Purana - Purāa (English spelling)

A general term for a group of sacred texts passed down by Hindus. They are strongly sectarian, and generally belong to either the Vaishnava or Shaiva sect. The word "Purana" means "ancient story," but it is believed that it was after the Atharva-Veda that this came to refer to a specific book, and it is estimated that the Puranas as we know them today were created after the Sutras. In any case, it is believed that various Puranas were created gradually over a very long period of time. In terms of language, meter, and other points, they show commonality with the epic poem Mahabharata, but the content is extremely diverse and lacks consistency. However, the Puranas are of great value as a source of information for understanding the full range of Hindu thought and culture, as they refer to a wide range of issues, such as myths and incarnation legends about the gods Vishnu and Shiva, cosmology, philosophical worldview, religious rituals (especially ancestral worship), social systems, medicine, and literary theory. There are 18 "Major Puranas" and an equal number of "Minor Puranas," the former of which include the famous Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana.

[Michihiko Yajima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ヒンドゥー教徒の伝える一群の聖典文献の総称。宗派的色彩が濃く、おおむねビシュヌ、シバ両派のいずれかに所属する。「プラーナ」の語は「いにしえの物語」を意味するが、これが特定の書物をさすようになったのは『アタルバ・ベーダ』以降とみられ、また現在のようなプラーナ文献が予想されるのはスートラ文献以降のことと推定される。いずれにせよ、きわめて長期間にわたって徐々に諸種のプラーナがつくられていったとみられる。言語、韻律その他の点で、とくに叙事詩『マハーバーラタ』とは共通性を示すが、内容的にはきわめて雑多であり、一貫性には乏しい。しかしビシュヌ神やシバ神についての神話や化身伝説、宇宙論、哲学的世界観、宗教儀礼(とくに祖霊祭)、社会制度、医学、文芸論など、種々の問題に幅広く言及しているので、プラーナ文献はヒンドゥー教の思想や文化の万般を知るうえで、資料的に大きな価値を有する。18の「大プラーナ」と同数の「副プラーナ」とがあり、前者には有名な『ビシュヌ・プラーナ』や『バーガバタ・プラーナ』が含まれている。

［矢島道彦］

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