Skanda Purana

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The Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts.^[1] The text is devoted mainly to the life and deed of Kartikeya (also called Skanda or Murugan), a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him. This Mahapurana was 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 Khanda describes the Shaiva tradition of Varanasi, and the Utkala Khanda 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 saṁhitās, each of which consists several khaṇḍas. According to another tradition, these are grouped in seven 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 Khaṇḍas (parts): Maheśvara, Viṣṇu or Vaiṣṇava, Brahma, Kāśī, Āvantya, Nāgara and Prabhāsa^[2]. 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 Khaṇḍas.

The Khandas

The Maheśvara Khaṇḍa consists three sections: the Kedāra Khaṇḍa (35 chapters), the Kaumārika Khaṇḍa or Kumārika Khaṇḍa (66 chapters) and the Arunācala Khaṇḍa or Arunācala Māhātmya. The Arunācala Khaṇḍa is further divided into two parts: Pūrvārdha (13 chapters) and Uttarārdha (24 chapters). The Viṣṇu Khaṇḍa or Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa consists nine sections: Veṅkatācalamāhātmya (40 chapters), Puruṣottamakṣetramāhātmya (49 chapters), Badarikāśramamāhātmya (8 chapters), Kārttikamāsamāhātmya (36 chapters), Mārgaśirṣamāsamāhātmya 17 chapters), Bhāgavatamāhātmya (4 chapters), Vaiśākhamāsamāhātmya (25 chapters), Ayodhyāmāhātmya (10 chapters) and Vāsudevamāhātmya (32 chapters). The Brahma Khaṇḍa has three sections: Setumāhātmya (52 chapters), Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa (40 chapters) and Uttara Khaṇḍa or Brahmottara Khaṇḍa (22 chapters). The Kāśī Khaṇḍa is divided into two parts: Pūrvārdha (50 chapters) and Uttarārdha (50 chapters). The Āvantya Khaṇḍa consists Avantikṣetramāhātmya (71 chapters), Caturaśītiliṅgamāhātmya (84 chapters) and Revā Khaṇḍa (100 chapters). The Nāgara Khaṇḍa (279 chapters) consists Tirthamāhātmya and the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (366 chapters) consists Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya, Vastrāpathakṣetramāhātmya, Arvuda Khaṇḍa and Dvarakāmāhātmya^[2].

The Samhitas

The second type of division of the Skanda Purana is found in some texts like Hālasyamāhātmya of the Agastya Saṁhitā or the Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, Sambhava Kāṇḍa of the Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, Śivamāhātmya Khaṇḍa of the Sūta Saṁhitā and Kālikā Khaṇḍa of the Sanatkumāra Saṁhitā. According to these texts, the Skanda Purana consists of six Saṁhitās (sections): the Sanatkumāra Saṁhitā, the Sūta Saṁhitā, the Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, the Vaiṣṇavī Saṁhitā, the Brāhmī Saṁhitā and the Saura Saṁhitā. The manuscripts of the Sanatkumāra Saṁhitā, the Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, the Sūta Saṁhitā and the Saura Saṁhitā are extant. A manuscript of a commentary on the Sūta Saṁhitā by Madhavācārya is also available^[2].

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: Himvat Khanda which contains 'Nepal Mahatmya', Kanakādri Khaṇḍa, Bhīma Khaṇḍa, Śivarahasya Khaṇḍa, Sahyādri Khaṇḍa, Ayodhyā Khaṇḍa, Mathurā Khaṇḍa and Pātāla Khaṇḍa^[2].

The popular narratives

Some of the popular narratives described in the 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 Narakas (Hell)
• A description of Jyotirlingas - the important holy shrines associated with Lord Shiva.

See also

• Guru Gita

Notes

Further reading

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

External links

• original Sanskrit text
• Excerpts from Skanda Purana
• Skanda Purāṇa 1-2
• Skanda Purāṇa 3-4

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