Which of the 18 Major Puranas is the "Devi Bhagavad Purana"?

[Guest guest]

18 Major Puranas

Brahma Purana

Padma Purana

Vishnu Purana

Shiva Purana

Bhagwata Purana

Narayana Purana

Markandeya Purana

Agni Purana

Bhavishya Purana

Brahma Vaivarta Purana

Linga Purana

Varaha Purana

Skanda Purana

Vamana Purana

Kurma Purana

Matsya Purana

Garuda Purana

Brahmanda Purana

http://www.hindunet.org/puranas/18major.htm

 

Hello:

A question, within which of the 18 Major Puranas is the "Devi

Bhagavad Purana" that holds the Devi Gita?

 

I was looking at the places and books associated with Deva and wanted

to pin-point which one to search into.

 

-with palms together

Yeshe

[Guest guest]

Hi Yeshe O!

 

You asked: *** within which of the 18 Major Puranas is the "Devi

Bhagavad Purana" that holds the Devi Gita? ***

 

The Devi Bhagavata Purana is a separate purana, all on its own, and

not included within any of those listed in this listing of the 18

"Maha-Puranas."

 

You should realize that the listing of 18 is variable, depending upon

the sect that promulgates the list.

 

Among Shaktas -- devotees of Goddess -- the Devi Bhagavata Purana

takes the place of the Bhagavata Purana (a Vaishnava text) among the

18 Great Puranas. However, sects focusing worship upon Shiva or Vishu

(Krishna, Rama, etc.) tend to consider the Devi Bhagavata as an

Upa (i.e. Minor) Purana.

 

C. MacKenzie Brown, a scholar of the Devi Bhagavata Purana (and author

of the best English translation of the "Devi Gita") notes:

 

"With the exception of the Devi Mahatmyam [contained in] the

Markandeya Purana, the 'Great Purana' tradition seems to overlook the

Great Goddess, however much, in its later phases, it may have been

influenced by Shakta ideas."

 

Unfortunately, the Maha Puranas largely belong to the realm of

patriarchal Hinduism. And so, as Shaktas, we must get used to our

scriptures being relegated to the "Goddess ghetto."

 

But not to worry: For a Shaiva or Vaishnava Hindu to dismiss a Shakta

scripture as "minor" is not much different than a Christian

considering the Jewish Old Testament as being inferior to the New

Testament, or a Muslim considering the New Testament as being inferior

to the Quran. None of these views are absolute -- which is the "best

scripture" depends entirely on the faith on the person you ask.

 

We are Shaktas here and, for us, the Devi Bhagavata Purana is

absolutely a Maha Purana. It developed between 500 and 1,000 years

after the elemental Devi Mahatmyam, and does much to refine and

elaborate upon Shakta theology. It is a beautiful, inspiring and

erudite scripture.

 

If you can find a copy (it's out of print), Brown's "The Triumph of

the Goddess" (State University of New York Press, 1990) is an

excellent way to get a handle on this important Purana.

 

Aum Maatangyai Namahe

[Guest guest]

devi_bhakta wrote:

>C. MacKenzie Brown, a scholar of the Devi Bhagavata Purana (and author

>of the best English translation of the "Devi Gita") notes:

>"With the exception of the Devi Mahatmyam [contained in] the

>Markandeya Purana, the 'Great Purana' tradition seems to overlook the

>Great Goddess, however much, in its later phases, it may have been

>influenced by Shakta ideas."

 

Actually there is a lot more praise of the Goddess in the 'Great Puranas'

than C. MacKenzie Brown seems to know. I'd mention the Lalita Mahatmyam in

the Brahmanda Purana; the Uma Samhita of the Shiva Purana; and the Prakriti

Khanda of the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana.

 

Om Shantih,

 

Colin