|
|
Apart
from the 18 major Puranas there are an equal number of
Upa-puranas. Among them are the Vinayaka Purana and the Kalki
Purana. There are also, in addition, a number of minor
Puranas. The Puranas that speak of the glory of various months
such as the Tula Purana, the Magha Purana and
the Vaisakha Purana are parts included into the 18 major
Puranas or Upa-puranas. There are also what are called Sthala Puranas, some
of them part of the Puranas mentioned above and some existing
independently. The puranas that sing the glory of the Kaveri and
the Ganga exist both separately and as part of the major Puranas
or of the Upa-puranas. In the Tula Purana, for instance,
the importance of the Kaveri is the theme. It mention how
auspicious it is to bathe in that river in the month of Tula
(October-November).
If
there are Puranas devoted to the deities there are also those
dealing with devotees. The Tamil Periyapuranam tells the
story of the 63 Saiva saints called Nayanmars. The same is
available in the Sanskrit as Upamanyu Bhaktavilasa. Bhakta-Vijaya
deals with poet-saints like Tukaram and Namadeva who were
specially devoted to the deity Panduranga of Pandharpur.
|
|
|
|
|
"Hindu Dharma" is a book
which contains English translation of certain invaluable and
engrossing speeches of Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji (at
various times during the years 1884 to 1994).
For a general background, please see here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
