical events with precise geographical locations and comprises two "great literatures": Ramayanam and Mahabharatham.

3.1. Ramayanam: Uni-Polar Literature:

• Authored by Maharshi Valimiki.
• Characterized as "Uni polar literature" because "the author defines us that there is one good man called Rama and another is the bad man called Ravan."
• The narrative is "uni dimensional," focusing on "the greatness of rama and how an ideal human needs to behave under various circumstances and how an ideal human has to maintain his different rols in relationship." It is viewed "from the perspective of a single hero Ram."

3.2. Mahabharatham: Multi-Polar Literature and Unparalleled Literary Achievement:

• Authored by Vedavyasa.
• Considered "Multi polar literature" with "no single hero or villain" and "no specific set of rules here to be good or to be bad."
• Its beauty lies in its "collection of events" that can be viewed "from the perspective of various characters."
• The "perception of every event changes" depending on the character through whose eyes the story is seen (e.g., Krishna, Dharmaraya, Duryodana, Shakuni, Kamsa).
• It is described as "one of the rarest of rare literature where you can have a multiple perspective experience of a set of events by seeing the events from various perspectives of characters."
• Despite attempts by "Many literates, authors, and great novelists," none have been "as successful as vedavyaasa of Mahabharat."
• The source explicitly states: "So Mahabharat is not a religious document. It is one of the finest literature and its contribution to world literature is magnanimous."

4. Interconnectedness of the Knowledge System

The briefing concludes by reiterating the hierarchical and interconnected nature of these knowledge categories:

• "Principles comes from vedas,"
• "They are conceptualized into rules and regulatons in smrithi,"
• "and its practical applications are presented through historical references and stories in puranas."

In summary, the Puranas and Itihasam are presented not merely as religious texts but as sophisticated ancient archives and the foundational pillars of literature, offering insights into history, human emotions, and multifaceted perspectives on life.