Harivamsa
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The Harivamsha (also Harivamsa; Sanskrit Harivaṃśa हरिवंश "the lineage of Hari (Vishnu)") is an important work of Sanskrit literature, containing 16,374 verses, mostly in Anuṣtubh metre. The text is also known as Harivaṃśa Puraṇa. This text is believed as a khila (appendix or supplement) to the Mahabharata[1] and is traditionally ascribed to Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa. The most celebrated commentary of the Mahabharata by Nīlakaṇṭha, the Bhārata Bhāva Dīpa covered the Harivaṃśa too. According to a tradition mentioned in the Mahabharata (Adi Parva, II. 69,233), the Harivaṃśa is divided into two parvas, Harivaṃśa parva and Bhaviṣyat parva.[1] But the available text consists of three sections (called parvas) – Harivaṃśa parva, Viṣṇu parva and Bhaviṣya parva . The first book describes the creation of the cosmos and the legendary history of the kings of the Solar and Lunar dynasties leading up to the birth of Krishna. The next book recounts the history of Krishna down to the events prior to the Mahabharata. The last section provides a list of future kings and a description of Kaliyuga. Thus the book provides a sort of universal history of the Hindus. While the Harivaṃśa has been regarded as an important source of information on the origin of Visnu's incarnation Krishna, there has been speculation as to whether this text was derived from an earlier text and what its relationship is to the Brahma Purana, another text that deals with the origins of Krishna[2].
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[edit] Date
The bulk of the text is derived from two traditions, the pañcalakṣaṇa tradition, that is, the "five marks" of the Purana corpus one of which is vaṃśa "genealogy", and stories about the life of Krishna as a herdsman. The latter portion presents the earliest source of Krishna's early life among the cowherds (apart from the Buddhist Ghata Jataka) and his affairs with the gopis, presenting him as a tribal hero.
The text is complex, containing layers that may go back to the 1st or 2nd centuries BCE. The origin of this appendix is not precisely known but it is apparent that it was a part of the Mahabharata by the 1st century CE because "the poet Ashvaghosha quotes a couple of verses, attributing them to the Mahabharata, which are now only found in the Harivamsa" (Datta 1858).
Hopkins considers Harivaṃśa the latest parva of Mahabharata. Hazra has dated the Purana to the 4th century CE on the basis of the description of Rasa lila in it. According to him, the Visnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana belong to the 5th century CE and 6th century CE respectively. According to Dikshit, the date of Matsya Purana is the 3rd century CE. When we compare the biography of Krishna, the account of Raji and some other episodes as depicted in the Harivaṃśa, it appears to be anterior to the former. Therefore the Viṣṇu parva and the Bhaviṣya parva can be dated to at least the 3rd century CE.
By its style and contents, the Harivaṃśa parva appears to be anterior to the Viṣṇu parva and Bhaviṣya parva. The verses quoted by Asvaghosa belong to this parva. On this basis, we can safely assume the Harivaṃśa parva (except for the later interpolations) to be at least as old as the 1st century CE.
[edit] Editions
The Harivaṃśa is available in two editions. The vulgate text of the Harivaṃśa has total 271 adhyāyas (chapters), divided into three parvas, Harivaṃśa parva (55 chapters), Viṣṇu parva (81 chapters) and Bhaviṣya parva (135 chapters). The Critical Edition or CE (1969–71, Ed. P.L.Vaidya) is around a third (118 chapters in 6073 slokas) of this vulgate edition. Like the vulgate, the chapters in the CE are divided into three parvas, Harivaṃśa parva (chapters 1-45), Viṣṇu parva (chapters 46-113) and Bhaviṣya parva (chapters 114 -118). Vaidya suggests that even the CE represents an expanded text and proposes that the oldest form of Harivaṃśa probably began with chapter 20 (which is where Agni Purana 12 places its start) and must have ended with chapter 98 of his text.[3]
[edit] Contents
The last chapter of the text gives a brief description of the subjects narrated in it as follows.
Harivaṃśa parva
The Harivaṃśa opens in the manner common to the Mahabharata with Janamejaya asking Vaisampayana to narrate the genealogy of the Vrisni race from the beginning. After the primal creation and the production of the creatures (Chapters 1-3), the text tells the story of Prithu, the son of Vena (Chapters 4-6). Thereafter follows the description of the reigns of Manus (Chapters 7-8), the origin of the dynasty of Vaivasvata (Chapter 9-10) and the history of Dhundumara (Chapter 11). Next follows the story of Galava (Chapter 12) and the history of the family of Ikshvaku and Sagara (Chapters 13-15). Chapters 16-24 deal with the Pitrkalpa (the beatification of the manes) which includes the story of Brahmadatta and his seven sons. The genealogy of Soma occupies a significant portion of the rest of the Harivaṃśa Parva - the story of Soma, Budha and Pururava (Chapters 25-27), the dynasty of Amavasu and Raji (Chapters 27-28), the race of Kshatravriddha and the legend of Divodasa (Chapter 29), the legend of Yayati (Chapter 30) and the family of Puru (Chapters 31-32). The history of the Yadavas follows next (Chapters 33-39) which includes the tale of the Syamantaka gem (Chapters 38-39). Then in response to Janamejaya’s question follows the history of the incarnations of Visnu (Chapters 40-41) and the Tarakamaya battle between the gods & the titans (Chapters 42-48). Chapters 49-52 describe the plea of Brahma and Goddess Earth resulting in the partial incarnation of the gods (Chapters 53-55).
Viṣṇu parva
The Viṣṇu parva begins with Narada’s warning to Kamsa (Chapter 1), who gives orders to guard Devaki and kill all children born to her (Chapters 2-3). The birth of Krishna and his exchange for the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda is then narrated along with a description of the cowherds’ camp (Chapters 4-5). Then follow Krishna’s and Samkarsana’s childhood exploits (Chapters 6-30) including the overturning of the cart and killing of Putana in Chapter 6, the uprooting of the two arjuna trees in Chapter 7, the victory over Kaliya in Chapter s 11-12, the slaying of Dhenuka the donkey and Pralamba in Chapter 13-14, and the lifting of Mount Govardhana in defiance of Indra in Chapters 15-19. Thereafter the Rasa dance (Chapter 20), the slaying of Arishta the bull (Chapter 21), the Council of Kamsa (Chapter 22-23) and the slaying of Keshi the steed (Chapter 24) are described. Chapters 25-28 narrate in detail the journey of the heroes to Kamsa’s court accompanied by Akrura. Then follow the death of the elephant Kuvalayapida (Chapter 29), the slaying of Chanura and Andhra and the death of Kamsa (Chapter 30), the lament of Kamsa’s wives (Chapter 31) and the funeral of Kamsa and the consecration of Ugrasena on the throne of Mathura (Chapter 32).
The parva goes on to narrate the rescue of the children of Sandipani, the teacher of Krishna and Balarama (Chapter 33), the attack on Mathura by the Jarasandha of Magadha and his defeat (Chapters 34-36), the discourse of Vikadru (Chapters 37-38), the meeting of Krishna and Balarama with Parasurama (Chapter 39), the ascension on Mount Gomanta (Chapters 40-41), the burning of Gomanta (Chapter 42), the end of Srigala (Chapter 43-44), the return to Mathura (Chapter 42), Samkarsana dragging the Yamuna river with his ploughshare (Chapter 46), the swayamvara of Rukmini and the conspiracy of Jarasandha and his allies (Chapters 47-54), the move from Mathura to Dwarka (Chapters 55-56), Kalayavana’s attack on Krishna and his killing (Chapter 57), the foundation of Dwarka (Chapter 58), Krishna’s abduction of and marriage with Rukmini and their progeny (Chapters 59-61), the exploits of Balarama (Chapter 62), the slaying of Naraka (Chapters 63-64) and the removal of parijata tree from Indra’s heaven (Chapters 65-76).
There follow some pieces which definitely appear to be interpolations into the text. First comes a long and extensive piece (Chapters 77-81) on the observance of Punyakavidhi, i.e. ceremonies, celebrations and vows by means of which a wife can make her body pleasant to her husband and ensure his favor to herself. After this rather strange digression, the text continues with further adventures of Krishna and his progeny including the slaying of the demons of Shatpura (Chapters 82-85), the slaying of Andhaka by Mahadeva (Chapters 86-87), the sport of the Yadavas in ocean (Chapters 88-89), the abduction of Bhanumati (Chapter 90) and the marriage of Pradyumna and Prabhavati (Chapters 91-97).
The text again resumes the narrative from where it had apparently broken off (Chapter 76). The text narrates the rebuilding of Dwarka (Chapters 98), the entry into Dwarka (Chapter 99), the entry into the hall (Chapter 100), the discourse of Narada (Chapters 101-102) and the tradition of the dynasty of Vrishnis (Chapter 103). Next follow the legend of Pradyumna and the slaying of Sambara (Chapters 104-109), the tale of Samba (Chapter 110), Krishna’s recovering of the four dead sons of a brahman (Chapters 111-115) and Krishna’s fight with Bana and the marriage of Bana’s daughter, Usa with Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna (Chapters 116-128).
Bhaviṣya parva
The Bhaviṣya parva contain the genealogy of Janamejaya and his performance of an aswamedha (Chapters 1-2), the characteristics of Kaliyuga (Chapters 3-4) and the reconciliation between Janamejaya and his queen, following Indra’s intervention in the aswamedha (Chapter 5). Chapter 6 contains the formal benediction which suggests that at some point of time this chapter used to close the text (which is what the CE does, i.e. the narrative comes to an end at this chapter).
In answer to a further enquiry of Janamejaya, Vaisampayana gives a detailed description of the origin of Puskara which includes a rather confused account of creation (Chapters 7-28). Then follow an account of the boar, the man-lion and the dwarf incarnations of Visnu (Chapters 29-72). The text then narrates some additional adventures of Krishna – Krishna’s journey to Kailasa (Chapters 73-90), the slaying of Paundraka (Chapters 91-102) and the tale of Hamsa and Dimbhaka (Chapters 103-129) and Krishna’s meeting the cowherds of Vrindavana on Mount Govardhana (Chapter 130). A long chapter (Chapter 131) then tells of the religious merit of reading the Mahabharata and the Harivaṃśa. Strangely enough, after the book has actually already come to an end, a further chapter narrates the legend of the destruction of the three heavenly fortresses of the demons by Shiva. The book finally closes with a short summary of the contents of Harivaṃśa and an enumeration of the religious merits that one acquires by hearing this Purana.
[edit] Translations
There have been translations of the Harivamsa in many Indian vernacular languages, English (Manmatha Nath Dutt, 1897), French (M. A. Langlois, Paris, 1834–35), and other languages.[4]
[edit] Jaina Harivamsas
There are also Jaina Harivamsas in various languages that present Jaina traditions of the Krishna story. One of the earliest of these is the Harivaṃśapurāṇa (783 AD) of Jinasena. It is divided into 66 cantos and contains 12,000 slokas. The book aims to narrate the life of Arishtanemi, the twenty-second Tirthankara of the Jainas. According to the Jaina sources, Arishtanemi is the first cousin of Krishna. Therefore, Krishna’s adventures too occupy a significant portion of the book. An outline of Jinasena’s work is as follows.
The description of the dynasty of the Yadus is spread over the cantos 19-63. The 32nd canto contains the description of Balarama. The tale of the birth of Krishna begins from canto 35. The description of the youthful exploits of Krishna is similar to the Hindu lore. There follows the description of the slaying of Kamsa at the festival of consecration of the bow. Then Jarasandha sends his brother and his son to attack Mathura, both of them killed by Krishna. The birth of Arishtanemi takes place in Sauryapura amidst great celebrations. Jarasandha then lays siege of Mathura resulting in the migration of Krishna and his kinsmen to Dwarka. The marriage with Rukmini and the birth and abduction of Pradyumna follows. Then the account of the Pandavas is narrated which bears significant differences from the Hindu accounts. The reunion of Krishna and Pradyumna is narrated next. The text then describes the final combat between Jarasandha and Krishna with the Kauravas acting as allies to the former while the Pandavas to the latter. The war ends with the death of Jarasandha and the deification of Krishna as Narayana. Thereafter the Pandavas retreat to south to establish Pandu Mathura (modern Madurai). This is followed by the account of the attainment of arhathood by Arishtanemi, the destruction of Dwarka by Krishna Dwaipayana’s curse, the demise of Krishna and Balarama and the ascent of the Pandavas to the heavens. The book closes with and account of the dynasty of Yadu propagated by Jaratkumara.
Although styled as a Purana, the text follows the techniques of classical Sanskrit poetry and is more a kavya than a Purana.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b The Mahabharata in Sanskrit: Book I: Chapter 2 in sacred-texts.com website
- ^ Ruben 115.
- ^ [Harivaṃśa 1969-71: 785, XXX and 795]
- ^ Translations of the Harivamsa
[edit] References
- Bowker, John, The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, New York, Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 410
- Winternitz, Maurice (1981) History of Indian Literature Vol. I. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
- Ruben, Walter (1941) "The Krsnacarita in the Harivamsa and Certain Puranas.” Journal of American Oriental Society. Vol. 61, No.3. pp. 115–127.
- Lorenz, Ekkehard (2007) The Harivamsa: The Dynasty of Krishna, in Edwin F. Bryant (ed.), Krishna, A Source Book, Oxford University Press.
- Shastri, Rajendra Muni, Jaina Sahitya mein Sri Krishna Charita, Jaipur, Prakrit Bharati Akademi, 1991.
