History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c90.208

v7.c90.208

*Brahmāṇḍa* (pub. by Venk. Press). It is divided into four pādas (I. 1. 38-39) viz. Prakriyā (5 chapters), Anuṣaṅga (33 chap.), Upodghāta (74 chap.), Upasaṃhāra (4 chap) followed by Lalitopākhyāna in 40 chapters. The Kūrma expressly¹⁴²⁰ states that the Brahmāṇḍa was narrated to the sages engaged in a sattra in the Naimiṣa forest and the Skanda (Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa 2. 8-9) states there was formerly only one Purāṇa called Brahmāṇḍa containing one hundred crores of verses and that later it was distributed into 18 parts. It was probably composed near the rise of the Godāvarī, since it says that that part of the country towards the northern ranges of the Sahya mountain where the Godāvarī rises is the most charming in the whole world and that there a city called Govardhana was founded by Rāma.¹⁴²¹ In the first two parts it deals with the subjects of creation, the geography of the earth and of Bhāratavarṣa, and the manvantaras, pupils of Vyāsa, the distribution of the Veda Śākhās &c. The third section is the longest and after mentioning Vaivasvata Manvantara and, after dilating upon the creation of gods, asuras, gandharvas, sages and their progeny, it deals at length with all aspects of śrāddha (in chap. 9-20 and 879 verses), describes Paraśurāma's austerities, his securing of weapons, his slaughter of Kārtavīrya and kṣatriyas, filling five lakes with their blood (in chap. 21-47 and over 1550 verses); then follow in chapters 48-57 the story of Sagara and the bringing down of the Ganges by Bhagīratha, the protection of Gokarna from the sea, and the story of Śūrpāraka (chap. 57 and 58), the dynasties of the solar and lunar race (chap. 59ff); then it speaks of Dhanvantari receiving from Bhāradvāja Āyurveda in eight aṅgas; in part IV. it refers to Manus, jñāna, karma, mokṣa &c.