Skanda Purana

Skanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text, is the largest Purana [Studies in IAST|Skanda Purāṇa, By Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare,Published 1996 Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 8120812603] and is devoted mainly to the life and deed of Kartikeya (also called Skanda or Muruga), a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him. The Puranas were recited by Skanda, and is available in distinct parts, sometimes fragmented too. It also describes the Shaiva tradition in Hemakuta region (near Vijayanagar) of Karnataka, Kashi part describes the Shaiva tradition of Varanasi, and the Utkal part states about Shaiva tradition of Orissa.

The contents

Traditionally, the whole corpus of texts, which are considered as part of the Skanda Purana is grouped in two ways. According to a tradition, these are grouped in six IAST|saṁhitās, each of which consists several IAST|khaṇḍas. According to another tradition, these are grouped in seven IAST|Khaṇḍas. The presently available printed editions of this text are published by the Bangabasi Press, Calcutta, the Shri Venkateshvara Press, Bombay (1910) and the N.K. Press, Lucknow and all these editions consist seven IAST|Khaṇḍas (parts): IAST|Maheśvara, IAST|Viṣṇu or IAST|Vaiṣṇava, Brahma, IAST|Kāśī, IAST|Āvantya, IAST|Nāgara and IAST|PrabhāsaShastri, P. (1995) "Introduction to the Puranas", New Delhi: Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, pp.118-20] . In 1999-2003, an English translation of this text was published by the Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi in 20 volumes. This translation is also based on a text divided into seven IAST|Khaṇḍas.

The Khandas

The IAST|Maheśvara Khaṇḍa consists three sections: the IAST|Kedāra Khaṇḍa (35 chapters), the IAST|Kaumārika Khaṇḍa or IAST|Kumārika Khaṇḍa (66 chapters) and the IAST|Arunācala Khaṇḍa or IAST|Arunācala Māhātmya. The IAST|Arunācala Khaṇḍa is further divided into two parts: IAST|Pūrvārdha (13 chapters) and IAST|Uttarārdha (24 chapters). The IAST|Viṣṇu Khaṇḍa or IAST|Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa consists nine sections: IAST|Veṅkatācalamāhātmya (40 chapters), IAST|Puruṣottamakṣetramāhātmya (49 chapters), IAST|Badarikāśramamāhātmya (8 chapters), IAST|Kārttikamāsamāhātmya (36 chapters), IAST|Mārgaśirṣamāsamāhātmya 17 chapters), IAST|Bhāgavatamāhātmya (4 chapters), IAST|Vaiśākhamāsamāhātmya (25 chapters), IAST|Ayodhyāmāhātmya (10 chapters) and IAST|Vāsudevamāhātmya (32 chapters). The IAST|Brahma Khaṇḍa has three sections: IAST|Setumāhātmya (52 chapters), IAST|Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa (40 chapters) and IAST|Uttara Khaṇḍa or IAST|Brahmottara Khaṇḍa (22 chapters). The IAST|Kāśī Khaṇḍa is divided into two parts: IAST|Pūrvārdha (50 chapters) and IAST|Uttarārdha (50 chapters). The IAST|Āvantya Khaṇḍa consists IAST|Avantikṣetramāhātmya (71 chapters), IAST|Caturaśītiliṅgamāhātmya (84 chapters) and IAST|Revā Khaṇḍa (100 chapters). The IAST|Nāgara Khaṇḍa (279 chapters) consists IAST|Tirthamāhātmya and the IAST|Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (366 chapters) consists IAST|Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya, IAST|Vastrāpathakṣetramāhātmya, IAST|Arvuda Khaṇḍa and IAST|DvarakāmāhātmyaShastri, P. (1995) "Introduction to the Puranas", New Delhi: Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, pp.118-20] .

The Samhitas

The second type of division of the Skanda Purana is found in some texts like IAST|Hālasyamāhātmya of the IAST|Agastya Saṁhitā or the IAST|Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, IAST|Sambhava Kāṇḍa of the IAST|Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, IAST|Śivamāhātmya Khaṇḍa of the IAST|Sūta Saṁhitā and IAST|Kālikā Khaṇḍa of the IAST|Sanatkumāra Saṁhitā. According to these texts, the Skanda Purana consists of six IAST|Saṁhitās (sections): the IAST|Sanatkumāra Saṁhitā, the IAST|Sūta Saṁhitā, the IAST|Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, the IAST|Vaiṣṇavī Saṁhitā, the IAST|Brāhmī Saṁhitā and the IAST|Saura Saṁhitā. The manuscripts of the IAST|Sanatkumāra Saṁhitā, the IAST|Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, the IAST|Sūta Saṁhitā and the IAST|Saura Saṁhitā are extant. A manuscript of a commentary on the IAST|Sūta Saṁhitā by IAST|Madhavācārya is also availableShastri, P. (1995) "Introduction to the Puranas", New Delhi: Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, pp.118-20] .

The other texts

The manuscripts of several other texts which claim to be part of the Skanda Purana are found partially are wholly. Some of the notable texts amongst these are: IAST|Kanakādri Khaṇḍa, IAST|Bhīma Khaṇḍa, IAST|Śivarahasya Khaṇḍa, IAST|Sahyādri Khaṇḍa, IAST|Ayodhyā Khaṇḍa, IAST|Mathurā Khaṇḍa and IAST|Pātāla KhaṇḍaShastri, P. (1995) "Introduction to the Puranas", New Delhi: Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, pp.118-20] .

The popular stories

Some of the popular stories that occur in Skanda Purana are:

* The yagna (sacrifice) of Prajapati Daksha
* The churning of ocean and the emergence of Amrita (Ambrosia)
* The story of demon Tarakasura
* The birth of Goddess Parvati and Her marriage to Lord Shiva
* The Birth of Skanda (or Kartikeya)
* The killing of demon Tarakasura by Skanda
* The killing of Pralambasura
* The queries of Karamdham
* The killing of demons Shumbh, Nishimbh and Mahishasura
* An account of Vishnukund
* The story of Padmavati
* A description of various holy places associated with Shiva and Skanda
* The story of Trishanku and sage Vishvamitra
* A description of Hell
* A description of Jyotirlingas - the important holy places associated with Lord Shiva.

ee also

*Guru Gita

Notes

Further reading

*Mani, Vettam. "Puranic Encyclopedia". 1st English ed. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1975.

External links

* [http://www.bharatadesam.com/spiritual/skanda_purana.php Excerpts from Skanda Purana]
* [http://texts.00.gs/Skanda%20Purana.htm IAST|Skanda Purāṇa 1-2]
* [http://texts.00.gs/Skanda_Puran.a,_3-4.htm IAST|Skanda Purāṇa 3-4]