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319
Aut.
XVI.?Analysis of
the Ganesa
Purana,
with
special
reference
to the
History of
Buddhism.
By
the Rev. Diu
Stevenson.
[Read
January 4,
184/5.]
TifiNKiwi that tho Ganesa Pnrrifia
might
throw
some
light
ou tho
origin
of tho Saiva
worship,
I
lately
took it
up
to examine it in that
relation. I had not
proceeded
far in this
investigation
beforo I
was
fortunate
enough
to meet with two
legends,
which I conceivo have
a
distinct refcrenco to tho riso and fall of Buddhism in India. Ono of
these is contained in tho
first,
and tho other in tho second khanda
or
division of tho
Puniha;
and to their consideration I shall devote this
paper,
after
a
fow brief
general
remarks
on
tho work itself.
Tho former called tho
Upasaua
Khahila of the
Puniha,
could
scarcely
havo been written beforo tho seventeenth
century
of
our
era,
as
Moresvar
(Sans. Mayurcsvara)
is mentioned
as a
great
Tirtha of
Ganesa;
but till
Morabhatta,
who flourished in tho former
part
of that
century,
gavo
it
celebrity,
and
originated
tho Chinchoro
(Chinchvad)
incarnate
Gahapatis,
it was a
placo altogether
unknown to fame.
The Puniha commences with tho misfortune of
Somakiinta,
king
of
fSiivnt
(Sans. Saurara.shtra),
who,
on account of tho affliction of
leprosy,
loft his homo and
kingdom
to wander in tho wilderness. While
roaming
about from
placo
to
placo,
he came in contact with the
sago
.Bhrigu,
one
of his
progenitors,
who retailed
to him what Brahma had
in ancient times related to
Vyt'isa
iu
praise
of Ganesa. Tho
sum of tho
whole
is,
that
Gautama, Saubhari,
Kaundinya,
Visvamitrn,
and all
tho
Rishis,
recommend to
sundry applicants
for
ghostly
advice tho
worship
of
Ganesa,
and tho
repetition
of tho
two
mantras,
tho
one,
Sri
Ganesdya namah,
and tho other tho
mystic
Dm.
India, Siva,
Vishnu,
Parafmritma, Bkauda, &c,
aro all
represented
as
having
failed in their
projects
till
they applied
te
Gafiesa, through
whoso aid alone
they
wero
enabled to
perform
their
exploits. Bhrigu,
therefore,
in conclu
sion,
sends
away
his
pupil
Somakanta to
get
rid of his
disease,
tho
conscqucnco
of sins committed in
a
former
state,
by
worshipping
Gahapati
on
tho 4th of
Bhadrapad, according
to the institute in which
ho had instructed him.
Tho second Khafida of the Purafia refers to tho
first,
and thcreforo
must havo been written aftor it. Si'ita is there introduced
as
relating
te tho assembled
sages
what
Bhrigu
had rehearsed
to
Somakanta,
and Brahma
originally
narrated at tho
request
of
Vyasa.
To extol
vol. vhi. 2 A
320
ANALYSIS OF
Ganesa above all other
objects
of
religious
adoration is
equally
tho
purport
of this second division.
In tho
Purana,
two distinct moelcs of
worshipping
Ganesa
aro
pointed
out. At
ono timo ho is identified
with tho
supremo spirit,
Paramdtma,
tho Brahma of tho
Vcdantists,
ami is to bo
worshipped by mystical contemplation
alono. Tho other
mode
by
which
religious homago may
be
paid
to him
is,
tho
forming
the
image
of the
god, crowning
it with
flowers,
presenting
to it offer
ings,
and
celebrating
tho annual festival of
Gafiapati.
The
particular legend
in the first division of tho Puriiha to which
referenco has been
made,
and which is interwoven with the
principal
theme after tho
manner
of tho
episodical
stories in tho
Panchopakhyana
and the Arabian
Nights,
commences
with tho
History
of Gritsamada.
The
grandfather
of this
sago
was
named
Bhima,
anel
was
soveroign
of
Vielarbha,
the modern Bcrar. His
capital city
was named
Kaufidiiiya
after the
sage
of that name.
The
king
had
no
children,
which so
afflicted
him,
that ho left tbo
city
with his wifo to wander in tho
forests and
propitiato
tho
deity.
In his
wanderings
ho met with
Visvamitra,
who directed him to
worship
Gahe6a. Tho
doity provcel
propitious,
anel ho had
a son
named
Rukmanga,
who,
after
ariving
at
manhood,
anel
having
been nssooiateel with his father in tho
govern
ment,
ono
day
lost his
way
whilo
hunting
in tho
wooels,
and came
to
a Rishi's
hermitage.
Tho
sage's
wifo fell in lovo with tho
king,
and
when he refused to listen to her unlawful
request,
sho cursed
him,
and
brought
on him tho affliction of
leprosy,
from which ho was
frccel
only
by applying
to Ganesa. Meanwhile
Indra,
whose character the Puranic
writer
seems littlo studious to
exalt,
is mado to assume
the form of
the virtuous
prince,
and
gratify
the licentious
passion
of tho Rishi's
wife. Tho fruit of this connection
was
tho
sago Gritsamada, who,
in
the Index
to the
Rig-Veda,
is inentioneel
as
being
tho Rishi of certain
portions
of these sacred
hymns.
The circumstances of his
origin
woro
unknown to the
sage himself,
but not to tho othor
Rishis, who,
when
ho had
joined
himself to thoir
society
on
the occasion of
a
Sruddha
performed by
tho
sovereign
of
Magadha, reproached
him with his
spurious
descent,
and
calling
him tho
son
of
Rukmiinga
ordered hiin to
quit
tho
assembly. Stung
to tho
quick by
thoir
roproaches,
Grit
samada went to his
mother,
and on
her
acknowledging
her
guilt,
ho
cursed
her,
imprecating
ou
her the doom of
becoming
a
Jujube
tree
'
after
her
death,
an event which followed
soon
after. Sho in return
impre
cated
on
him tho deiom of
becoming
a
Brahma Raksbas. No
change
of form however bofel tho
sage,
nor did ho
rcquiro
to dio and bo born
THE GANESA PURANA. 321
again;
on
tho
contrary,
tho
curse,
as far as
external circumstances
mado
any chango apparent,
seemed to come
upon
him in the
shape
of
a
blessing.
He courted
no moro
the
society
of tho
Rishis,
but after a
short
'abode with certain Munis of a
different
profession,
ho betook
himself to meditation
on
the
Supremo Being, standing
on
his
great
too
with his mind
intensely
fixed
on
tho
deity.
Tho
divinity,
identified
as
usual iu this Pnrafia with
Gaho&i,
but
possessing
ali tho attributes
of tho
Vedantist
Brahma,
appeared
to
him,
and
granted
all hig
requests,
Brahma llakshas
as
he
was,
and still
styling
him Brahman
and
Sage*,
accorded to
him,
as
ho
desired, pre-eminence
in all his
transmigrations
abovo other
Brahmans,
divine
knowledge*, along
with
a
beautiful
shrubbery3,
in which ho
might
engage
himself in divine
meditation. Aftor this tho wholo baud of
sages* paid
him tho
greatest respect,
honoured him as their
chief,
and
even went so far as
to
worship
him with oblations''. Gritsamada still continued to medi
tate
on
tho divine
essence,
absorbed in intense devotion. Ono
day
as
ho
opened
his
eyes,
bo
saw,
at a
great
distance beforo
him, something
liko
an
infant cast out in its
blood,
uttering
mournful lamentations.
His merciful
disposition
was
sensibly
affected,
but after
closing
his
eyes
for
a
littlo
while,
he found on
opening
them
again
a
beautiful
boy coining up
to
him,
who saluted him
as
his fathor and
mother,
saying
that ho had been
given
te him
by
the
deity,
and
promising
him all
obedience,
if ho would
adopt
him and tako him under his
pro
tection. Gritsamada
complied
with tho child's
request, taught
him
the
mystic
incantation
Om,
and sent him
away
to stand
on his
great
toe
contemplating
tho
supremo
Ganesa. After some thousands of
years
tho
deity, propitiated by
his austerities and tho
victory
ho had
obtained over
tho senses and
passions, appeared
to him and desired
him to ask
a
boon. Tho child asked tho
power
of
conquering
tho
threo
worlds,
which tho
divinity
accorded,
promising
at tho
samo
time that ho should be
incapable
of
falling by any weapon except
that
of
Siva,
that he should
possess
threo famous
cities,
one of
iron,
one of
silver,
and
ono
of
gold,
and that
on
leaving
tho world ho should bo
absorbed iu tho divino
essence.
This child
was no
other than tho famous
Tripurnsura,
who
spee
dily
set to
work,
and
by
tho assistance of certain others whom ho
created,
vanquished
Indra and all the
gods,
sent them
away
to hido
themselves in tho
caverns of the
Himalaya
Mountains,
and reduced
them to tho
greatest
state of leanness and
distress,
by putting
a
stop
1
"fan
ami
*rrg
pWM
gari
^
gfVpwn:
.?R$Tftl
Adliyrtya
XXXVII. SI. 35?30.
2 A2
322 ANALYSIS OF
to tho
offering up
of tho oblations which mortals had been accustomed
to
present
to
thorn. After
taking possession
of Brahma-loka ami
Vnikuhtha,
sending
Brahma to his lotus
bed,
and Vishnu
to tho sea of
milk,
ho went to Kailas and asked Siva to
givo
it
up
to him anel
rctiro to
Mandara,
with which
rcepicst,
after
a
littlo
grumbling,
tho
good-natured deity complied.
Tho
gods
in this sad
predicament apply
to
Niirada, who,
although rcaely enough
to
croato,
on suitablo
occa
sions,
a
littlo merriment at thoir
expense,
was over
rcaely
to
help
them
when
they
wero
really
iii distress. Ho recommends to thorn tho
wor
ship
of tho
Supremo Being; telling
them,
that it
was
by
adoration
of
the
supremo
Gahcsa that tho
Daitya
had attained tho
pre-ominenco
ho
enjoyed,
and that their affairs could bo retrieved
only by
tho
adoption
of tho
samo modo of
worship.
Tho
gods
and Rishis tako his
advico,
ami at last obtain tho favour of tho
deity,
who
promises
to take their
enso
into consideration aud
provido
an effectual
remedy.
For this
purpose
Gahcsa,
disguises
himself iu tho form of
a
Brahman,
ami
accosting Tripurasura,
told him that ho could build him such
a
city
as
coulel bo
cepiallcd
neither in heaven
nor on
earth. On
receiving
tho
Asur's command to
proceed
with tho
work,
ho built for him tho threo
famous
cities,
ono of
iron,
ono
of
silver,
anel
ono of
gohl.
On
being
askcel what boon ho
rcepiircd
for such
a
signal
service,
tho
cunning
Brahman,
in order that ho
might bring
ou a
collision between tho
Asur and Siva
requested
tho niarblo
imago
of Gahcsa called Chint.i
mani,
which
was
placed
at tho entrance of Kaibisa.
Tripurasura
readily agreed
to
grant
him such
a
trifling compensation
for his im
portant
services.
Yet, although
iu
possession
of
Kaibisa,
ho considered
it
wrong
to rem ovo
any
of tho furnituro of tho
placo
without first
going through
tho
ceremony
of
asking
Siva's
leave,
and
accordingly
sent two
messengers
to ask tho
god
to
givo
up
the
imago.
Tho Asur's
messengers,
in
making
this
request
iu tho
namo of thoir
master, gavo
no obscuro intimations that if tho
imago
woro not
given up
on
their
requisition,
forco would bo used to oxtort
compliance.
This
Mas too much for
Mahadova,
who
getting
into
a
rage,
rofusod to
acceelo
to so
unreasonable and uncivil
a
doiuaud. On this
Tripu
rasura mustered all his forces and attacked
Siva,
who advanced to
mcot him at tho head of all tho
gods.
Tho colestial armies wero'
again
routed,
and their
leader,
tho
great
Mahadova
himsolf,
was
obligeel
to mako
off,
and skulk about tho
precipices,
and lurk in tho
caverns of tho
Himalaya
mountains,
whilo tho Asur boro off tho
famous
image
Chintamani,
tho
subject
of tho
dispute,
in
triumph
tei
IYitala. Mortified and downcast
lit this
defeat,
Siva mado
no
attempt
to rctriovo the affairs of tho
gods,
till tho faithful
Niirada
camo to him
THE GANESA PURANA. 323
and instructed him in tho
worship
of tho
supremo
Spirit.
After Siva
had waited in tho austercst devotion for ten
years
on tho
supremo
Gaficsa,
tho
god appoarod
to
him,
and after
telling
him that neither
tho divine
llishis, Brahma,
tho
Vodas,
the
Upauishads,
nor
tho six
Sastras,
were
acquainted
with his
person1,
informed him that ho
was
propitiated
by
his
austerities,
and would
grant
him the boon ho de
sired,
namely, victory
over
Tripunisura.
To make bis
triumph
moro
certain and
complete,
Siva extols Gaficsa in a
hymn,
in which
every
one of his thousand names is recited. Tho Asur
can no
longer
with
stand tho
might
of tho
gods,
who,
through
the
blessing
of tho
supremo
Gaficsa,
and tho
generalship
of
Siva,
obtain
a
complete victory.
Mahadovit with his
fiory
darts consumes
the three
cities,
and tho
Asur,
no
longer
able to maintain his
ground
on
earth,
darts
away
as a
bril
liaut
meteor,
and
mingles
with tho divine essence.
If wo aro to
suppose
that this
legend
is
nothing
moro than
a
flight
of Brahmanical
fancy,
and that
no
allegory
lurks under the external
guise
of
a
long subjection
and
protracted
war
of all the
gods
with
a
particular
Asur,
wo shall do little credit te the wisdom of the
sage
by
whom it was
conceived;
but if we
supposo
it to bo
au
allegorical
representation
of tho conflict between Brahmanism aud
Buddhism,
wo
havo
a
subject worthy
of tho
poet's genius,
and obtain
au ex
tremely
interesting,
as well
as
probable
account of that memorable
struggle
We need not
question
the
strictly
historical
accuracy
of all the
evonts
eognizablo by
man
which befel Gritsamada. Tho
spuriousness
of his
origin,
his vast
learning,
his
quarrel
with tho Brahmanical
Rishis,
his association with Munis of a
different
order,
his devotion
to
the
worship
of tho
Supreme
Divinity,
and
adoption
of
a
ritual
differing
from that esteemed
orthodox,
aro
all circumstances that need not bo
called in
question.
His
adopting Tripunisura
and
teaching
him tho
science of
Divinity
aro
also
probablo
events. But the
important
questions
arc,
what
profession
did Gritsamada
adopt
after ho
was
oxpellcd
from tho
society
of the Brahmans? Did he become
a
Bud
dhist,
and is it tho
history
of Buddhism our author is hero
giving
under
the veil of the
legend
of
Tripunisura?
To enable
us to answer
satisfactorily
these
questions;
the
following
considerations,
evidently
dcduciblo from tho
narrative,
rcquiro
to be
kept
iu mind.
Adhyrtya
IV. SI. 33.
324
ANALYSIS OF
1.
During
the
new stato of
things
introduced
by
Gritsamada and
Tripurasura, according
to tho
Purana,
an
entiro
stop
was
put
to tho
performance
of tho Brahmanical ceremonies. This is
oxprcssly
stated
Adhyaya
XL. Sloka 9?12.
"
Having brought
in
subjection
all tho
gods,
the Asur returned to
earth,
aud tho
powerful Bhimakaya,
sub
duer of the
world,
by
his
might brought
in
subjection
all the
kings,
put
tho Rishis under
restraint,
shut
up
tho firo
tomplcs1,
broko down
everywhere
tho
hermitages
and
holy places
of tho
dovotccs,
seized tho
houses erected
as
refuges
to tho
religious;?and
bloated with
pride,
set
himself
always
in
opposition
to sacrifices to the
gods9,
oblations
to
tho
manes3,
burnt-offerings4,
tho
study
of tho
Vedas,
and
roligious
ceremonies.'*
No
language
can more
fully
describo
an
entire
proscription
of all
the
peculiar
rites of the Brahmanical
religion
than this.
It forms
a
comment on
the
aphorism quoted
in a
former
paper5,
in which the
Agnihotra,
tho
offering
of flesh to tho
manes, &c,
aro
declared
prohi
bited in tho
Kaliyuga.
If wo turn from tho Brahmanical to the Buddhist
records,
wo find
in the account of Asoka iu the
Mahavaiiso,
that at the
beginning
of
his
reign,
whilo
following
tho
roligion
of tho
Brahmans,
ho
was iu tho
habit
daily
of
sacrificing
a multitudo of
cows,
but that ho
put
an
entire
stop
to
this,
and to tho
feeding
of
Brahinaus,
on his conversion
to
Buddhism. Tho first edict of this
prince,
as fouml
engraved
to
this
day,
on
stone
pillars
iu various
parts
of
India.,
intorelicts tho offer
ing
up
of
any
animal iu
sacrifice,
as
well
as
killing
them for tho sake
of
food,
thus
abolishing
ono
essential rito of the ancient Brahmanical
ritual,
as
I havo shown in a
former
papor0.
Buddhism then
produced
tho samo
effects as tho
government
of
Tripurasura
in
regard
to tho
rites of tho Brahmanical
worship.
2.
Indra,
iu tho old Brahmanical
system,
was
tho creator of the
world,
and chief
among
tho
gods, sustaining
in fact tho
attributes,
and
performing
tho works of tho
Brahma, Vishnu,
and Siva of
mo
dern
Hinduism;
whilo in tho
system
of
Tripurasura,
Indra holds a
place
inferior to tho Asur
himself,
and has
no divine honours
paid
to
him. Tho second Mufulala of tho
Rig
Veda, being
tho latter
part
of
tho second
Ashtaka,
consists
entirely
of
hymns,
tho
composition
of
Gritsamada,
who makes such
a
figuro
in tho
legend
under
reviow;?
all
doubtless
composed
before ho had
changed
his
principles
and
1
^JBTf*?
a
*H5T
"
*W
4
_HZ
5
Journal ofthe
Royal
Asiatic
Society,
No.
XIII.,
p.
2.
e
Journal
of the
Royal
Asiatic
Society,
No.
XIII., pp. 3,
4.
THE GANESA
PURANA.
325
abandoned tho Brahmanical
religion.
It cannot bo unfair then to
tako tho character of India in the ancient
system
from thoso authori
tative
hymns
of
his,
which havo been deemed
worthy
of a
place
in the
Veda itself. It is
as
follows:?
1. 0
mortals,
it is
Indra,
who is tho first
born,
the
intellectual,
tho
divino,
who
protected
tho
gods by
his meritorious
works,
whoso
forces made tho two worlds
tremble,
and who is
groat
in
might.
2. It is ho who rendered firm tho
trembling
earth,
and established
on
their foundations tho
shaking
mountains,
who
spread
out the firma
ment,
and caused the orb of
day
to
asccud aloft. 3.
Who,
when ho
had slain the
cloudy
demon,
made the seven
rivers
flow,
who
brought
forth tho cows which tho Asur Bali had
concealed,
and
produced
firo
from tho midst of tho
watery
cloud,
destroying
his foo in the conflict.
4.
By
whom all creatures that movo on
tho earth
were
made,
who
formed tho servilo tribe that dwell im caverns under
ground,
and
con
quering
tho
myriads
of his foes
brought
down their
power
with the
caso a
hunter docs
(a stag1).
Such is tho character of Indra
given
by
Gritsamada while
a
votary
of Brahmaiiism. India is tho creator of tho earth and
sky,
and of all
thoir
inhabitants,
the
preserver
of the
pious,
and the
destroyer
of the
impious;
but tho
pupil
of the same
Gritsamada,
who had learned his
system
from him after his
change
of
creed,
is described iu
our
Purana
as
ascending
to
heaven,
meeting
India in hostile
conflict,
knocking
his
thunderbolt out of his
hand,
and aftor
a
struggle getting
hold of him
by
tho
feet,
whirling
him round and
round,
and
throwing
him into a
region
no one
know
where,
and in tho end
seating
himself
on
Ainivata
and
taking possession
of tho throno of heaven'2. Wo havo
only
to
turn over a
few
pages
of tho
Mahavauso
to find that Sakko
(India),
though dignified
with the name of
god,
is
a
being
of
no
esteem
anions
the
Buddhists,
and receives
no
divino
honours,
these
being
all reserved
for Buddha and his Theros.
3.
Contemplation
of the
Supremo Being
is
represented
as a mode
of divino
worship practised by
Gritsamada and
Tripurasura,
while
1
Ashtaka II.
Adhyeiya
0.
Varga
7.
.1 W ^.
lTOlft
MH^l^
^ft
^c|iv^r|HI Vrhg(1{
I
*ft
^flft.^
fq^ .-(Nt
.t
Sm*rT$TrT
V
SPfT
*
^5:
II &c.
8
Auliyrtya
?!l.
326 ANALYSIS OF
unknown both to tho Brahmans and tho
Saivas,
though
afterwards
adopted by
both
parties
for tho
purposo
of
subduing
the Asur.
It is
plain
from
a
review of tho Vedas that
sacrifices,
and
singing
hymns
to
India,
Agni,
Soma,
and ether
gods,
Uow considored
by
tho
Hindus of an inferior
grade,
was
the
highest
form of divino
worship
known to tho ancient Brahmans. In tho
Bhilgavat
Gita the Sdma is
considered the holiest of tho Vedas. It is
preserved by
tho Brah
mans
with
a
care,
and its
hymns
sung
with
a
roverenco,
that
plainly
mark the veneration in which it is hold. I found far less
dilliculty
in
tho west of India in
obtaining copies
of tho othor
Vedas,
than I did
iu
procuring
thoso of tho
Siima,
aud
yot
it consists
entirely
of
hymns
to the above-mentioned divinities. Siva and Brahma
aro nevor
even
mentioned,
and Vishnu is
rarely
invoked,
and then
only
as
subor
dinate to Indra.
On tho othor
hand, Gritsamada, according
te our
Purana, practised
fixed
contemplation
of tho
Supremo Being
as a
modo of divino
wor
ship, only
after ho had been
expelled
from tho
socioty
of tho Brah
ma
us,
and had becomo
a
Brahma
llakshas,
and mado tho
acquaiutanco
ef tho
Muni,
who dwelt in the
Pushpaka
Vana
(Flowery Forest).
At
that time neither Siva
nor
any
of tho Brahmanical
gods
or
sages
woro
acquainted
with this modo of
obtaining
tho favour of tho
divinity.
This is evident from tho narrativo of Gritsamada's
conversion,
or
npostacy,
which is
as
follows:
"
Thou
a
voico from heaven
was
heard,
and Gritsamada becarno
a demon1. Tho saino Gritsamada then went
to commence
tho
practico
of dovotion*. As ho wandered
on
ho at
last camo to tho
forest,
named tho
Flowory8,
filled with various
trees and
vines,
and ornamented with clusters of
flowers,
adorned also
with cascades of
water,
and tho
society
of eminent
sages.
Grit
samada dwelt awhilo with several vencrablo
men,
submitting
te their
commands. Then
having
bathed ho
performed japa, standing
on
tho
great
too with
a
fixed
mind,
contemplating
the
Supronie
Lord,
tho
god
Vighiicsvara, fixing
his
C3rcs
on the
point
of his
nose,
yet seeing
in ali
the ten
directions,
conquering
his
senses,
restraining
his
breath,
con
quering
the
mind,
and
living
on
air. Thus for
a
thousand divino
ages
he
performed
severe
japa*.v
Such
was
tho
religion
of
Gritsamada,
by
which ho obtained tho
favour of tho
Supromo Being
and divino
knowledge8.
It
was
the
same
system
that
ho
taught Tripunisura,
and
by
which that
enemy
of
tho
gods
obtained tho
supremacy
over
heaven aud
earth,
and thrust
1
^ifi?
*
WprRTO
*pj?M?i
4
Adhyiiya
37.
81. 1-5.
6
'ddsJR
TIIK GANESA PURANA.
327
down from heaven all tho Brahmanical deities. Such
also,
according
to
tho
Malutvanso,
was
tho
system
of
Buddha,
a
system
of
spiritual
and
mystical contemplation
of tho
nll-pervueliiig spirit.
Until Ndrada visited tho
gods
in thoir distress for tho
purpose
of
consoling
and
instructing
them,
thoy
remained in ontiro
ignoranco
of
this
Spiritual
and
mystical system.
On that occasion ho addressed
them
as
follows:?"I will relato to
you
concisely
tho
greatly
meri
torious actions of tho
Daitya.
Ho
performed tapd
for a
thousand
years,
and obtained the favour of
Gahcsa,
tho chief of the
gods,
ami
thoso irrcsistiblo
blessings
which
carry
dread to all
others,
and
pro
servo him from ali harm at tho bauds of
Dovas, Rishis,
Pi
trig, Bhfitns,
Yakshas, lliikshas,
Pisachas and
Nagas,-?of
all
except
tho lorel
Sankara
(Siva). Therefore,
lot all seek tho favour of tho chief of tho
gods, Gahcsa,
with all
respect,
and let all
worship
him who obviates
overy
difficulty,
and bestows
every
needful
blessing."
Tho
gods
said:
"0 wise
instructor,
teach
us
how to
worship
that
god
of
gods. Super
eminent
sage,
mercifully
toll
us
how to
proceed."
Niirada
replies:
"I will teach
you
all tho
ono
syllable
mantra
(Om). Repeating
that
mantra with a
pious
and fixed mind let all
engage
in
meditating
ou
tho
Supremo Being".
As far
as
I
can seo
Gahcsa is tho
goel
to whom
you
must
apply.
Ho will deliver
you
all. Thero is no
other
remedy
than this1."
In the samo manner
Niirada instructs
Siva,
who was
formerly
ignorant,
in this
worship
of tbo
supremo
Ganesa,
as wo
havo
shown in tho narrative. It was
only
then,
according
to this
Purana,
by
tbo
adoption
of this
new
form of
worship practised
first
by
tho
Asms,
that Siva anel tho
goels
conquered
their enemies and
regained
tho
supremacy
which
they
had
lost. AVhilo tho
Vedas,
as we
havo
seen,
speak only
of tho
worship
of
a
multitude of
gods, propitiated
by
sacrifices and
libations,
the Malutvanso
introduces Buddha as
remain
ing
for
many years
in fixeel
contemplation
of tho
divinity,
and
thus
obtaining
his
favour,
and afterwards
proceeding
to collect and instruct
disciples
exactly according
to tho
plan adopted by
tho
Asur,
hh
describeel in this Purana.
4. Tho final stato of bliss in which
Tripurasura
is said to havo
entered after death
was
unknown to the ancient
system
of the Brah
mans,
but tho idea has since been borrowed
by
them,
and final
eman
cipation
mado tho chief reward of dovotion.
Tho Sama Veda concludes with tho
following prayer,
which
con
tains
supplications only
for
temporal blessings,?the
kind of
good
^w.
Tr$%*r
*
Adliyaya40.
SL
21?31.
328
-ANALYSIS OF
things
which is
chiefly
dwelt
upon
in tho Vedas.
"Grant,
0
ye
gods,
who receive
sacrifices,
that we
may
hoar
only
what is
auspicious
with
our
cars,
and
see
only
what is
auspioious
with
our
eyes;
and
may
wo
who
propitiate
tho
gods
arrivoat tho
ago
fixed
by
tho
divinity,
"with undiminished mental aud
bodily
vigour."
Tho reward of the
pious
is
on ono occasion described as
"
reaching
the world of tho
Sun1;"
on
another,
as
"conquering
tho earth and
ascending
to the
lofty
man-'
sions of tho
sky8," evidently
Indra's
heaven,
tho
placo appointed
according
to the
Bhagavat
Gita for thoso who follow tho rites
pre
scribed
by
tho Vedas.
Tripurasura,
on the
contrary, according
to this
Purana,
receives
absorption
into the divino essonco as tho reward of
his
devotion,
just
as Buddha received Nirvan
as tho roward ef his.
This
part
of tho Asur
system,
it is well
known,
has like the
prece
ding
been embodied
by
tho Brahnians in tho
now Eclectic
system
of
Hinduism which
they
have
formed,
and endeavoured to
palm
upon
tho
world
as
tho
religion
of their ancient Rishis.
Thoro is
no
doubt
somo
slight,
shado of difference between
the Mukti of tho
Brahmans,
and
the Nirvan of tho
Buddhists,
but
they
agreo
in the
great
aud
pre
vailing
idea,
that tho liberated soul becomes united to the
supremo
spirit,
and loses all traces of
individuality.
5. Gritsamada is
represented
as
practising celibacy,
having
neither
wife
nor
progeny,
and
adopting
as his
son,
to fill
up
the ranks of his
order,
Tripurasura,
a
wandering orphan,
who
presented
himself beforo
him. Tho accordance of such
a state of
things
with tho
institutes of
Buddhism,
and its
opposition
to
Brahmanism,
is too obvious
to
rcquiro
a
single
remark. i
If now wo
consider that Gritsamada
agreed
in all theso
important
points?in
his notions of tho
object
of adoration?the
ceremonies of
religion?the
nature of divine
worship?tho
reward of
devotion,
and
the mode of
filling
up
the ranks of the
priesthood?with
tho
Buddhists,
while
differing
in them all from the ancient
Brahmans,
we
shall havo
littlo
difficulty
in
coining
to the conclusion that tho author of tho
Puniha is hero
drawing
a
picturo
of tho Buddhist
sect, which, although
sometimes
degenerating
into
a
caricature,
represents
nevertheless
the
general
features of
Buddhism,
with sufficient distinctness to muko
them
easily recognised.
One remark more
yet
remains to be
made,
and it is
ono of
no
small
importance
in tho
history
of
religious opinions
in India
;
it is
that Gritsamada when he left tho Brahmanical
sages
found
other
Munis with whom ho
resided,
and whose commands he for
a season
?
P. II.
AeJhyaya
VII. 4.
*
P. I.
Prnpntlmkn
I. Diwati
10. 2.
THE GANESA PURANA.
329
obeyed,
though
it is not said that ho
adopted
their entire
system.
So
Buddha in the Mahavanso is said to have met with doctors
of
reason,
whoso ideas of
religion
wore similar to his
own,
though
not in all
points
ielcntical. Buddha
gave
a
great impulse
to tho
system
of the
ancient
Munis,
and
now
modelled
it,
so as to make it
pass
for one
of
his own
invention
among
foreigners;
and this is
exactly
tho
light
in
which Gritsamada anel
Tripurasura
aro
exhibited in relation to tho
Munis of
Pushpaka
Vana.
The
legend
of Dovantaka and
Narantaka,
with which the second
part
of tho Punlna
commences,
is so
similar to that of Gritsamada
and
Tripurasura
in their
porformanco
of A
nushthdn,
their
victory
over
Indra,
anel devotion to tho
supremo Ganesa,
that it docs not seem to
roquiro any separate
remark
;
though
it furnishes additional
proof
of
tho oneness
of Buddhism and
tho Asur
system,
and leads to the samo
conclusion as
that at which wo
have arrived from tho consideration
of
tho former
part
of tho work.