The Yuga Purana

BIBLIOTHECA I N D I G A — A COLLECTION OF O R I E N T A L WORKS
THE YUGA PURANA

Critically edited, with an English Translation
and a detailed Introduction
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J O H N E. MITCHINER
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THE ASIATIC SOCIETY

CALCUTTA (INDIA)
1986
-
B . I . Series 312
© T h e Asiatic Society
Published by :
Dr. C h a n d a n Roy C h o u d h u r i
General Secretary
T H E ASIATIC SOCIETY
1 Park Street
Calcutta 700 016
First Published : M a r c h 1986
Price : Rs. 50-00
Printed by :
Sri S i d d h a r t h a Mitra
B O D H I PRESS
5 Sankar Ghosh L a n e
Calcutta 700 006
iv
T E X T AND CRITICAL A P P A R A T U S i-xl
TRANSLATION AND N O T E S 85-98
APPENDICES 99-124
1. T h e Structure and Contents of the Gargiya-jyotisa 101

2. Utpala's Citations from Garga and Vfddha-Garga 113
3. List of Manuscript Collections consulted in India 121
BIBLIOGRAPHIES 125-136
1. Primary Texts 527
2. Secondary Sources 132
INDICES 137-148
1. Deities and Semi-Divine Beings 139

2. Specific Individuals and Peoples 141
3. Geographical Names 144
4. Technical Terms 146
Jw
PREFACE
The Yuga-Purana is a unique text in several ways. It is perhaps

above all the only Indian text which refers in any detail to the presence
of Indo-Greeks in India—the other literary evidence for this being brief
mentions in the works of Patanjali and Kalidasa; and it is the only Brah-
minical text which refers in any detail to Indo-Scythian incursions to
western India—episodes which are otherwise recorded only in Jain
sources. T h e passages in the Yuga-Purana relating to these events have
naturally attracted attention ever since the text was first brought to light
by Hendrik Kern little more than a century ago: but they have nonetheless
not received the full consideration which they deserve. Two reasons
would seem to account for this: in the first place, no numismatic evidence
for the presence of either Indo-Greeks or Indo-Scythians in central India
before the start of the Christian era was forthcoming until the last ten
years; and in the second place, the passages in the Yuga-Purana recording
these events have remained somewhat unclear, due mainly to the small
number of known manuscripts of the text, and have been variously deba-
ted and interpreted. This has on occasions given rise to very fanciful
"reconstructions" of the text: notably by Jayaswal and Dhruva, but also
by such doyens of Indian historical research as Narain and Sircar.
Aside from the "historical" events narrated in the text, the Yuga-
Purana is also inportant for its account of the four Y u g a s - t h e Ages of
m a n - w h i c h constitutes most probably the earliest account of the Yugas
in Indian literature. This aspect of the Yuga-Purana has not so far
received attention: part of the reason for this most probably lies in the
fact that the non-historical sections of the Yuga-Purana were published for
the first time only in 1951, by D. R. Mankad, in a work which has since
gone out of print; while they were translated into English for the first time
only in 1976, by myself. Mankad's readings for these sections were,
moreover, taken predominantly from only a single manuscript, and
consequently contained a number of errors and lacunae.
The Yuga-Purana is a very short work—being but a chapter in a

larger and still unedited work on jyotija; but its importance far outweighs
viii
its brevity, and a good edition of the text has been desirable for some
time. When, therefore, I was in 1977 offered the Bipradas Palchaudhuri
Fellowship for 1970 of Calcutta U n i v e r s i t y - a n award made once every I
five years to a foreign scholar, but which is currently running somewhat
in arrears—I decided to take this opportunity to prepare an edition of the
Yuga-Purana. While spending several months searching through manus-
cript collections in various parts of India, I was able to discover a further
eight manuscripts of the Yuga-Purana: the present edition is therefore
based on a total of 14 manuscripts, and has a full critical apparatus in-
corporating all variant readings from these manuscripts. The present
work also includes an English translation of the Yuga-Purana, and an
Introduction in which are discussed various topics relating both to the
Yuga-Purana itself and also to the jyotisa work of Garga of which the
Yuga-Purana forms a part.
It is a pleasant duty to record my thanks, firstly, to the Syndicate of

Calcutta University, and in particular to Jagadiswar Pal who considera-
bly facilitated several of the administrative intricacies of the Fellowship.
I owe a deep debt of gratitude to Professor Bratindra Nath Mukherjee:
he enthusiastically spent much time going through the text with me line
by line, and offered a great many suggestions and criticisms on the trans-
lation and on various topics dealt with in the Introduction. Space does
not permit me to thank individually all who helped in one way or another
during research for this work: but I would especially like to mention the
following for help and guidance in consulting manuscript material. In
Aliyavada (Gujarat), Shirish D. Mankad and J . P. Chavda; in Alwar,
Venimadhava Dharmadhikari; in Banaras Hindu University, H. D.
Sharma and R. R. Gupta; in Banaras (Sampurnanand) Sanskrit Univer-
sity, L. N. Tiwari, B. S. Bharadvaj and Padmarkar Misra; in the Asiatic
Society, Calcutta, Asok K. Bhattacharyya and G. S. Farid; in the Natio-
nal Library, Calcutta, Ram Dular Singh and N. Mukherjee; in Poona
(B.O.R.I.), B. N. Paranjepe, y . L. Manjul and A. Gokhale; and finally
in the Bibliotheque Nationale Paris, Mmlle M-R. Seguy and G6rard
Colas. Last but by no means least, my thanks go also to Professor David
Pingree of Brown University, for bringing to my attention several new
facts concerning Garga and his work: to Jonathan Katz of the Indian
Institute in Oxford, and to Dr. John Smith of the Department of Indology
at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, for reading
through and suggesting inprovements particularly in the translation and
in an earlier draft of the introductory section dealing with the language
I
xii
JBBRAS Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society

JBORS Journal of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society
JNSI Journal of the Numismatic Society of India
JRAS Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
KSS Kasi Sanskrit Series
LCL Loeb Classical Library
MAPS Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society
MP Matsya Purana
n.s. New Series
ORT Orientalia Rheno-Traiectina
PTS Pali Text Society
SBE Sacred Books of the East
SBG SarasvatI Bhavana Granthamala
SBH Sacred Books of the Hindus
Ut Utpala
VJ Vedahga-Jyotifa
ZDMG Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft.
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4 THE YUGA PURANA
within the text itself: and the work will accordingly be referred to as the
Gdrgiya-jyotisa. It is to be noted that manuscripts of this work are to be
found predominantly in northern India: and that no manuscripts have
been found to date anywhere further south than Poona.
There exist also a number of other jyotisa works which are variously
called either Garga-sarnhita, Gargya-samhita, Vrddha-Gargya-samhita, Vrddha
Gargt-samhita, or Uttara-Gargya-samhila. At least five separate such
1
works have been distinguished by Pingree: and manuscripts of several
of these are to be found in southern 2 as well as in northern India.
None of these jyotisa works has yet been either edited or translated in
full: all are available only in manuscript form. We may, however, note
here a further jyotisa work ascribed to Garga, namely the Garga-Manorama
(also called the Loka-Manorama or Prasnavidya): there exist a large num-
ber of manuscripts of this work, and the text has additionally been publis-
hed on several occasions. 3 There is, finally, one further jyotisa work
ascribed to " G a r g a " , namely the PasakakevaU (also known by several
other names), which is available in a great many manuscripts and in
several printed editions: this " G a r g a " , however, most probably lived
around A.D. 900, and his work therefore has no direct connection with
that of the earlier Garga. 4
There is one further work entitled Garga-samhita which must be dis-
tinguished from all of these jyotisa works. This is a puranic-type work, a
probably medieval Vaisnava text, which is devoted exclusively to an
account of episodes in the life of Krsna: and it is available in a large
number of manuscripts and in several printed editions.®
1 See D . Pingree, Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit, Series A vol.2 p p . 117-
120 a n d Series A vol.3 pp.29-30.
2 Notably in M a d r a s (Govt. Oriental Mss. L i b r a r y a n d Adyar) a n d T a n j o r e .
3 See Pingree, op.cit., A.2 pp.120-122 a n d A.3 p.30.
4 See ibid., A.2 pp.122-126 a n d A.3 pp.30-31.
5 T h e work has been edited in L a h o r e (1877), M a t h u r a (1898), a n d Bombay (1912)
—in t h e latter two instances with H i n d i translations: a n d in Calcutta (1926) with a Ben-
gali translation by P. T a r k a r a t n a , P e r h a p s t h e most easily accessible edition is t h a t by
K s e m a r a j a Srikrsnadasa at the Venkatesvara Steam Press in Bombay (1909, rep. 1974):
a n d t h e work is currently being re-edited by V i b h u t i Bhushan Bhattacharya at the V a r a -
naseya Sanskrit V i s v a v i d y a l a y a - t h e first p a r t has so f a r appeared in p r i n t , in the Saras-
v a t i B h a v a n a G r a n t h a m a l a series (vol.86 p a r t 1: Varanasi, 1959). T h e work contains
t h e following m a i n divisions:
(1) Goloka-khanda; (2) Vrndavana-khanda; (3) GirirSja-khanda; (4) Madhiiryya-
kharida; (5) Mathurd-khapda; (6) Dvdrakd khanda; (7) Visvajit-khanda; (8) Balabha-
dra-khanda; (9) Yijndna-khanâ; (10) Ahamedha-khaâ,
i
6 THE YUGA PURANA
his commentary on the B rhat-saijihita, for example, he cites some 960 lines
from Garga: 1 0 and while I have not yet had the opportunity to attempt
to trace all of these lines, nonetheless all those which I have sought to
trace are without exception to be found—in virtually identical form—in
the present Gargiya jyotisa. Further commentators similarly quote lines
from Garga's work: Somakara Sesa, for example, cites a total of 82
different lines from Garga in his commentary on the (Yajusa-) Vedanga-
jyotisaj11 while other commentators who cite lines from Garga include
VisnuSarman, Sivaraja, Narayana and Govinda.
A further important source for the sayings of Garga is Varahamihira
himself (fl. c. A.D. 550). In a number of contexts in the Brhat-samhita,
Varahamihira claims to be expounding the teachings of Garga: and in
several passages he claims that he is quoting si okas from G a r g a . 1 2 Once
again, these slokas are all to be found—in virtually identical form—in the
present text of the Gargiya-jyotisa. Much of the Brhat-samhita would
seem, indeed, to have been modelled—in both form and content—upon
the Gargiya-jyotisa: as can be seen from Appendix 1, where the chapters
of the Gargiya-jyotisa are listed individually together with a note of corres-
ponding chapters in the Brhat-samhita.
A number of lines and Slokas from Garga have also been incorporated
within the Parisistas of the Atharvaveda: and these can once again be
traced, often in identical form, in the present text of the Gargiya-jyotisa,18
The Matsya Purana is another source for Garga's sayings: it contains
ten chapters (229-236) which are said to have been spoken by Garga him-
self, and these once again are to be found—with minor variants—in the
present Gargiya-jyotisa. The Matsya Purana has clearly abbreviated the
original account: for Utpala also gives some citations from the same
chapters of the Gargiya-jyotisa (dealing with Portents or utpata, Anga 39),
and cites certain verses which are omitted from the Matsya-Purana chap-
10 A list of these lines is to be f o u n d in A p p e n d i x 2.

11 I t is h o w e v e r , u n c e r t a i n w h e t h e r these lines actually a p p e a r in t h e Gargiya-
jyotisa. T h e lines are cited a t Veddnga-jyotisa 5 (4 lines), VJ 8 (4 lines), VJ 10 (33 lines),
VJ 11 (29 lines), VJ 12 (4 lines), VJ 17 (6 lines), VJ 29 (3 lines), VJ 37 (4 lines), VJ 41
(2 lines), a n d VJ 43 (4 lines). T h e lines cited at VJ 37, 41, 43, a n d o n e at 29 a r e r e p e t i -
tions of previous citations.
12 E.g. at Brhat-samhita 2.1, 2.6, 45.1, 45.52-54, 45.56-58, 45.62-64, 45.70-72,
45.79-80, 64.8-9.
13 E g . ParWfta 50.4.4, 51.1.2, 51.5.6, 52.16.4, 62.1.1, 64.7.7, 68.1.53 (from
•Garga'): 61.1.1 ( f r o m ' V r d d h a - G a r g a ' ) : 1.3.1, 43.4.19, 43.4.45, 49.4.9, 7 0 . b . l . l - 7 0 . b . 2 3 .
15 (from ' G a r g y a ' ) : T h e passage at Parisista 70.b.10.2-4, f o r e x a m p l e , is t h a t listed in
t h e T a b l e f r o m Anga 39.viii of t h e Odrgiya-jyotifa.
TABI. E
Correspondences between the Portent-passages

in the Matsya Purana and
(Correspondences of parti
. . . . „ o n U t p a l 1a comm. on BS 45.8
Gartira-iyolifa Anga 39.n "
— ,j t , — - w ;
nrtyanti muhurodante prasvidyanti muhurnrtyanti rodanti P - k h i d y a n U
' i ii hasanti va //
hasyanti va // '.
uttisthanti nisldanti pradhavanti uttisthanti nisidanti P - d h a v a n U
pibanti va / P
ranadvi jan // ' . i_-

avanmukha va t i ^ a n t i sthanat- avanmukha va tisthantx sthanat-
, _ . , sthanam vrajanti va /
sthanam vrajanti co / „ _
vamanty agnim tatha dhumam vamanty agnim tatha dhumarp
vamanty ^s1111- cneham raktam payo i a l a m / /
sneham raktam taffea rasam // snetiam raKtai. F y j
gg ...
- — «—* comm. on BS 45.21
pamsavo rajah / * •
• ' a t ra tatra dhumaS canagnina yatra tatra
d h 0 M , vidyan m a h a d b h a y a m //
comm. on BS 45.26 v
svara3$rabhedarakurute phalapu?pa- — » W
manarttavam /
„„ ... comm. on BS 45.52
Anga 39.vm . _ . , .
akalaprasava naryah kalatita prajas akale prasave caxva kalaUte^tha va
asadhyayugmaprasava nlnacin asamkhyajajane caiva yugmasya

asadny y g hadicittah „ prasave tatha //
amanusany atundani samjata- amanusani kandani sanjata-
' vyanjanani ca / vyarijanani va /
atyanga sanga vyangani vyanangany ananga hy adhikanga va hlnaftga*
7 g
apivayadi// sambhavanti va //
caraty asvasadrsyani avod,ru ? ya- vimukh.h -
vinaSam tasya niyata,, k ^ c a v i n ^ tasya ^ a ^ s y a . a
N O T E : after the first line of 230, M P

10 THE YUGA PURANA
is uncertain: but an approximate date of A.D. 750 would probably be

not unreasonable, and it is in any event somewhat later than the Matsya
Pur ana.
T h e Mahabharata contains two passages of considerable importance
relating to Garga, as well as several additional references to him. One
of these, in the tialya Parvan, relates that " V r d d h a - G a r g a " had revealed to
him knowledge of Time and of jyotisa, and more specifically of favourable
and unfavourable Portents (;utpata): 1T while in the other passage, "Gar-
gya" relates that he was granted knowledge of Time and great omens in
sixty-four divisions (catuhsastyahga). 18 This latter passage, which appears
in the Anusasana Parvan, uses the same term catuhsastyahga as is used
on several occasions within the Gargiya-jyotisa itself as a description of
the contents of the work: XB and, as will be seen from the list of contents
of the Gargiya-jyotisa in Appendix 1, the present Gargiya-jyotisa contains
a total of sixty-two Angas or main divisions plus two introductory chap-
ters, which are said to be subdivided into twenty-four primary Angas and
forty secondary Ahgas or Upangas. Thus it would appear that, by the
time these passages in the Mahabharata were composed, the Gargiya-jyotisa
was already constituted and well-known in a form at least very similar to
its present form. The date of composition of the various parts of the
Mahabharata is generally accepted as being within the range 300 B.C.—
A.D. 300: and the &alya and Anusasana Parvans, while not being among
the earliest parts of the Mahabharata, are nonetheless far from being the
latest parts of that work. Thus if the date of composition of these
passages relating to Garga and his work be ascribed to approximately
A.D. 150, the date of composition of the Gargiya-jyotisa must accordingly
be ascribed to a still earlier period.
Turning now to the evidence of the Gargiya-jyotisa itself, it is to be
noted that /areapada-chapters (Anga 23) contain the names of a large
number of peoples and countries. The Sakas and Yavanas are mentioned
on several occasions: but, unlike the corresponding chapters in the Brhat-
samhita, the chapters in the Gargiya-jyotisa make no mention of the
17 Mahabharata 9.36.14-17.
18 Mahabharata 13.18.25-26. Both of these passages are given in Appendix 1.
19 For example in Anga 2, and at the end of Anga 62: see the passage a n d list in
Appendix 1.
12 THE YUGA PURANA
found in the Gargiya-jyotisa, while the latter are not; and in one place he
states that he is describing the motion of the Seven Rishis according to
the opinion of Vrddha-Garga, 2 " while this is a topic which finds no
mention in the Gargiya-jyotisa. A clear distinction must thus be drawn
between the works of Garga and Vrddha-Garga. 2 9 It is worth noting
here that both Varahamihira—expounding the teachings of Vrddha-
Garga—and also Vrddha-Garga himself—in the passages cited by Utpala
—list the Seven Rishis as Marlci, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, K r a t u ,
and Vasistha: since this is the list which is first to be found only in the
later parts of the Mahabharata, and then subsequently throughout the
Puranas. In Vedic literature, in the Ramayana, and in the earlier parts
of the Mahabharata, on the other hand, this list of the Seven Rishis is
unknown: and the Rishis are listed instead as Visvamitra, Jamadagni,
Bharadvaja, Gautama, Atri, Vasistha, and Kasyapa. T h e first list, used
by Vrddha-Garga, would seem to have been introduced from southern
India, and to have gained general currency only during the first few
centuries of the Christian e r a : 2 7 yet the Gargiya-jyotisa in one place
gives a list of the Seven Rishis, and it is second or earlier of these two
lists which it follows. 28 At first sight, therefore, this would suggest
either that the author referred to by Varahamihira and Utpala as
Vfddha-Garga was in fact a later writer than Garga the author of the
Gargiya-jyotisa,29 or that Vrddha-Garga was associated with the more
central and southern regions of India (whence the " n e w " list of the Seven
Rishis originated). It is not possible at the present time to be clear as
to the precise relation between Garga and Vfddha-Garga: but it is to
be hoped that the lines cited by both Varahamihira and Utpala from
25 kathayisye Vfddhagargamataf. Brhat-sarnhita 13.2.

26 A useful discussion of this topic is t o be f o u n d in P . V . K a n e , «Varahamihira
a n d U t p a l a , their Works a n d Predecessors'.
27 . O n t h e origins and evolution of the lists, see J . E . Mitchiner, Traditions of tft«
Seven Rishis, chs.1-4.
28 T h e passage appears a t the start of A n g a 56:
atreyo gautamas caiva bharadvajo 'tha kausikah /
angira jamadagnis ca vasifthas ca mahatapah //
ete maharfayah sapta sarve vedavisaradah /
rsinam srestham asinarn gargarn prcchanti samSayam //
T h e usual V e d i c list has K a s y a p a in place of Angiras, the latter of whom is first connec-
ted with the group in t h e S r a u t a Sutras.
29 J u s t as t h e Vrddha-Yavanajataka was composed by M i n a r a j a about half a century
later than the Yavanajataka of S p h u j i d h v a j a : see Pingree, The Yavanajataka, vol.1 p.24.
3. THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE YUGA-PURlNA
There are two aspects of authenticity to be dealt with in this section:

namely in the first place the authenticity of the text itself, and in the
second place the question of whether the Yuga-Purana is an integral part
of the Gargiya-jyotisa, as opposed to a later interpolation.
The text of the Yuga-Purana is on the whole reasonably unitary, and
may be divided easily into slokas or stanzas of two lines each. There are,
however, three instances where this is not the case. The first instance
occurs at sloka 31: here it is possible that 31e-f is an interpolation, with
31e being repeated from 29c and with conflicting accounts being given in
different manuscripts of 3If; but it is perhaps more likely that 31a-b is an
interpolation, since vanamalin and halayudha are in other contexts epithets
of Krsna-Vasudeva and Balarama-Samkarsana respectively, and not of
Yudhisthira as the present form of the text implies. The second instance
occurs at sloka 80 where 80c has seemingly been borrowed from 79c;
while the third instance occurs at sloka 90, where 90e-f seems most likely
to be the interpolated line. Aside from these three instances, the text as
given below has the impression of being a unitary composition in regular
anustubh metre (four padas or quarter-verses of eight syllables each in
every sloka), fully in accord with the form and expression in other parts of
the Gargiya-jyotisa. Apart from the many individual word-variants in each
manuscript, the only other irregular features to be noted are the several
omissions of lines or slokas from individual manuscripts, 3 2 the inclusion
of an additional sloka in C and D , 8 3 and the erroneous repetition of part
of the account in A and P . 3 4 These latter features are all indicative of
the peculiarities of individual manuscripts or manuscript-groups, and do
not reflect upon the unitary nature of the text as a whole.
The next question to be considered is whether the Yuga-Purana was
composed by Garga, or was inserted into the Gargiya-jyotisa at a later
period. The Gargiya-jyotisa refers to itself—and is also referred to in the
32 S u c h omissions occur in individual mss. at slokas 44, 45, 51, 55, 58, 59, 6 8 , 7 1 ,
72, 73, 74, 83, 84, 103, 104, 105, 109, a n d 110.
33 After sloka 96.
34 Slokas 56-79 repeated a t sloka 18,
16 THE YUGA PURANA
Purana in the Gargiya-jyotisa—does contain material about the Yugas,

and also seemingly borrows a complete line from the Yuga-Purana:"8
thereby suggesting that the Yuga-Purana was, by at least the period of
composition of the Matsya-Purana, an integral part of the Gargiya-jyotisa.
Similarly, the fact that the Mahabharata refers to the Gdrgiya-jyotisa of
sixtyfour divisions, and also contains material shared with the Yuga-
Purana, tends to point to much the same conclusion.
Indications have already been noted that the Gargiya-jyotisa as a
whole was probably composed shortly prior to A.D. 25. It will similarly
be noted below that the material in the Yuga-Purana was composed ear-
lier than corresponding material in the Epics and Puranas (section 8):
and that the Yuga-Purana itself was probably composed around 25 B.C.
(section 12). T h e Yuga-Purana, like the Gargiya-jyotisa as a whole, knows
of the Yavanas and Sakas, but not of the Pahlavas, Kusanas and other
later invaders. Both the Yuga-Purana chapter and the Gargiya-jyotisa as
a whole would thus seem to have been composed at around the same
period: and this consequently further strengthens the likelihood that the
Yuga-Purana is an integral part of the Gargiya-jyotisa.
W e may finally note that the Yuga-Purana conforms to the rest of
the Gargiya-jyotisa in language, form and s t y l e . " T h e n a m e Purana—
whether or not it was the original designation of this chapter—is also
given to two other divisions of the work: namely the Graha-Purana or
tradition concerning the planets (Anga 30), and the Brhaspati-Purana or
tradition concerning Brhaspati/Jupiter (Anga 44). It is also to be noted
that all extant complete manuscripts of the Gargiya-jyotisa contain the
Yuga-Purana chapter: and that no independent manuscripts of the Yuga-
Purana—or of another work containing the Yuga-Purana—has so far come
to light. 4 0
T h e r e would seem little reason to doubt, therefore, that the Yuga-
Purana is an authentic and unitary text, which forms an integral and
original part of the Gdrgiya-jyotisa.
38 Sloka* 115c-d: discussed in section 8.

39 O n the l a n g u a g e of the Yugo'Puraria, see section 7.
40 For a 4iscussion of e x t a n t manuscripts, see section 5,
18 THE YUGA PURANA
the Yavanas.*' The complete text was only edited for the first time by
D.R. Mankad in 1951, following his discovery of a further manuscript
(C) procured from Suryashankar Tuljashankar Sastri of Jodiya in Saura-
shtra and then in his own possession.* 8 In his edition, Mankad incor-
porated variant readings from A, B and P (and from the lines of K
printed by Kern) for slokas 36c-92b, but he evidently had no first-hand
access to these manuscripts; he relied exclusively on C for slokas 29-36b
and 92c-l 15, while for slokas 1-28 he also incorporated variants from a
further Poona manuscript (Bh — Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute),
a transcript of which slokas he received from P.K. Gode of the B O R I .
A.K. Narain attempted in 1962 to reconstruct the slokas dealing with
the Indo-Greeks, on the basis of these editions: 4 9 and a similar task was
attempted in the following year by D.C. Sircar. 6 0 The text of the Yuga-
Purana was republished with a Hindi commentary by S. Tripathi in
1975: B1 this text is taken almost exclusively from Mankad's earlier edition,
which was by that time out of print. The text was also published by
myself in the following year, incorporating a number of further variant
readings from P (particularly for slokas l-36b and 92c-l 15), together with
the first full English translation of the work: 0 2 and I subsequently gave
an assessment of the Paris manuscript. 8 8
47 ' T h e Yuga-Purana Legend of SalisOka as a Source for a Comedy of Errors in

I n d i a n Historical Research', CR April 1945, pp.24-25.
48 Yugapuranam: V a l l a b h v i d y a n a g a r , 1951; see also his article 'Some I m p o r t a n t
Sanskrit Manuscripts', Proceedings of the 1th All-India Oriental Conference, 1935, pp.11-14.
49 The Indo-Greeks, appendix 4, pp.174-179: Oxford, 1962.
50 ' T h e Account of the Yavanas in the Yuga-Purana', Journal of the Royal Asiatic
Society, 1963, pp.7-20 s see also his subsequent comments, notably in Studies in the Yuga-
Purdpa and other Texts.
51 Yugapuranam: C h a u k h a m b a S u r b h a r a t i G r a n t h a m a l a series no.16: V a r a n a s i ,
1975.
52 'The Yuga P u r a n a ' , in M.B. Mitchiner, Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian Coinage,
vol.9, appendix 6, pp.918-924: L o n d o n , 1976.
53 ' T h e Paris M a n u s c r i p t of t h e Y u g a - P u r a n a ' , IAVRI Bulletin no.4, 1978,
pp.18-21.
20 THE YUGA PURANA
While preparing this edition of the Yuga-Purana, I spent several

months contacting and visiting a large number of manuscript libraries
and collections in various parts of India in an attempt to find further
manuscripts of the Gargiya-jyotisa containing the Yuga-Purana chapter.
This has resulted in bringing to light a further eight such manuscripts.
Seven of these manuscripts contain the complete Yuga-Purana chapter:
three of these are at the National Library in Calcutta (D, L and N); two
are at the Alwar branch of the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute
(Q, and R); one is at the Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya of Banaras Hindu
University (H); and one is at the Banaras (Sampurnanand) Sanskrit
University (S). The eighth manuscript is missing only the first 19 slokas
of the Yuga-Purana, and is at the Asiatic Society in Calcutta (J). With
the exception of manuscript J , which contains only a fragment of the
Gargiya-jyotisa, all of these manuscripts—like manuscripts A, B, C and P
(and also Bh, less the folios containing much of the Yuga-Purana chapter)
—contain the complete Gargiya-jyotisa: sometimes with the omission of
one or two folios, particularly at the very end of the work. It is to be
noted that no manuscripts of the Yuga-Pura?ia chapter have yet been
found which are separate from or independent of the Gargiya-jyotisa: ,not
have any complete manuscripts of the Gargiya-jyotisa been found which
omit the Yuga-Purana chapter. 8 7
It may also be noted here that there are a number of incomplete
manuscripts of the Gargiya-jyotisa, containing between 5 and 120 folios,
but not containing the Yuga-Purana chapter. 6 8 Furthermore, in addition
57 T h e r e is one manuscript at the National L i b r a r y in Calcutta (Th 218) which

confeins a n u m b e r of chapters of the Gargiya-jyotisa, but also omits m a n y others (inclu-
ding the Yuga-Purana) a n d is cl.early a late a d a p t a t i o n : it extends from the Bhuvanapuskara
t o the Nakfatrapurufa chapters, b u t omits Aiigas 40-41 a n d 43-54 (see Appendix 1).
58 These a r e primarily as follows:
a . Banaras, N a g a r i Pracarini Sabha: no. 6634, jyoti/a no.75: folios 1-50 52.
b. Banaras ( S a m p u r n a n a n d ) Sanskrit University: no. 34617: folios 1-5.
c. Banaras ( S a m p u r n a n a n d ) Sanskrit University: no. 36369: folios 1-49.
d . Calcutta, N a t i o n a l L i b r a r y : no. T h 164: folios 99-100, 172-175.
e. C a l c u t t a , National L i b r a r y : no. T h 218 (see last note).
f. Calcutta, Sanskrit College: n o . I X . 4 : folios 1-113.
g. Cambridge, Trinity College: no. R.15.96: folios 1-109.
h . K a t h m a n d u , Vir Library: no. 301 (I 1179): Mayuracitra 1-9.
i. K a t h m a n d u , Vir Library: no. 302 (I 1539): Mayuracitra, 26 folios.
j . Lahore, P a n j a b University Library: no. 3956; folios 41-92.
k. Poona, Fergusson College: Mandlik Collection, catalogue p.73 : folios 1 - 6 1 .
1. T u b i n g e n , Universitatsbibliothek: no. M . a . I . 399A: folios 1-43.
22 T H E YUGA PURANA
•
Paper: yellowish-white, medium wove.

Writing: black ink, often careless: Devanagari script.
Size: 9.3" x 6.6".
Date: n o date: title-page of ms. signed "College of Fort William,
1825"; ? c . A.D. 1750.
Further comments: restored and coated by the Asiatic Society:
bound.
B Banaras (Sampurnanand) Sanskrit University, Varanasi (1).

No.: 36370.
Folios: 93-95 (from a total of 140 folios)
Lines per page: 14.
Paper: white, m e d i u m wove.
Writing: black ink, clear: Devanagari script.
Size: 13.2" x 7.1".
Date: n o date: ? c. A.D. 1800.
Further comments: folio 92, containing slokas 1-4, missing.
Bh Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona.

No.: 542 of 1895-1902, new no. 12 section.
Folios: 193-194.
Lines per page: 9.
Paper: white, fairly thick.
Writing: black ink, heavy and thick: Devanagari script.
Size: 11.0" x 6.5".
Date: Samvat 1881 / A.D. 1825.
Further comments: contains only slokas 1-28: folios 195-199
missing.
C Gangajala Vidyapeeth, Aliyavada, Gujarat.

No.: 127.
Folios: 156-160 (from a total of 241 folios).
Lines per page: 11.
Paper: white, medium to thick wove, coarse.
Writing: black ink, thick: Devanagari script.
Size: 10.0" x 5.5".
Date: Samvat 1919 / A.D. 1863.
Further comments: a large n u m b e r of marginal corrections.
I
I
24 THE YUGA PURANA
L National Library, Calcutta (2).

No.: T h 171.
Folios: 96-98 (from a total of 147 folios).
Lines per page: 17.
Paper: white, thick wove.
Writing: black ink, large and sprawling: Devanagari script.
Size: 15.5" x 8.0".
Date: no date: ? c. A.D. 1800.
Further comments: many different copyists throughout: guide-
lines ruled in pencil.
N National Library, Calcutta (3).

No.: T h 216.
Folios.: 148-152 (from a total of 228 folios).
Lines per page: 8.
Paper: mostly off-white but several yellow folios; fairly thick
wove.
Writing: black ink, sometimes blotched, small and neat: Deva-
nagari script.
Size: 11.75" x 4.75".
Date: no date: ? c. A.D. 1750.
Further comments: nil.
P Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale.

No.: 245. >
Folios: (pages) 129-134 (from a total of 208 pages). •
Lines per page: 29 to 31.
Paper: yellow, thick wove, smooth.
Writing: black ink, fairly thick, blotched in places: Bengali
script.
Size: 11. 6" x 8.7".
Date: no date: obtained by J . M . F . Guerin in 1833 from
Chandernagar, and used by him in Astronomie Indienne
p.67 (Paris, 1847): ? c. A.D. 1800.
Further comments: bound with five other shorter texts:
numbered by page, not folio: marginal notes by Guerin:
colophon at end of ms. states that it was copied [from a
ms. copied] by Kumaranunanda in Saka 1460 / A.D. 1538.
I
26 THE YUGA PURANA
western Gujarat, and Calcutta—but originally from Bombay) are simi-

larly closely linked with each other, and often contain words or forms—
and even a complete sloka—differing from those in all other manus-
cripts. 6 6 Manuscripts B, H , L, N and S (Banaras and Calcutta) are
also closely linked with each other: while they also share a number,
of variant readings with C and D. The remaining manuscripts A, J
(Calcutta), K (Kern: possibly from Banaras, where he was based), P
(Paris, but from Bengal), and Q (Alwar) together form a further distinct
group: they generally contain the poorest readings, and often contain
either variant word-forms 8 9 or the omission of lines 8 7 in common. They
also on several occasions share readings with B-H-L-N-S: and less fre-
quently share readings with either Bh-R or C-D. Manuscripts P (in
Bengali script) and A are the two most closely allied to each other in this
group: both contain a long repetition of slokas 56-79 interpolated at sloka
18 this in A consists of one entire folio written by a different hand
(possibly from the earlier manuscript from which A was copied) which has
evidently been misplaced and erroneously inserted at that point, while in
P the interpolation appears as an integral and continuous part of the text.
This feature suggests either that P was copied from A: or perhaps more
likely—in view of the further minor divergences between A and P—that
both A and P were copied from a common original which contained this
interpolated repetition. In view of the statement in the final colophon
i. of P, this common original would accordingly have been the copy made
by Kumaranunanda in Saka 1460 = A.D. 1538 (see above).
It may be seen, therefore, that manuscripts Bh-R and C-D generally (
contain the best readings: despite also containing on several occasions
individual bad readings or omissions. Manuscripts B-H-L-N-S similarly
contain many good readings, which are sometimes better than those in
Bh-R and C D —particularly where these latter have omissions or textual
corruption. Manuscripts A-J-K-P-Q,, on the other hand, contain the
largest number of errors, and are rarely to be relied upon for containing
the best readings of the text. These manuscript-groups may be set out
as follows:
65 E.g. at slokas 8, 13, 34, 37, 91, 92, 94, a n d 98: also the sloka inserted after sloka
96, a n d the name Skanda-Purdna in place of Yuga-Purdriam J
66 E . g . at slokas 2, 7, 9, 15, 25, 28, 30, 37, 52, 68, 73, 81, 82, 83, 85, 87, 94, 98, 102
108, and 114.
67 E.g. in ilokas 55, 74, a n d 103-105.
6. THE STRUCTURE OF THE YUGA-PURANA
The basic structure of the text is fairly straightforward, and may be set
out as follows:
slokas 1- 5 Introduction
6- 14Krta Yuga: ending with the Taraka war
15- 22Treta Yuga: ending with the destruction of Ksatriyas
by Rama
23- 36 Dvapara Yuga: ending with the Mahabharata war
37- 91 Kali Yuga: ending with the destruction of the evil
world-order
92- 97 Transition at the end of the Yuga
98-113 Twelve Regions where men survive for a new Yuga
114-115 Conclusion
Within the section on the Kali Yuga, the situation becomes slightly
more complex: since it would seem that the account is not in the form
of a straightforward and continuous narrative, but that it contains repeti-
tions of certain events.®8 Slokas 37-48, down to the advent of the Yava-
nas are straightforward: then there are seven slokas on the evils of the Kali
Yuga (49-55), after which the narrative returns to the departure of the
Yavanas (56-57). There next follows an account of seven kings in Saketa,
and of war among the peoples of Magadha (58-60): and then a brief
account is given of the destruction of the Agnivesyas and of the Saka king
(61-64). The narrative then describes the desolation of Pataliputra(65),
and the brief reign of I m r a t a in that city (66-70b): these slokas may in
fact belong with the preceding slokas (61-64) of summary account—a
possibility which will be discussed in section 10-F. There next follows
an account of the Agnivesya kings (70c-81): then there are a further five
slokas on the evils of the Kali Yuga (82-86); after which the narrative
continues with the destruction of king Satuvara (87), and the incursion of
the Sakas (88-89)—followed finally by the state of affairs at the end of the
Kali Yuga (90-91). The structure of the section on the Kali Yuga may
accordingly be set out as follows:
68 This analysis consequently differs from those of Jayaswal a n d M a n k a d , both of

w h o m interpreted the account as being chronologically continuous.
o •
7. T H E LANGUAGE O F T H E YUGA-PURlNA
The present manuscripts of the Yuga-Purana contain a considerable

number of textual variants and errors. The primary aim of a critical
edition of the text is to attempt to reconstruct what was probably the
original form of the account: but such a reconstruction faces several
problems in the case of the Yuga-Purana-not least because there are
many indications that the original account was composed not in regular
classical Sanskrit but rather in a form of Sanskrit which incorporates
certain hybrid features. Moreover, individual manuscripts and manus-
cript-groups have themselves also been influenced by Prakritic or hybrid-
Sanskritic forms: and it is on occasions difficult to decide whether such
form represents variants and errors in particular manuscripts and manus-
cript-groups—acquired through the process of transmission-or irregular
linguistic features of the original account. To give but one example:
should the irregular sandhi form rajano krtavigrahah at Uoka 61—which
is given in all but one of the present m a n u s c r i p t s - b e left as it stands,
or should it be "corrected" to the classical Sanskrit rajanah krtavigrahah
which is given in only a single manuscript? The main criterion which has
been adopted in constructing the critical text has been to follow as a rule
either the evidence of the majority of manuscripts, or on many occasions
the evidence of the more reliable manuscripts-notably Bh, C, D and R
(see section 5)—when this conflicts with the majority reading; while in
cases of serious doubt, a "correct" classical Sanskrit form has been
preferred-rightly or w r o n g l y - t o any alternative form. This method
clearly has its shortcomings: and therefore, when discussing the language
of the text, it is often necessary to take account also of the "variants"
which are found in individual m a n u s c r i p t s - a n d which in some cases
constitute an overwhelming majority of manuscript readings. 8 8
As can be seen from examining the critical apparatus, there occur a
large number of scribal errors throughout the manuscripts. Omission of
visarga and anusvara is fairly common: this is frequently the case at the
69 For a discussion of principles underlying t h e critical editing of texts see eg

Biardeau, 'Some more considerations a b o u t textual criticism', a n d the Prolegomena'
pp.xxxi-cvu, to vol. 1 CAdi Parvan) of the Mahabharata Critical Edition.
xxxviii THE YUGA PURANA
to tasya0 of 80a where the folio ends: and the next folio then commences
by reverting to 0 lanadaksai of 18a, and continuing with the straightforward
account. In manuscript A, therefore, this repetition merely involves the
erroneous insertion—on the part of a compiler—of one entire folio: and
this is confirmed by the fact that the inserted folio (no. 102) has been
written by a different copyist, in cruder and larger letters than those in
the surrounding folios. In manuscript P, however, this insertion—which
involves precisely the same passage and word-divisions—appears not with
a change of folios but rather as a continuous and consecutive part of the
text: thus suggesting, as has already been pointed out in section 5, that
P was copied either directly from A or else from the same earlier manus-
cript as that from which A was copied. In either event, this insertion
shows A and P to be very closely related to each other: a relation which is
amply confirmed by the many further features and variants shared by
these two manuscripts.
Turning from manuscript errors to a consideration of unusual features
shared by many or all of the manuscripts, notice may first be taken of the
very frequent retention of anusvara, which—as in many Sanskrit manus-
cripts—virtually always replaces nasals in combination with consonants,
as also final -m. The only exceptions to this appear firstly in manuscript
P, which often writes nasals (excepting m), and secondly on isolated
occasions in other manuscripts. In several instances, manuscript errors
can be seen to have come about due to this retention of anusvara (e.g. kim
vayusah in place of kim ayusah in sloka 2): and it would seem very likely
that this use of anusvara was a feature of the original account. Its use
has accordingly been retained in the critical text.
All manuscripts contain a considerable number of both vowel and
consonantal changes. In many instances, these can safely be ascribed to
scribal error: but in certain other cases, particularly within manuscript-
groups, these changes would seem indicative of the influence of Prakritic
or hybrid-Sanskritic forms. Changes in vowel-quality—namely both
lengthening and shortening of vowels, and also the irregular appearance
of guna and vrddhi forms—are to be found in all manuscripts: and they
are especially characteristic of manuscripts A, J , K, P and Q,—namely
those which belong to the least reliable group of manuscripts (group 4),
and which are presently located predominantly in eastern India. The
lengthening of short i, on the other hand, is a feature especially charac-
teristic of manuscript C, which is presently located in western Gujarat:
notable examples of this are praninam (2b, 24b), asti (9a, 25b), nihksatnya
(22d), pariksij (38b), nasayisyati (69b), samu[pai]syatl (80d), bhavisyafl
34
THE YUGA PURANA
independent evolution of different manuscripts and manuscript-groups.

The following examples of word-changes may be especially noted:
saktidhanuh for Saktidharah (la: A ^ D . H . L j N . P ^ . S ; 4b: D , H , L ,
N,S)
na mrtyur na ca for na ca mrtyur na (7b: A ^ D J H ^ L J N ^ Q S)
na ca kjudha for na ksudrata (9b: Bh,R)
0
gandharvasudane for 0 gandharvakinnaraih (13b: C)
"gandharvas tatha namah for "gandharvakinnaraih (13b: A,B,H,L,N,
P>Q.,S)
karane rsibhih for sadevarsibhih (13c: C,D)
abhavan for asatha (17d: Bh,R)
punah for yugam (23d: A,B,D,H.J,L ; N 3 P,Q,S)
sambhavisyati for samutpatsyati (29d: R)
dharayudhah for halayudliah (31b: G)
kurunam for caturbhir (3If: R)
sante ca for prasante (37b: C,D)
kaliyugasyante for kaliyugasyddau (38a: B,D,H,L 3 N 5 S)
Jcaliyuge sante for kaliyugasyddau (38a: C)
vimsatah for ca sat ah (43a: L)
yavanas ca suvikrantah for yavana yuddhavikrantah (47c: C)
yuddharuna for sudarunam (59d: R )
gamisyati for bhavisyati (64d: R)
na samsaynh for mahabalah (67d: C)
samvatsaran panca for samvatsaram raj'yam (72c: C,D)
rastram for rajyarn (74d: D)
vikramam for vigraham (78b: B,C,D,H,L,N,S)
trimsad for vimsad (80a: N)
catvarbhagam for caturbhagam (89a: A , J , P , Q )
papakrte for papaksaye (91a: C,D)
vipasayam for visikhayam (94a: R)
vetravatyam visikhayam for visikhayam vetravatydm (94a-b: C,D)
samadamaksamayo for samaksamadamas (95a: R)
nalan for baldn (97a: A,J,P)
brahmanan for baldn (97a: B)
yasyanti for sthdsyanti (99d: A , B , D , H J , L , N , P , Q , S )
prarijala smrtah for pdlapanjarah (103b: D) '
dvijatayah for bijdni (104c: R )
vasantah for mandale (106b: R)
bhoksyanti for saksyanti (108c: R )
bhavisyante for saksyanti (108c: C,D)
the views of Pargiter on the originally "Prakrit" form of Puranic genea-

logies in general—that the account was originally composed in pure
Prakrit. On the other hand, there does seem more than adequate evidence
to suggest that the original account contained hybrid-Sanskritic features:
namely features arising from a mixture of Sanskrit and Middle Indo-
Aryan forms (comparable with Jayaswal's alternative suggestion of an
original in mixed Sanskrit and Prakrit). The language of the Yuga-Purana
is clearly more Sanskritised than many of the hybrid forms of Sanskrit
which are to be found in certain epigraphical and Buddhist contexts: but
it nonetheless deviates in a number of ways from classical forms of
Sanskrit, and exhibits features which—as in the cases of irregular sandhi,
hiatus, and certain phonological changes—are more akin to Middle Indo-
Aryan forms of language.
Given, then, that the language of the original account contains
features which show it to have been influenced by a hybrid form of
Sanskrit, this in turn carries several further implications. In the first
place, t h i s - t o g e t h e r with the indication noted earlier that the account
was at one time (hence probably originally) written in Brahmi s c r i p t -
considerably lessens and even discounts any possibility that the account
might have been a somewhat later, perhaps medieval, composition: since,
had that been the case, such a medieval composition would in all proba-
bility not have demonstrated the irregular features of language which are
to be found in this account. In the second place, it once again suggests
that the original account was composed most probably between the first
century B.C. and the fifth century A.D.: since that was the period when
such a hybrid form of Sanskrit is known to have flourished.72 This latter
conclusion will again be referred to in assessing the date of composition
of the Yuga-Purana (section 12).
72 See e.g. Edgerton, Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit,

Hybrid Sanskrit, pp.1, 263-266.
pp.1-7, 10: Damsteegt, Epigraphical
J
(c) etac chrutva tato vakyam bralimano 'vyaktajanmanah /

(Skanda Purana 7.3.10.31)
3. nirata yatra catvaro varnah sarve svakarmani 11 (sloka 15)
compare:
svadharmaniratah sarve varnas caiva vyavasthitah //
(.Skanda Purana 6.272.28)
4. svakarmasu rata vaisyah sudrah susrusane ratah 11 (sloka 19)
compare:
(a) susrusayam ratah sudras tatha varnatrayasya ca j
{.Mahabharata 3.189.13)
(b) krsyam abhirata vaisyah sudrah susrusavah sthitah 11
(Harivamsa appendix 1.41 line 61)
5. tatah krodhas ca lobhas ca patitah prthivitale 11
ekapadavasesena dharmena prthivitale j (slokas 20, 27)
compare:
adliarmah padam ekam tu patayat prthivitale /
{Ramayana 7.65.15)
6. prajapalanadaksas ca raksitaro naresvarah / (sloka 26)
compare:
prajapalanadaksas ca narendran dharmacarinah /
(,Mahabharata appendix 1.21 line 11)
7. na cakrama parah kascit svadharmam pariprcchati // (sloka 27)
compare:
na tadd brahmanah kascit svadharmam upajivati /
(.Mahabharata 3.186.31)
8. bhovadinas tatha sudra brahmanas caryavadinah / (sloka 55)
compare:
(a) bhovadinas tatha sudra brahmanas caryavadinah //
(Mahabharata 3.186.33)
(b) sudra bhavadinas caiva brahmanas cantyavasinah //
(Brahma Purana ASS 230.12 / Venk. 123.12)
(c) sudra bhovadinas caiva bhavisyanti yugaksaye //
(Harivatjiia 116.13)
9. devo dvadasavarsdni anavrstim karisyati /
praja nasam gamisyanti durbhiksabhayapiditah // (sloka 90)
compare:
(a) andvrstya vinanksyanti durbhiksakaraplditah //
(Bhagavata Purana 12.2.10)
40 THE YUGA PURANA
(c)purne yugasahasre vai nihsesah kalpa ucyale //

(.Brahmanda Purana 3.4.1.173, Vayu Purana 2.38.178)
(d) purnam yugasahasram hi paripalya naresvaraih /
(Harivatnsa 7.47)
(e) purnam yugasahasram tu paripalya dvijottamah /
(Brahma Purana 5.53)
(f) purnam yugasahasram vai paripalya naresvarah. 11
(Brahmanda Purana 3.4.1.31, Vayu Purana 2.38.34)
(g) purtie yugasahasrdnte paripalya svadharmatah /
(Siva Purana 5.34.70)
(h) purne yugasahasre tu brahme 'hani tathagate /
(Matsya Purana 247.14)
(i) sahasrayugaparyantah kalpo nihsesa ucyate //
(Visnu Purana 3.2.48)
(j) tastnin yugasahasrdnte samprapte cayusah ksaye /
anavrstir maharajd jay ate hahuvarsiki //
(Mahabharata 3.186.56)
(k) tasmin yugasahasre tu purne bharatasattama
brahme divasaparyante kalpo nihsesa ucyate
(Harivamsa appendix 1.2 line 46)
I t can be seen from examining these correspondences that there are two
complete lines of the Yuga-Purana which appear verbatim in other works:
namely 55a-b, which appears also in the Mahabharata (and, with variants,
in the Harivamsa and the Brahma-Pur ana), and 115c-d, which appears also
in the Matsya Purana (and, with variants, in many other works). It is to
be noted that the latter line appears in the Puranas in the context of their
Manvantara accounts—and not, as with all the other correspondences, in
the context of their accounts of the Yugas. Some of the other correspon-
dences are strongly suggestive either of being borrowed from a common
source or of being borrowed from one text by another: and many further
correspondences could have been noted, particularly in Mahabharata
3.186-189 which often paraphrase and expand upon topics mentioned in
the Yuga-Purana. We would thus seem to have three main possibilities
for explaining the closeness of many of these correspondences:
(a) there originally existed an independent account of the four
Yugas, which was drawn upon by both the Yuga-Purana and the other
works;
(b) the Yuga-Purana has borrowed its account from the other
works;
(c) the other works have borrowed parts of their accounts from the
with the Brahma and Matsya Puranas (107c-d, 113c-d and 115c-d). T h e
a c c o u n t s of the Yugas in the Vayu and Matsya Puranas appear in the
same chapter as the accounts of the kings of the Kali Yuga and of the
Era of the Seven Rishis: and the Matsya account is demonstrably earlier
than the Vayu account. 7 8 Moreover, as n o t e d above, 115c-d appears
in the Harivamsa and in the Brahma, Matsya and Vayu Puranas in the
context of the Manvantaras: and here again the Manvantara account in
the Vayu is clearly laterthan those in the other texts. 7 7 In both instances,
therefore, the Vayu accounts are later than those of the Matsya Purana
(as also of the Harivamsa and the Brahma Parana): hence if the Maha-
bharata claims to have borrowed its account from the Vayu Purana, that
account must by implication be later than the account in at least the
Matsya Purana—a text which itself borrows in further contexts from the
Gargiya jyotisa. If, therefore, we are dealing with a question of textual
borrowing, it would seem likely that the Yuga-Purana account predates
that in the Mahabharata: and that the Mahabharata has in this instance
borrowed 55a-b from the Yuga-Purana, rather than vice versa.
It may also be noted here that other parts of the Mahabharata refer
to Garga himself, and also to his jyotisa-wiork. One passage in the &anti
Parvan refers to Garga as the samvatsara (one who has knowledge of time
i.e. an astronomer/astrologer) of the legendary king Prthu Vainya. 7 8
Another passage, in the Anusasana Parvan, relates that Gargya obtained
from Siva kalajnanam mahadbhutam (very wonderful knowledge of time)
contained in a treatise of sixty-four divisions (catuhsastyanga):78 while a
passage in the fealya-Parvan recounts that Vrddha-Garga—also referred
to as Garga—obtained through severe tapas (asceticism), kalajnana
knowledge of jyotisa and of favourable and unfavourable omens (utpata
darunas caiva Subhas co). s o We have already seen that the utpata-chap-
ters are those which almost immediately precede the Yuga-Purana chapter
in the present Gargiya-jyotisa, and which also appear (as adbhuta-santi
chapters) in the Matsya Purana. Moreover, the Gargiya-jyotisa itself states
76 N o t e especially t h e omission of t h e G u p t a s f r o m t h e Matsya a c c o u n t : see Tradi-

tions of the Seven Rishis, ch.4.
77 T h e first t h r e e texts, for e x a m p l e , c o n t a i n lists of t h e Seven Rishis in each
Manvantara for only t h e first 8 M a n v a n t a r a s : while the Vayu c o n t a i n s lists for all 14
M a n v a n t a r a s , a n d also a d d s gotra-names for each Rishi: see ' T h e E v o l u t i o n of t h e Man-
v a n t a r a T h e o r y ' , a n d Traditions of the Seven Rishis, ch.3.
78 Mahabharata 12 59.117: mahargir bhagavan gargas tasya sdmvatsaro 'bhavat,
kings and dynasties as being Sudras and Mlecchas (low-born and out-
castes) at the end of the Kali Yuga. The Yuga-Purana makes no mention
of the chronological Era of the Seven Rishis, which is a characteristic
feature of the accounts in the early Puranas; and perhaps most conspi-
cuous of all, the Yuga-Purana—although talking in detail of the end of the
Kali Yuga and the start of a new (Krta) Yuga —makes no mention
whatever of Kalki, who otherwise appears in this context in the accounts
of the Mahabharata, of the HarivamSa, and of most Puranas. These
omissions once again strongly suggest that the Yuga-Purana account is
earlier than the accounts in the Epics and other Puranas.
The Epic and Puranic accounts of the Yugas enter into considerable
detail on the evils of the Kali Yuga. The Mahabharata account, for
example, also speaks of the drdhavratas who abound at the end of the
Y u g a ; 8 1 and the refrain "bhavisya(n)ti yugaksaye" is echoed over and again
throughout these accounts. Fear and famine are said to grip the world,
and men leave their villages which become like forests 8 5 —just as Patali-
putra is said to become a forest after the Saka incursion; 8 9 they move to
rivers and mountains, and to outlying areas and mandalas, settling down
among Mlecchas. 8 7 Yet while these mandalas or regions are often spoken
of as the standard outlying areas of Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Kashmir and
so forth, the Yuga-Purana is again far more specific in its listing of the
twelve mandalas in which men survive at the end of the Yuga: moreover,
it does not depict their inhabitants as being Mlecchas or outcastes—and I
the term Mleccha is used only in a specific sense for one individual,
Amrata, who destroys the varnas or castes. 8 8 This constant specificity of
the Yuga-Purana—in contrast to the generalities contained in all other
a c c o u n t s of the Yugas—again suggests its priority to the other accounts:
since we have many other instances wherein originally specific terms—
such as Dasa, Mleccha, Saka and Yavana—degenerate into general terms
of derogation denoting simply "outcaste" or "low-born".
T h e Yuga-Purana contains the somewhat unusual doubled form
krtayuge yuge:89 almost the only other place where this seems to occur is
84 Mahabharata 3.188.24-25: c p . Yuga-Purana sloka 5 4 b .

85 E . g . Brahmanda Parana 2.3.74. 210-211: Vdyu Purana 2.37.292-293.
86 Sloka 65.
87 E . g . Harivamsa 117: Brahma Purana 230.60ff.: Brahmanda Purana 2.3.74.213-4:
Skanda Purana 1.2.40.262: Vayu Purana 2.37.396-7; t h e t e r m mandala is u s e d in t h e Hari-
vamSa a n d Brahma a c c o u n t s , also in Lifiga Purana 1.40.30.
8 8 Slokas 68-69.
89 Sloka 11.
9. S E C T A R I A N I S M IN T H E YUGA-PURANA
The Yuga-Purana is not an especially sectarian work: that is to say, it

is generally free of the sectarian biases which characterise most of the
principal Puranas.
All of the three main gods of classical Hinduism are mentioned in
the Yuga-Purana—but only one of them by his primarily classical name.
Svayambhu (i.e. Brahma) is mentioned once, as the creator of the Ksatra
(authority of the warrior-caste) for the protection of the people (Sloka
14). The entire account is said to be related by Samkara (i.e. Siva),
who is also referred to as bhagavan deva (the Lord God) (sloka 4).
Visnu is said to have decreed the death of Agnimitra (sloka 78); as
Kesava, he appears in the context of the Pandava war (i.e. the Maha-
bharata) in order to destroy horses, elephants, warriors and men at the
end of the Dvapara Yuga; and in the same context he is said to be called
Vasudeva (i.e. Krsna the son of Vasudeva), and is described as being
four-armed (caturbahu), wearing yellow clothes (pitambaradhara), and
bearing the conch, disc and mace (sahkhacakragadadhara) (slokas 29-30).
I n a probably interpolated line (see section 3), the epithets vanamalin
(of Vasudeva/Krsna) and halayudha (of Saiikarsana/Balarama) are also
mentioned (sloka 31a-b). The other principal deity mentioned in the
account is Skanda, the son of Siva; the entire account is said to be related
following the initial questions of Skanda to Siva (slokas 1-4); and Skanda
himself is referred to as saktidhara (he who holds the spear), as varhinadh-
vaja (he who has the peacock as his emblem), and as aklistakarman (he
who is unwearied in action) (slokas 1,4,114). Two manuscripts (C and D)
call the entire account the Skanda-Purana rather than the Yuga-Purana:
presumably since it is related in response to Skanda's questions.
At the end of each of the first three Yugas, there is said to have
occurred a great battle. The destruction of the demon Taraka is said to
have occurred at the end of the Krta Yuga; the destruction of Ksatriyas
twenty-one times by (Parasu-) R a m a is said to have occurred at the end
of the Treta Yuga; while the Dvapara Yuga is said to have concluded
with the quarrel between the Pan4avas and other kings. The individual
characters who take part in this latter conflict are listed at some length:
but the conflict itself is not referred to as the Bharata or Mahabharata
*
somewhat pro-Brahmin and anti-ascetic (thus by implication also anti-

Buddhist) text, yet not markedly so; while its lack of sectarian bias—
together with the particular names by which it refers to the gods and the
omission of the Ramayana tradition—suggest that it owes its composition
to a period somewhat earlier than that of the Epics and other Puranas.
50 THE VUG A PURANA
stration that, however garbled and muddled the lists might appear, they
do nonetheless in at least some places preserve material of historical
validity.
The account of kings and events which is given in the Yuga-Purana
is somewhat different from those given in the Epics and Puranas gene-
rally. There is firstly a difference in content: inasmuch as many of the
names and events in the Yuga-Purana are not mentioned elsewhere in the
Epics or Puranas, nor indeed in any other literary sources. There is also
a difference in style: since the Yuga-Purana does not set out to give
complete genealogies, as is otherwise the case in the Epics and Puranas,
but instead gives selective accounts of such kings and events as seemed
significant in the eyes of—and for the purposes of—the author. Thus
the account in the Yuga-Purana gives the impression of representing a
fairly early stage in the formulation of the Epic and Puranic genealogical
tradition, which was only subsequently developed into the presentation
of complete genealogical lists. T h e Yuga-Purana has clearly not derived
its account—or at least, certain parts of its account—from any other
extant literary sources or from the main Epic and Puranic tradition: for
it represents in many respects a unique account, particularly in its men-
tion of the Indo-Greeks and £akas, which can only be assessed in such
respects with the help of non-literary evidence.
The main aim of the Yuga-Purana is, then, to give an outline account
of the principal peoples and events in each of the four Yugas or Ages, as
an illustration of what came to pass when dharma inevitably declined with
the passing of time. The section of narrative describing the Kali Yuga,
or the "Present Age", is spoken—as in the Epics and Puranas—in a
prophetic future tense: and this also the case—unlike in the Epics and
Puranas—with the section of narrative describing the Mahabharata war
at the end of the third or Dvapara Yuga. The three Yugas before the
present one are each said to have ended with a war or conflict: thus the
Krta Yuga is said to have ended with the Taraka war, or the destruction
of the demon Taraka (slokas 6-14), the Treta Yuga with the destruction
of the Kaatriyas twenty-one times by (ParaSu-) Rama (slokas 15-22), and
the Dvapara Yuga with the Mahabharata war (slokas 23-36). Each of
these events is also narrated or referred to both in the Epics (more especi-
ally in the Mahabharata) and throughout the Puranas.
The consideration in this section of the historicity of the account
will be commenced from the start of the Kali Yuga section at sloka 37.
It should be appreciated, as has been pointed out, that the Yuga-Purana
does not contain either a complete or a fully consecutive catalogue of
acconnt is given in the Vayu and Matsya Puranas, where it is said that
Janamejaya was cursed in anger by Vaisampayana (asapat tam tadamarsad
vaisampayana eva tu) and by the Brahmins (vivade brahmanaih sardham
abhisapto) due to his Vajasaneyaka opinions. 1 0 0 Thus the Yuga-Purana
account of his downfall as being due to a quarrel with Brahmins agrees
with the accounts in other works: while the precise cause of that quarrel
given in this account—namely his anger on account of his insulted wife
—is elsewhere alluded to only in the Harivamsa.
B. Udayin and the founding of Pataliputra (slokas 40-43)

T h e form " U d a d h i n " or " U d a d h i " given in many manuscripts of the
Yuga-Purana is probably no more than a graphic variant for " U d a y i n " .
The epithet sisunagatmaja implies that Udayin was the son of Sisunaga:
but
f
other Puranas relate that he was seventh in line of descent from
%
Sisunaga. Most manuscripts of the Matsya Purana give his name as
Udasin: in the Visnu Purana he is generally called Udayasva: and in the
Bhagavata Purana, Aj ay a . 1 0 1 Brahmanical sources—including the Yuga-
Purana—here conflict with Buddhist sources: notably with the Maha-
vamsa, which relates that "Susunaga" was a successor—rather than an
ancestor—of Udayin (or " U d a y a b h a d d a " as he is generally called in the
Pali C a n o n ) . 1 0 2 The balance of evidence does, indeed, seem to be in
favour of the Buddhist sources on this p o i n t . 1 0 3 Brahmanical, Buddhist
and J a i n sources agree, however, that Udayin was the successor of
Ajatasatru, possibly after the interregnum of D a r s a k a : 1 0 1 and his reign
most probably commenced around 460 B.C. The event for which he is
celebrated in the Yuga-Purana—namely the founding of Puspapura or
Pataliputra on the " r i g h t " or . southern bank of the Ganga—is also
recounted of him in the Vayu and Brahmanda Puranas,10" and again
100 Vayu Purana 2.37.244-250! Matsya Purdria 50.57-65.

101 Matsya Purana 272.6-13: Visnu Purana 14.24.3: Bhagavata Purana 12.1.5-8.
102 Mahavamsa 4.1-8: see also Dipavamsa 5.97-98.
103 See for example the discussions in H . R a y c h a u d h u r i , Political History of Ancient
India, pp.103-5, 190-201, a n d in W . Geiger, Introduction to the P T S translation of the
Mahavamsa, pp.xl-xlvi.
104 Darsaka is mentioned only in t h e P u r a n a s as ruling between A j a t a s a t r u a n d
U d a y i n : he is omitted altogether from the J a i n tradition a n d the Buddhist Asokdvaddna
a n d Divyavaddna, b u t may be identified with the Nagadasaka w h o is listed in the Maha-
vamsa a n d Dipavamsa as t h e successor of U d a y i n .
105 Vayu Purdria 2.37.313: Brahmanda Purdria 2.3.74.132-133.
r
THE YUGA PURANA
Gods": the epithet commonly used by Asoka). 1 1 1 T h a t o f S a m p r a t i

also seems adequately vouched for by references to him in Jain, Bud-
dhist and Brahmanical sources. Several Buddhist legends additionally
relate that Kunala was a viceroy—and, according to some, the successor
—of Asoka: but we may likely suppose that, after Asoka's fairly lengthy
36-year reign came to an end in 232 B.C., the succession passed
within a short time to either Samprati or Dasaratha, both of whom are
said (in Jain/Buddhist and Brahmanical sources respectively) to have been
grandsons of Asoka. According to the Puranas, Dasaratha reigned for
eight years, and Samprati for nine: and it would therefore have been
shortly before 200 B.C. that Salisuka succeeded to the throne.
T h e Yuga-Purana speaks in disparaging terms of this ruler. "Born
for the destruction of truth", "fond of conflict", "greatly afflicting his own
kingdom", and "of righteous speech but unrighteous conduct": such deni-
grating descriptions of Salisuka are evidently to be taken alongside the
further item of information that he will, in delusion, "cause his eldest
brother to establish vijayam nama dharmikam" (sloka 46). The eldest brother
is described as being famed, on account of his qualities, as the "Banner of
Sadhus": this epithet implies that he was a patron of ascetics, and the
term sadhu is especially use of J a i n ascetics. As has been seen, Samprati
—the father of Salisuka, according to the Puranas—is well-famed as a
patron of Jainism, just as Dasaratha—like Asoka—is known to have been
a patron of another non-Brahmanical sect; and it would seem quite
likely that Samprati's sons continued this Maurya tradition of patronage
—if indeed Salisuka's "eldest brother" is not perhaps to be identified with
Samprati himself. The vijayam nama dharmikam established by this eldest
brother is somewhat obscure: as it stands, it should be translated
" a righteous person called Vijaya", yet we know of no such person—
which is, of course, no conclusive argument against the existence of such
a person. Had the phrase read vijayam dharmikam nama, there would per-
haps have been little difficulty in discerning a disparaging reference to the
Asokan concept of dharmavijaya or "Conquest through righteousness", a
type of conquest perhaps attempted here by one of his successors: and it is
indeed difficult to see why the Yuga-Purana should be so scathing in its
criticisms, if the person established (namely Vijaya) was a righteous person.
Bearing in mind the further criticisms which are to come a few lines
further on in the account, about the predominance of ascetics, mendicants
— — — —
111 Sircar StleeI Inscriptions I, pp.77-78.

(Narain) from one unreliable manuscript (P)—which in any case reads

pancana and pancala in its two versions of the second of these instances—
can no longer be accepted in the light of the new manuscript evidence:
likewise the variants ksapayisyanti in place of jnapayisyanti (Narain and
Sircar) and parthivan in place of parthivah (Sircar) are not supported by
the fresh weight of material. Narain's suggested emendation of nagare yam
to nagaram ye also receives no support: although it must be admitted that
the structure of the line is somewhat unorthodox—albeit little more
so than many other lines in the work. " M a d h y a d e s a " seems to be inten-
ded here in the sense found also in Buddhist works, denoting the region
u p to or beyond K a j a n g a l a . 1 1 4
Having seen what exactly the account says about the Yavana incur-
sion, we may now ask about the historicity of this supposed event.
Corroboration for the penetration of a group of Yavanas to Saketa is
provided by Patanjali, who in this commentary on Panini's G r a m m a r
gives at one point a grammatical example arunad yavanah saketaml arunad
yavano madhyamikam, " t h e Yavana was besieging Saketa, the Yavana
was besieging M a d h y a m i k a . " 1 1 5 At another point in his commentary,
he gives an example iha pusyamitram yajayamah, "here we are sacrificing
for Pusyamitra": an expression which seems to imply that Patanjali was
a near-contemporary of Pusyamitra S u n g a . 1 1 8 This consequently streng-
thens the possibility that some form of Yavana incursion to the central
region of northern India took place prior to the reign of Pusyamitra.
T h e " M a d h y a m i k a " referred to by Patanjali is close to modern Chitor-
garh in Rajasthan, which would have been a region probably adjacent
to the Sunga realm. Kalidasa recounts in his Malavikagnimitra that
Puspamitra appointed his grandson Vasumitra to guard his sacrificial
horse, which wandered on the right bank of the Sindhu river and was
seized by Yavana cavalrymen—the latter being thereafter defeated by
Vasumitra.117 T h e " S i n d h u " referred to in this context may denote
/
the river Indus: but such an extension of Sunga power seems unlikely,
and it is more probable that it denotes one of two rivers in central India
—either the Sindhu river which is a tributary of the Y a m u n a and has its
source a short distance north-west of Vidisa, or the Kali-Sindhu river
which is a tributary of the Chambal and passes close to Chitorgarh and
U j j a i n after rising near N a r m a d a . In this event, therefore, we may
114 See note 33 to the translation.
115 Mahabhasya 3.2.111.
116 Mahabhasya 3.2.123.
117 Malavikagnimitra 5.15.14-24.
58 • THE YUGA PURANA
Greek kings Euthydemos (c. 230-190 B.C.) or Demetrios (c. 205-190 as

co-regent, and 190-171 B.C. as supreme ruler). There is little or no
reason to suppose that this Yavana incursion represented an imperial
campaign, or anything more than an expeditionary force: and the
sudden departure of this Yavana force soon after it had reached Patali-
putra might even be taken to suggest that the whole episode ended in
fiasco from the Indo-Greek point of view. The reference to the terrible
war occurring in the Indo-Greek realm which prompted the sudden
return of the Yavana force suggests, in this context, one of three events:
namely either the two-year besiege of Euthydemos in Balkh by Antiochus
I I I (c. 208-206 B.C.), after which Antiochus himself marched eastwards
and renewed his friendship with Sophagasenos "the king of the
I n d i a n s " ; 1 2 3 or the seccession of Sogdiana from Bactria (c. 190 B.C.);
or else the revolt of Eucratides, who usurped the throne from Demetrios
(c. 171 B.C.). Eucratides himself is said to have reduced India under
his power: 1 2 4 while Demetrios is accorded the title "king of the Indians"
by J u s t i n 1 2 B —a title which may imply that he merely ruled over certain
formerly Indian principalities in north-west India, but which may
equally imply that he authorised ventures yet further afield. Although
it is clearly not possible to be certain as to when this Yavana incursion
took place, the most likely date is perhaps around 190 B.C.: a period
which saw the death of Euthydemos and the seccession of Sogdiana in the
Indo-Greek realm, which would doubtless have prompted the return of
any Indo-Greek expeditionary forces to their own realm; and a period
which also witnessed the final downfall of the Mauryas and the emergence
of the new Sunga dynasty under Pusyamitra in India.
E. Seven kings of Saketa (slokas 58-59)
It is somewhat ironic that the Maurya dynasty, which was estab-

lished by Candragupta around 325 B.C. under the inspiration of a
Greek incursion by Alexander, 1 2 8 may well have been hastened to an
end by a further (Indo-) Greek incursion around 190 B.C. Just as
Alexander's example prompted Candragupta to overthrow the last Nanda
king, so too the confusion wrought by the advent of a joint Yavana-
pancala-Mathura force may have provided the opportunity for Pusya-
mitra to overthrow the last Maurya king and establish his own dynasty.
123 Polybius, The Histories 11.39.1-16.

124 J u s t i n , Tragus Pompeius 41.6.
125 J u s t i n , Trogus Pompeius 41.6: see also Strabo, Geography 11.11.1
126 Cf. Strabo, Geography 15.2.9.
this point intended to be chronologically continuous, taking up the narra-

tive from the point where it left off with the departure of the Yavanas
from Pataliputra.
T h e account first speaks of an uprising amongst the peoples of Maga-
dha, leading to a period of conflict during which Pataliputra was deserted
and the regnal succession uncertain. In the midst of this confusion, a
certain Amrata is said to have temporarily usurped power: but to have
then been replaced by a line of kings who may fairly safely be identified
with the Sungas (see G). The account paints a fiery and adverse picture
of this Amrata: a person of low-born or outcaste status (Mlecclia), bear-
ing the epithet Lohitaksa or "the red-eyed" and clad in red garments,
advancing upon the city with his kinsmen in order to rob and plunder its
helpless and ruler-less people; and, what was most heinous in the Brahmin-
eyes of our author, destroying the established social system by establi-
shing and promoting castes which had traditionally been outcaste—just
as he himself is deemed to be an outcaste.
No mention of such a person is to be found in any other source. T h e
name " A m r a t a " (or variant Amlata) does not seem to be a Sanskrit name,
but a Sanskritisation of a non-Sanskritic original. The account relates
that Amrata was not a native of Pataliputra, but that he had gone there
f r o m elsewhere: and that all those who went (? with him) to the city
approached it "through the desolate hill-area" (sunyarn asadya parvatam).
This expression recalls the approach of Krsna, Arjuna and Bhima to the
Magadhan capital as depicted in the Mahabharata: wherein, after procee-
ding along the northern bank of the Ganga, they then crossed the Ganga
and the Sona (near whose confluence Pataliputra was situated) and
reached the Magadhan city Rajagrha (a short distance south of Patali-
putra) by crossing the Gorathagiri mountain, the present-day Barabar
hills (goratham girim asadya dadrsur magadham pur am).12 a Since, indeed,
this is the only noteworthy range of hills in the vicinity of Pataliputra,
the account would seem to imply that Amrata reached Pataliputra from
the south, after crossing this range of hills.
It is to be noted that, in the Hathigumpha inscription, Kharavela
relates that in his eighth regnal year he negotiated the Gorathagiri range
of hills in order to reach Rajagrha from Kalinga (line 8: goradhagiriiji
dhatapayita rajagaham upapidayati); while in his twelfth regnal year he
again marched to Magadha, watered his horses and elephants in the
Ganga, caused the Magadha king Brhaspatimitra to pay him homage,
129 Mahabharata 2.18.30.
»
taking 70c-d—commencing tato bhavisyati raja, "then there will be a king"

—as the start of a new section. On balance, however, this difficulty does
not seem insurmountable: and the account may consequently be inter-
preted as relating that the Mleccha Amrata—red-eyed and clothed in red
--went to the Magadhan capital, robbed its people and destroyed the
castes, at a time subsequent to the Saka incursion (of about 60 B.C.) and
before the end of the Kali Yuga (placed by our author around the mid-1st
century B.C.: see l a n d J below). Such an interpretation accordingly
suggests, for the reasons already noted, that " A m r a t a " of our account is
to be identified with Kharavela.
G. The rule of the Agnivesya kings (slokas 61 and 70c-81).
The account goes into some detail in describing the reigns of certain
kings called Agnives'yas. This name is apparently given both to the
dynasty as a whole (sloka 61) and also to one of its prominent members,
who is nonetheless not its founder (slokas 79-80). The first king mentioned
is Gopala, who is said to have been a co-regent with Puspaka (or Pusyaka):
thereafter came the reign of Puspaka alone, who succeeded by Anaranya;
and he was in turn succeeded by a Brahmin called Vikuyasas (slokas 70c-
74). It is said that these kings ruled in Puspapura or Pataliputra: and
that during their reigns the city once again saw prosperity and an increase
of population. The account then switches its focus of attention from
Pataliputra to the Bhadrayaka (or Bhadrapaka) land: it mentions two
kings who ruled there, namely Agnimitra and Agnivesya. Agnimitra is
said to wrought his own downfall by quarrelling with the Brahmins on
account of an exceedingly beautiful young girl who was born there: while
Agnivesya is said to have been a mighty sovereign who ultimately
perished in a battle against the Savaras.
T h e name "Agnivesya" for this line of kings is not known from other
sources. Of the two regions over which they ruled, the location of the
second—Bhadrayaka—is not referred to elsewhere: the mention of the
Savaras (or Sabalas, as in sloka 63) suggests, however, that it was a region
of the Vindhyas. T h e Savaras are listed in several places alongside the
Andhras, Vaidarbhas, Pulindas and Vindhya-dwellers: 1 8 1 the first two
of these dwelt to the south of the Narmada river, while the Pulindas
dwelt around and to the west of Jabalpur and had their capital near
131 For example Mahabharata 12.200.39: Matsya Parana 114.46-48: also Aitareya
Brahmana 7.18. A place n a m e d B h a d r a r a k a , probably a r o u n d B a r o d a , is known: see
L a w , Historical Geography, p.277.
time from mints in Pataliputra and (briefly) Mathura, and then subse-
quently from mints in Vidisa, Ujjain and E r a n . 1 3 4 It is regrettable that
the series—like all punch-marked series—bears no names of the issuing
rulers: but we may safely assign it to the line of 3unga kings. In western
India and the Panjab, a number of small states and tribes asserted their
independence and issued coins: such as the Audumbaras, the Trigartas,
the Kulutas, the Vrsnis, the Kunindas, the Kurus, the Purus, the
Agodakas, and the Yaudheyas. 1 3 6 Towering over these in central
northern India, however, were two distinct lines of rulers, who issued
two equally distinctive series of coins: namely the kings of Mathura and
Pancala. In Mathura, the brief issue of (Suriga) punch-marked coinage
was soon superseded by a series of coins struck in the name of Gomitra.
Thereafter reigned a succession of " M i t r a " kings, including Suryamitra,
Brahmamitra, Dadhamitra, and Visnumitra: these were succeeded by
" D a t t a " kings—Purusadatta, Sesadatta, Bhavadatta, and others—who
ruled until they were replaced around A.D. 1 by the Saka Mahaksatrapa
Rajuvula. 1 3 * Pancala in the post-Maurya period—with its capital at
Ahicchatra near modern Bareilly—was ruled first by " G u p t a " , " P a l a "
and " S e n a " kings: Damagupta, Rudragupta and Jayagupta; ViSvapala
and Yajnapala; Yugasena and Vasusena. These were then succeeded
by a long dynasty of " M i t r a " kings: Jyesthamitra, Dhruvamitra, Visnu-
mitra, Jayamitra, Indramitra and Varunamitra; Phalgunimitra, Bhumi-
mitra and Suryamitra; Bhanumitra, Agnimitra, and Brhaspatimitra;
and then by Bhadraghosa, whereafter Pancala was absorbed into the
Kusana empire around A.D. 80. 1 S T Further to the east, we have
already seen that Kosala was ruled by a separate line of kings in
Saketa; 1 8 8 while in KausambI—the capital of Vatsa—there arose a
further line of rulers issuing a distinctive series of coins, among whom
were Brhaspatimitra, Asvaghosa, Parvata, Agnimitra, Jyesthamitra, Sarpa-
mitra, and Dhanadeva, as well as several further " M i t r a " kings. 1 8 9 Coins
of further " M i t r a " kings—including Indramitra—have been found at
Pataliputra: 1 4 0 while the names of two other " M i t r a " kings—namely
134 M.B. Mitchiner, The Ancient & Classical World, pp.550-555, 580-582.
135 Ibid., IGISC vol.7 pp.625-652.
136 I b i d . , pp.652-658.
137 Ibid., pp.662-672.
138 See E above.
139 M.B. M i t c h i n e r , The Ancient & Classical World, pp.577-3; also P . L . G u p t a
Coins, pp.39-40, who n a m e s a n u m b e r of f u r t h e r M i t r a kings.
140 D.B. Spooner, ' M r . R a j a n T a t a ' s Excavations at P a t a l i p u t r a ' , pp.79, 84-85.
66
T H E YUGA PURANA
no help in trying to discern the individual rulers of the Sunga dynasty.

Slight help is given by inscriptions, where we have mention of Bhaga-
vata 1 4 4 - who is also listed in the Puranas as the penultimate Sunga king:
but on the other hand we also have inscriptional reference to the Vidisa
king Bhagabhadra who received the Yavana envoy Heliodorus, 1 4 6 yet
who is not listed in the P u r a n a s . 1 4 6 It must be admitted that,' in the
light of . this seemingly disparate evidence, it remains difficult to throw
definite light upon the exact line of Sunga succession. Yet this section in
the Yuga-Purana relating to the "Agnivesya" kings does seem to corres-
pond essentially in a number of features to what we know from other
sources about the Surigas, the rulers of both Pataliputra and Vidisa.
One further point of interest in this account may be noted : namely
that Agnimitra is said to have reigned in the Bhadrayaka land "in the
Kilaka (year)" (sloka 77). T h e "Kilaka" is the name for the 42nd year
in the astronomical 60-year cycle of Jupiter: and bearing in mind that
this account appears within an astronomical work which elsewhere deals
with the cycle of J u p i t e r , 1 4 ' t h e reference may accordingly be of some
significance. T h e Kilaka would denote in this context the year 183 B.G
(and subsequently 123 B.C.): and it may therefore be that, according
to our author, it was in that year that Agnimitra became viceroy in
Vidisa to Pusyamitra. Assuming that Pusyamitra overthrew the last
Maurya king around 189 B.C., this would accord with Kalidasa's
account that Agnimitra's infatuation with a young Malava girl occurred
while Pusyamitra was reigning, and while a (former) Maurya minister
still figured prominently in political affairs. 1 4 8 The evidence does not,
however, allow us to proceed further than to state this possibility.
H. The reign of king Satuvara (sloka 87)
The account next moves on—after an interlude describing the evil

conduct of men and w o m e n - t o speak of a king named Satuvara, whose
reign is spoken of as having been an oppressive one, and who is said to
have died after the tenth year of his reign had passed.
The account of this king is immediately followed by an account of
144 Sircar, Select Inscriptions I , pp.89-90

145 Ibid., pp.88-89.
146 Sircar has suggested-somewhat s p e c u l a t i v e l y - t h a t he m a y be the same as
Bhadraka, whom the Bhdgavata Purdrta lists in place of Andhraka.
1'47 I n Afiga 5 of the Gargiya jyotifa,
*48 MAUvlMfnimUra 1.27,) $ ff.
68
T H E YUGA PURANA
I. The &aka incursion and defeat (slokas 62-64 and 88-89)
The account relates that a mighty Saka king, in his greed for wealth,
came on a plundering raid and destroyed large number of men ("a quar-
ter of living being"): but that, during the course of his plundering, he was
killed by the Kalinga king Sata and by a certain group of (Kovedu-
kanda ?) Sabalas—whereafter the Sakas returned to their own city with a
large amount ("a quarter") of wealth and booty.
The exact place to which the Sakas came is not mentioned in the
account: but the reference to their defeat by the Sabalas or peoples of
the central Vindhyas (see above) would be fully in accord with their
having come to Ujjain. We may also bear in mind that the account itself
was quite possibly composed in Ujjain (see section 11): and this would
be adequate reason for the episode being recounted in some detail.
The main further source which refers to a Saka incursion is the Kala-
ka-cycle of legends, which are usually to be found at the end of manus-
cripts of the Jain Kalpa Sutra ascribed to Bhadrabahu. This work forms
part o f t h e SvetambaraJain canon, and was probably composed around
the 5th or 6th century A.D.: many of the extant manuscripts date from
the 13th and 14th centuries A.D., and the number of different versions
current at that period suggests that the basic story had originated at a
considerably earlier d a t e . 1 4 9 Furthermore, the fact that these legends
have been incorporated within a canonical work and adapted to serve
the purpose of explaining a particular ceremonial point—namely the
alteration of the date o f t h e Paryusana festival by Kalaka—similarly points
to an earlier origin. These legends basically relate that king Gadabhilla
came to the throne of Ujjain in 75 B . C . 1 6 0 and established a dynasty
which lasted for 152 years, until the start of the Saka era in A.D. 78.
Thirteen years after his accession—namely in 62 B.C.—he was expelled
from the city by a confederation of Saka chiefs, who remained there for
149 Different versions of the legends have been usefully collected in W . N o r m a n

Brown, The Story of Kalaka. Brown distinguishes 17 main versions, and lists several
different manuscripts of each version. Those which are particularly relevant in the
present context are among the oldest: namely numbers 1 (Long Anonymous Version),
2, 4, 5, 8 (the Prabhdvacarita), 9, 11 (by BhavadevasUri), and 12 (by Dharmaprabhasuri).'
See also H. Jacobi, 'Das K a l a k a c a r y a - K a t h a n a k a ' , ZDMG 34, 1880, pp.247-318; a n d
S.M. Nawab, The Collection of Kalaka Story (sic), 2 vols.
150 T h e date ascribed to Gadabhilla may also b e arrived at by calculating for-
wards from the date of Mahavira's nirvana in 527 B.C.: thereafter, Palaka is said to have
ruled for 60 years, the N a n d a s for 155 years; the M a u r y a s for 108 years; Pusyamitra for
30 years; Balamitra and Bhanumitra for 60 years; and Nabhovahana for 40 years.
king Satavahana at Pratisthana, and to have related his Brhatkatha to

the king. In all these literary sources, therefore, it is said that king
Vikrama became king of Ujjain, after defeating a group of Sakas: and
that he had a close connection, and subsequently rivalry, with king
Satavahana of Pratisthana—the latter of whom is often said to have been
proclaimed king by the inhabitants of Pratisthana when he solved a
legal dispute which king Vikrama had been unable to resolve, this then
being the cause of their subsequent rivalry.
The Puranas make no mention of any Saka incursion: nor do they
speak of a king named Vikrama. Equally, however, they do not speak
of a king named Satavahana or Salivahana: but they do refer to the
Satavahana dynasty by another name, namely as the Andhras. Their
lists of Andhras or S a t a v a h a n a s l s s contain the names of many kings,
a sizeable number of whom are also known from inscriptions and coins.
The first king, who is said to have been andhrajatiya or of Andhra birth,
is named either Sisuka, Sindhuka or similar, and is said to have reigned
for 23 years: he was succeeded by his brother Krsna, who reigned for
either 10 (Vayu, Brahmanda generally) or 18 (Matsya, Vayu) years: and
Krsna was in turn succeeded by his (or Sisuka's) son Sri Satakarni, who
reigned for 56 years. 1 6 4 All three of these kings are also known from
inscriptions: Krsna is known—in the Prakritic form Kanha—from a
Nasik cave inscription, 1 8 8 while both Simuka (i.e. the Puranic Sisuka
etc.) and Sri Satakarni are referred to in Nanaghat cave inscriptions (in
the vicinity of P o o n a ) . 1 8 8 Krsna is spoken of as a member of the
Satavahana family (sadavahanakule kanhe); while Simuka is referred to
as Simuka-Satavahana (raya simukasatavahano sirimato), from which it
would appear that he incorporated the family name " S a t a v a h a n a " with
his own name.
Numismatically also, we have evidence of three early Satavahana
kings—or rather, of three names which appear on early Satavahana
coinage. T h e first of these is Satavahana—usually spelt (siri) satavahana
or sadavahana —whose coins have all been found at or around Nevasa,
153 Bhagavata Purana 12.1.22-28: Brahmanda Purana 2.3.74.161-170: Matsya Purana

273.1-17: Vayu Purana 2.37.342-352: Visnu Purana 4.24.12-13.
154 A n u m b e r of manuscripts of the Matsya Purana state that Sri S a t a k a r n i reigned
for 10 years, a n d then subsequently mention another S a t a k a r n i w h o ruled for 56 years:
see Pargiter, Dynasties of the Kali Age, p.39.
155 Sircar, Select Inscriptions I , pp.189-190.
156 I b i d . , pp.190-197.
xxxviii T H E YUGA P U R A N A
but also by the Sabalas—who as we have seen were inhabitants of the

central Vindhyan region which was a part of the Malava territories.
There is, however, one point in the account which we have not yet
examined: namely the statement that the Saka king was killed by—or on
account of—a certain kalingasataraja, " a Sata king of Kalinga" or "king
Sata of Kalinga". The name of this king immediately recalls the king
Sata who is known from his coinage to have ruled both south of the
Narmada and also in Ujjain and the surrounding area. The account
mentions however, that he was a Kalinga king: a point which seemingly
gainsays any proposed identification of the two Satas. We do nonetheless
know of two other kings bearing a form of the name Sata, both of whom
were kings of Kalinga: namely Maharaja Mahameghavahana Sri Sada
( = Sata), referred to as the lord of Kalinga and Mahisaka in an inscrip-
tion from Guntupally; 1 8 2 and Maharaja Manasada, referred to in an
inscription from near G u n t u r . 1 8 3 The titles Maharaja and Mahamegha-
vahana also appear in the Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela: 1 8 4
and Mahameghavahana may probably be taken as a family-name, parallel
to Satavahana. T h e two Sata inscriptions are epigraphically somewhat
later than the Kharavela inscription, which probably places them in the
early 1st century A.D.: since Kharavela recounts that in his second year he
marched his army westwards to the Krsnavenva or Krsna river "without
paying heed to Satakarni", 1 8 6 thereby indicating that he was a contem-
porary of Satakarni. Sircar has suggested that these Kalinga rulers bear
(seemingly) Satavahana names because they were born of Satavahana
princesses: 188 and in view of the reference in our account to Sata being
in some sense a Kalingan king, it would seem quite plausible that marital
alliances between the Satavahanas and the Kalingas took place. We
should, however, not forget that the Puranas always refer to the former
of these rulers not as Satavahanas but as Andhras and cmdhra-jatiya. The
question of the place of origin of the Satavahanas or -Andhras remains
uncertain: although most sources would seem to locate them consistently
around the northern and central Deccan, in the region which formed
the central part of the subsequent Satavahana empire and which bordered
162 See Sircar, 'Some Epigraphic and Manuscript records', JAIH vol.3, 1970,
pp.30-36: this is a revised edition, after R . S u b r a h m a n y a m , The Guntupally Brahmi Ins-
cription of Kharavela.
163 Sircar, ' T w o Inscriptions from G u n t u r District', Ep.Ind. 32 pp.82-90.
164 H a t h i g u m p h a inscription, line 1.
165 Ibid., line 4: acitayita satakarrtnirp.
166 Sircar, 'Some Epigraphic and Manuscript Records', p,34.
4
74 THE YUGA PURANA
into that of king "Vikrama", " t h e valiant one's. This episode of the
defeat of the Saka king most probably took place, therefore, not—as has
been pointed out—in precisely 58 B.C.: but nonetheless at a date not far
distant from this, and at a date sufficiently close to 58 B.C. whereby the
Malava peoples, who had inherited the use of the era of 58 B.C., could
subsequently come to associate the foundation of that era with their
legendary hero " V i k r a m a " who had expelled the Sakas from their city of
Ujjain.
We may now give a summarised reconstruction based on the above
discussion. King Simuka-Satavahana—as he styles himself in inscriptions
is the same as the Sisuka/Sindhuka ete. of the Puranas who founded the
I n d h r a dynasty: and he is probably also the same as the " S a t a v a h a n a "
who struck the earliest Satavahana coinage. He is quite possible also the
same as the " S a t u v a r a " of our account, who is said to have ruled sternly
shortly before the Saka incursion. The coinage struck in the name of
"Satavahana" is scarce, and the few extant examples have all come from
the Pratisthana region: but it is quite possible that, towards the end of his
reign, Simuka extended his power for a time into Malwa. Simuka is
perhaps also the same as the legendary king Gadabhilla of Jain sources,
the founder of a dynasty and father of " V i k r a m a " the subsequent ruler of
Ujjain. Simuka probably reigned from about 80 B.C. to 60 B.C.: then
/
around 60 B.C. a group of Sakas penetrated to Malwa and briefly esta-

blished power in Ujjain, from where they issued their own coins. These
Sakas were soon defeated and expelled from Ujjain by Sri Satakarni, who
established—or firmly re-established—Satavahana power in Malwa. Sri
Satakarni is the same as the (Sri) Satakarni mentioned in the Puranas
and in the SancI inscription; and he is probably the same as the Sata
king mentioned in our account, who defeated the Saka king. The " S a t a "
mentioned in our account and on coins—but not in the Puranas—is quite
possibly an abbreviation of either "Satrkarni" or "Satavahana": there is
certainly on essential difference between the coinage of Sri Satakarni and
that of Sri Sata, and since the Puranas make no mention of "Sata", it is
likely that " S a t a " was either an abbreviated form of Satakarni or a
designation used by a number of succeeding Satavahana kings—just as
several later Satavahana kings styled themselves "Satakarni" in addition
to their personal names. It is probable that Sri Satakarni was also the
ruler later celebrated in legends as " V i k r a m a " , or " T h e Valiant": a title
which was doubtless popularised by Candra Gupta I I in celebration of
his defeat of the Sakas, and which was subsequently—perhaps even previ-
ously—applied also to Sri Satakarni in celebration of his expulsion of the
76
THE YUGA PURANA
perity: and probably at a time when the Satavahanas were still consolida-
ting their hold over their newly-founded empire. This section of the
account is, therefore, of some importance for assessing the date at which
the account as a whole was composed: and it will accordingly be referred
to again in this connection in section 12.
#
The twelve mandalas or regions in which men are said to survive at

the end of the Kali Yuga (slokas 98-113) are as follows:
Region 1-2 By the river Gavedhuka, eight yojanas (? 20 miles)

broad and flowing past the Ajata mountain: the loca-
tions of both of these are uncertain, but the breadth
(clearly an exaggeration, yet indicative of a very broad
extent) and extent (over two regions) of the river
suggest an identification with the Godavari, or perhaps
less likely (since shorter) the Mahanadi.
3 On the borders of the ocean: since the next region is
to the south-east of this one, the western ocean
(Arabian Sea) must be intended.
3a In a great forest in the adjacent region to the south-

east.
4 By mount Palapanjara, on the banks of the river
Narmada: the Palapinjara mountain is mentioned in
the Natyasastra of Bharata; while the river is well-
famed, running along the southern edge of the Vin-
dhyas.
5 In a great forest in the southern parts of mount
Mahendra: the southern section of the Eastern Ghats.
6 On the banks of the river Kaveri: the Gauvery, in
present-day Tamil Nadu.
7 In the vicinity of Bhojakata: a part of Vidarbha or
Berar, the abode of the Bhojas.
8 In a great forest in the adjoining realms of Kuvinda:
the identification is uncertain, but evidently a region
adjacent to Bhojakata.
9 By mount Trikuta: in Devikuta probably the abode of

the Traikutakas, around present-day Nasik in the
north-west Deccan.
10 By mount Jaradgava or Sula: the identification is
uncertain.
11 By mount Trikuta in the Pariyatra mountains: in the
western section of the Vindhyas.
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8 0 THE YUGA PURANA
connecting these present-day location of the manuscripts, these intersect

in the western Vindhyas, close to the city of Ujjain.
Ujjain itself is well-famed as a centre of jyotisa-studies. It was here,
for example, that Varahamihira was born (he relates that he was the son
of Adityadas'a of U j j a i n ) 1 1 4 and wrote many of his works: and as has
already been seen, Varahamihira is himself deeply indebted to the Gargiya-
jyotisa, on which he modelled much of his own Brhat-samhita. In view
of the various indications noted in this section, it may be deemed quite
p r o b a b l e t h a t Garga himself also belonged to—and was perhaps one of
the founders of—the Ujjain school of astrologer-astronomers: and that it
was in or around Ujjain that the Gargiya-jyotisa was composed.
174. Brhaj-jataka 28.9,

rcnce to Kharavela (see section 10.F)—suggest that the author had know-
ledge of the earliest Satavahana kings, who most probably ruled around
50 B.C.: but since the author mentions the regions ruled over by the
Satavahanas without detailing the reigns of Satavahana kings, it seems
unlikely that the account was composed much later than c. 25 B.C. The
most probable date of composition would therefore seem to be around
25B.C.
One further point may be mentioned here. The author of our text
is clearly linking his account of the Yugas to historical events. He belie-
ves that, shortly after the advent of the Sakas, the Kali Yuga had come
to an end: and that, after an interval of harsh conditions, a n e w Krta Yuga
was beginning to dawn—an event which he evidently believed was occur-
ing at his own time of writing. Our author was most probably not alone
in his belief: and we may likely infer that there was a popular belief
current at that time (c. 25 B.C.) and in the region where our author was
writing (namely Ujjain: see section 11) that, following the defeat of the
Sakas around 60 B.C., the Kali Yuga had drawn to a close and a new
Krta Yuga was commencing. This belief may consequently explain
why the era of 58 B.C.—which was almost certainly founded by Azes 1 7 "
—came to be termed the Krta Yuga when it was subsequently adopted
by the inhabitants of Ujjain and Malwa: namely for the very reason that
they believed that a new Krta Yuga had commenced from around the
period of that era. The optimism which was most probably aroused by
the defeat of the Sakas and the establishment of Satavahana rule—and
which is reflected in the legends of the golden reign of Vikrama—may
well go hand in hand with this belief that a new Krta Yuga was dawning:
and the optimistic note in the latter part of the Yuga-Purana, foretelling
the well-being of men in regions particularly of present-day Maharashtra
and Madhya Pradesh at the start of this new Krta Yuga, may be taken
as a further indication that the Yuga-Purana was composed during a
period which was witnessing renewed prosperity in those regions—a
prosperity which was seen, and which is notably reflected in architectural
and artistic developments, under the early Satavahanas.
It may thus finally be conluded the Yuga-Purana—as indeed the
Gargiya-jyotisa as a whole—was most probably composed around 25 B.C.
175 See icction 10.1 note 160.

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m TOT: ™ ii II
L; TSR^FTSF A , P , Q , ; M^RRA B; ¥ 1 1 ^ 5 1 H , L , N , S ; STTTT^W

siqf^JT D ; SRf^rT P ; Sf^xTrt B h , R .
c-d mim ^ r a P; ^ I ^ r a Bh,R; 3TF3f A , P , Q ; WA P .
0
\la-b 5TR11T C,R; m w ^ f^r$ir: A , P , Q , ; ^ s i P .
c-d TT N ; G ?[ B h , R ; RJR B ; SRTOL H ; SRFSRAT A , P , Q ;
mw<m Bh,R; SFflJTvTCT: A , Q ; 5RUT5TCT P ; 5RPHU:
B,N,S; sweRRi: BH,R.
18a-6 Q.; ggJflT^rc: B , B h , R . A a n d P both inter-
polate o n e v e r s i o n of slokas 5 6 - 7 9 a t t h i s p o i n t , t h e r e -
a f t e r r e t u r n i n g t o sloka 18 : see s e c t i o n s 3 a n d 7 o f t h e
Introduction.
c-d fauum C ; 7WTTP-3 L ; FSFFTCSTT: B h , R ; M^QFT P ;
BH,R.
\9a-b QGQI^FF C ; SRI^T B H , R ; QFAQJ C ; QT^TRRT A , P , Q ; QTQJ?RT
B,S.
c-d PRAAQG A,Q; TSFVHIG P ; — ^RFG B , L ; — H,N,S;
^ I : C; I ^ T A,B,D,H,L,N,P,Q,,S; ^ T A,C,P,Q,;
R; C: S.
R T O rRt Vti mi ^ T II ^ ||
ftw^TOimto snfiRt i
TO wmim |:T%cit: II II
* fat ^ H t q ^ T ^ I ^ q w i i
srf^srof ^ 3 to: ii II
S^M^,0 A,J; S^FWNQ 0 Q , ; P; S^FWSRA0

BH; B,H,N,S.
c-d spjiirl C; JNQ^R B , N ; rft IN PLACE OF ^ B,H,N,S; SFA
G^FT^ C ; ^RN J; TPR: IN PLACE OF GRF A , B . , D , H J , L , N ,
P,Q,,S.
24a-b BH; s^jcqig B,C,D,H,L,N,S; AJ,P,Q,;

B,H,N,S; C; L; D;
SNFM . J , D ; SNQFTAT G .
c-d TR C ; SPFAI^SN A J Q , ; J; ^ D; C; SHRIFT
B,H; ^ B H , R ; A,C,P,R; GF^XQ..
25a-b F*R C ; BH,R; QGG'^ S; HTGGSRT ^ SRSFT A ;
^ ENFT P ; S^FT C ; Î^QJT P ; ^ " I T : A,BH,
R,S;
c-d ^^ywmi Bh; B,C,II,N,R,S; TI^SR! D ; ^TF,^-
^ J ; A,Q; °«IW?P; ^ D; omit 3 AJ,P,Q;

3 C,D; JTRT: B h ; 3 ^ VFI L .
26A-6 °QI5R° S; J; TF^FT ^ H T : D; %WRRR

C; j t ^ T P .
xii T H E YUGA PURANA
siq^qft ^ i ^ ^ m \\ u n
^ i
qtefHr # m \
T m smjm: m 11 \\
c-d grq^^TT^ C; L,P; N,S; D;

c q ^ B,C; ^TRq^fa L; ^ T m ^ q f a A J , Q ;
P; R.
ma-b N; ^ g g i p ^ A,J,P [ ], Q_; o^tf D;
C; A,J,Q,.
c-d A J,P,Q,.
3la-b e^r: in place of R; A,C,DJ,P,Q;
C; R; AJ,P,Q; ^FjftJ; i^Tgsi R;
G.
c-d q ^ H t A; q f ^ R T B; q ^ ^ f S; ^Ct B,C,HJ,L 3 N,P 5 S;
^ TIT R ; J; GRAFGJJ: H .
e-/ A,J; q'Tgpi gTTO?n??t P; g i q ^ f ^ AJ,Q_;
^ R; omit A,B,H,J,L,N,P,Q,S; in
place of ^ f ^ R; ^ f w . B; -- ^ C;
J,Q,; D has iflgfo: q f ^ in place o f t h e second half
of the line; Q, repeats qfaTSRSFCt Wcrft m.: [30d-31a]
between ^ f q : and ^ t , but this has subsequently
been enclosed in brackets.
qStoraft mt t p m f a i
WM H W M II ^ II
^ r t mzfr i t jpaft i
^ p ' qR^ff ÎT II ||
sfsFri s r f e sfai^q^fa * n ^ 11
c-cZ 3TTT^t J , C ; ^ ^ SRT0 R ; C,P,QJ

A,J; R; s p ^ A,P,Q,,R.
36a-6 tr^TTffq A , J , P ; ir^f R; W h t C,D; srtTJijT A , B , J ;
IWHT Q,; M IN
place of ^T^RT A; i.p.o. J,Q;
TIN i . p . o . P; 3ttitt R ; FTF^ 0 N .
c-d GQ^Q B , J , N ; VFi^-q D ; ZIJ^T0 P.
Zla-b ciwT R; # B; ^ R; ^ i f t L; s^ft B,H,N,S;
A,J,Q,; ^ ^ C,D; ^ ^ f t P; J. I
1
c-d M J 5 P; D; ^ s ? A,J,L,P,Q,,R; W s3 '
N; QFS3?T G; QFERGITT and omit GIF A , J , Q ; QTSOTT and
omit gif P.
0
38a-b giMratAJ,P,Q.; ^ f t B,D,H,L,N,S; °g?t W C;
0 0 0
qTTTO R; q ^ t f e A,B,H, J,L,N,P,Q.; qctf^sr D;
Q T H T ^ R ^ ^ G.
c-d 3f§T53?T A J . P j Q , ; repeat gfasqt R; gte C,D,R;
0 0 0
sftaT^q D; affal^ C; sftTTT^q R; B,R;
A,Q,; P; tfj^ro: J .
xxxvii THE YUGA PURANA
T ^ W n f c r m m m 11 w u
^ fa i
mm T^f s r s t m s p f : fa ^ ^ il 11
soit^FT n w \\
S m\ ^mt mt I ^ I ^ T M F W I
c-d K,P; °?ifK?Tfjil J ; q ^ w g i F n L; B,H,

N,S; K; A,J,Qj P; & ^T
C; j t r t s r ^ : J ; A.
43a-b ^qkri i H; cprNir^ P; ? B,S; firOT L; C,R;
A,J,P; ^ra K; wr. Q.; q ^ K,P; omit second C,P;
^ i ^ r c ^ s n G.
c-d JTirr A,B,H, J,K,L,N,P,Q.,S; q ^ ^ f 0 K; q ^ both times
P; B,C,D,H,L,N; A,J,K,Q.;
5 H l W 3 | r f f P; A,C,D,H,N; L,S;
K
; J; Tfrcr- ^ T q^T R ; w. P ; ^ t Q,.
0
i ! 44ci-& J; H; ^ S R ^ A,J,K,P,Qj
i ^ r R.
c-d C omits this line. 5fjjpTT — K; sfjcfW A,J; sfj^T B;
^JRT^R: H , N ; sjjfttT D , Q J S; ^ra^R: L ; STI^T ^ T T -
P; D,L; W ^ r i : B,H,N; W : S;
A,P.
45a-b • C omits this line. qjfR^prt B,D,H,L,N,S; —
K; A,J,Q_; ^ ^ P; Q,; pT?RT K;
H,N.
m w^t mn f^ i
faqm: snt R II II
^ R w r k ^ ^ ^ r ^ n ss. n
m m i w f w TOT: s i s i w 1
?t II II
^ftftfW ^ fwrcr qrfNfa * w r : ll ^ II
48a-6 ftftR; ^ C,R; ^ V P ; # D; ^ P.

c-d WT^^T: P; Îf^T K; f i p ^ i D; P; s&taffft R;
K,P.
0
49a-6 s^ H; A J , P , Q ; srai^msgsf D; ft^fWft
J,Q,,S; Etf^TT B; qfswi D; t f ^ C.
c-d spF^bsiFq 0 P; STCPflfanFl0 J ; ^YZWmV^0 C;
^^f^Frsmter R; ^THRt^P-TWTKi D; L,P;
^TN'^Rl P; ;*ttswt C.
50a-b s n ^ T A,D J , P , Q . ; AJ,Q,R; P; A,P.
c-d omit w t N t : R; C; g^^r A; ^ 1 h j T j , Q , ;
s w W P; smrora R; P,R; AJ,Q;
51 a-b C omits this line. P; Tffes? H,N; qiq'îh L;
TO'sl S; q r ^ l s j R ; B.
c-d C omits this line. °fafiTTT A , J , P , Q j B; ^ f t s q f t
and omit ^ ^PflRi: P.
»
F ^ I SRA QT^FA FMPRO II n II
W R IRCIVRFA ^ i ^ QRÎI I
* wmftt ^ || ^ ii
^PFFLWRNIRL * I
SNCTOTFORT QTF GSF Q ^ ^ I P F II SIVS II
c-d A,B,J,Q,; P; f g j R; ^ ^ D;
jfcffa B; TTt^ffg P; ^FT C; srt^ft f ^ : R;
J.
56a-6 ^RRJ R; s r D; q^RT srrafawrflr A , J , Q ; q^fi^t ^ j q -

P; C; ^ q t B,H,N,S; ^ L; ^ A,J,
P , Q ; q in place of q C,D,J,L,Q..
c-d A and P both contain two nearly identical accounts of
slokas 56-79, one of which is interpolated at sloka 18 :
see sections 3 and 7 of the Introduction. The variants
listed for these slokas in each manuscript are accor-
dingly referred to as either A 1 / ? 1 (interpolated
2 a
account) or A / P .
TOfcr B,H,L,N,S; ^ ^T A 1 2 J , P 1 ! ! , Q , ; ? in place
of*R; m ^ f o K,P12; m ^ T * D; m m f c B,H,N,S;
g n t f f t L; wrrC; q^RT P 1 ; q^ren P a ; g s 0 J ;
C; ,J,Q,; P12.
57a-& ^TTRTt0 P 2 ; R; B,S; ^
C,D; tfiparfcrK; A1,?12; tfj^ R.
2
c-d o ^ R; °'Tmcf P ; D,H,N; B,S;
A1,?2; J; A2,pi-2; q^r°J;
A12,J,P2,Q,.
wr P F A TTQWTFW m i \\ ^ N
qwm? qm^r s r i q f e ^ H ^^ H
TOREFQ^T II II
6la-b mfikmtU A*
2
,B,D,H,J,L,N,P2,Q,,S; ^ P1; tjîw.
R;
c-d ^TR^TV^ P 1 ' 2 ; C; HFIQI SNFSRAT G ; SMMFSRAT

A I,25P2;Q. O ^ F ^ J
62a-b IFL^JTT P 2 ; J^TVIT R ; W ^ T ^ P2; OM

I T ^ 0 , 5 U^N <G5«TT
J; Î^T: A1 ' S B ^ L ^ P 1 2
,Q,S;
LISFG^ R.
c-d mw R; FSRT% D ; FSRTJTF S; FIRILR C ; T^T^T A 1 2
,J,
12
P ,Q,; S ^ F E M J ; QJ ^QFÎ B,H,N,S.
63a-b P1; ÎTRT0 A2,J,K,P2,QJ A1;
2 2
A ,B,D,HJ,K3N,P ,Q,,S; O ^ A I5P1;
C; JTF^SRPSR R ; F^RRJ C ; if B; R;
TTTfrf^frT S.
c-<Z B; ^ I ^ t t : D; ^ R L ^ t : S; L;
R; AM,K,Q.; A2; P1;
P2; H J,Q,,R,S; TOFT0 L; TO^0 Q,;
O F T ^ B,D,H,L,N; A1 2
J,Q.;
K,P2;
xxiv T H E YUGA PURANA
^ l ^ r e r ^ stf w W f a m m v ii ^ n
rra: s snjrrct w t I
5FTCI5FT TTOT ' r c i ^ n s f s F j f t II ^ ||
^ A ^T ^FA^FA I
c-d A 1 and P 1 both give 67c-d and 68a-b, then repeat

these two, and subsequently again insert 67c-69d
between 73b and c : thus, together with A and P 2 , 2
each manuscript contains four accounts of 67c-68b,

and three accounts of 68c-69d ; see sections 3 and 7
of the Introduction.
R; A 1 * 4 5 J,P a 2 4
,Q,;
4 1 4
^ f pi.3- ; P " ; IT in place of J f ^ ^ T :
C; R repeats 67a-b together with 5fsr$prbetween
SFfaRTft and U^TWr:.
68a-b C omits this line. ^ P 3 ; pp J ; o m i t ^ r P 1 2 ; B,
3 4
D,HJ,L,N,S; A* J , P ^ ,Q,;
2 4 4
^T^Trr A ; A ,P ; S; fmW> H,S; pirtft B;
^ P4; A^2'4J,Q; ^ P * 2 3
;
c-d G omits this line. ^'ttt^R A1 2,J,PJ

A 3 ,P 3 ; f ^ D; ^g0 R; A12,J,P3,Q,;
A3; A1 23
, J,P1SS,Q.
69a-b ^ N,S; C,L,R,S; ^ D;
^ WRCT m I^FT m zm* I I
& sfq m m faftfNft n ^ h
St sfq WW ItPTl q ^ i f o r o N f t II ^ II I
f^fq^n: atafafa* l I
<rc*nfq u&i i f a r f t II ^ II I
tfrotf Q ^ ^ P " II ^ H J
72a-& B omits this line. A 2 ,J,Q_; q w W P 1 ;

J ; 5n5RT.A l '"J; 5TIW.S.
c-d ^ C,D; ^T A 1 2 ,B,J,P 1 , 2 ,Q„; f*TR°
A 1 ,J; o ^ g f ^ A 1 ; R-
1,8 1,2
73a-6 R; f^Tt A ,J,P jQ,; B,H,L,N,S; J
1 2 X 2
A ,J,P ,Q,; in place of TRflW. R-
1 1
c-d A and P omit this line, wm A 2 ,P 2 ; qsrifa 0 C.
lAa-b A 1 2 J j P 1 2 ,Q, and R omit this line. flp^H; f^-
VPN: D ; F ^ ^ R . C ; FASRA: S.
1,2 1 2
C-D A 5J,P ' 5Q, AND R OMIT THIS LINE. L; D;
srfljrcn^: B.
R
75a-& <GT. ' ^ B,H,L,N,S; g s q g * ^
1 12
A J,P ,Q.; g s q g ^ F t ^ A 2 ; ^ p j .
C-D B,L; C,D,N,S; W C,L; F W A1;
TEW H;
KKviii THE YUGA PURANA
i f f u n : || ^ ||
gwfa rewrffcr i m ^ i
TM qr^ I
iftt: w w t f f e l s r s f a r f a ii ii
7 9a-6 ftforgg- R; ftfapgff H; T ^ r k G; i r ^ f ^ A 2 ; s ^ f f t -

1
^ P ; P2; R.
0
c-d SJIRI^ 0
R; mfwm A 1!!
,B,H,L,N,PY2,Q,S; vfmw0
J ; C confuses this line with 80c-d, by reading
^ STP^T and transposing to
the start of 80a.
80a-6 From this point onwards, A and P each contains only
one account of each line. TTft^fq C; fsp^-
g ^ f t l L; fsRigflfftr N; fefWrfol J ; fqtfg^ffig R;
^ A J , P 5 Q , ; ^fawfftR.
0
c-d wfat^ B,H,N,S; A,P; J;
0,; wrai^0 L; ftsrr in place of ^ C; sitRT Q,;
e-f P; A, J , Q j A ,B/t>,H J,L,N,P,

Q,,S; B; R; ^ D;
o r f n n S f o * A,J,Q,; o ^ ^ f ^ ' P ; A 3 H 3 P,Q.;
J ; c reads s f t t s j S t e r o l f ¥ r | : ^ T g l ^ .
r
*K* THE YUGA PURANA
Ntam i w a f t fti II ^ H
m\m\ mtf * * mm i
^re^fara S^T^ s w f w ll II
ff ^ I
TO: I S W I M M I 11 ^ ^ 11
m ^ W I f
^rfaTT L; ^T: || S; N; ^ B,D,H; P;

toto C; to*T?T B.
c-d ST^ftUT Q j srefal C; s ? ^ : qq^ P; L,Q,,R,S;
A,B,HJ,N; f ^ r J; G,N; ^ R;
B,H,N,S.
85a-6 omit D; srt. ^ ^ A , J , P , Q ; *TqT33Tt C; ^ D;
H; ^ J,Q,; ^ R; P; v f i m f a
B,C,D.
c-d G; SNSRCTFORFT S; SFSRFRRFT L ;
q^m P; q ^ R; ^gl^T A,B,P,Qj d r t C;
D,H,N,S; g ^ f ^ R ; f^rc: L; m : C.
86a-b P; R; H,S; g r ^ g J . Q . .
c-d TO C,P; R; ^ m B,H,N,S; A,P,Q,; ^gx L;
ufawifcl P; q f o s r f t C; y j m A,J,P,Q,; ^ m B,H,N,
S ; ^ r f j c f T ^ : C ; ^g»eiT5raT B , D , L , N , S ; sfrPrrasT H .
87a-b R; H,N,S; B; 4' TO C;
D; B; ^TT D,R; P; J; C;
A,B,C,H , J , P , Q .
xxxii T H E YUGA PURANA
m ^ nfiFTfa s f w m t f ^ i : n it
^ ^ AINFWRRPI 11 ^ 11
sR^^rat ^ M M i
gf^sqf S T W m s n f t p n S W t ^ r f a II S 3 II
mvti M W ^ R SRSSFS ^ I
^ E^FT M M W P I ^ II II
e-f ^fai Q.,R; i f o r o B; srrcf JiH^^-d P;

AJ,Q.; u m ^ f ^ C; q f t p i II,L,N; m w r t S;
H; Q, combines 90a and 91b by reading
91a-& qTW*t A,J,P,R; C,D; C; g*ff% B; TW-

^qîrr R.
0
c-d B,D; g ^ A; g i r ^ G; D; grnwrrar
P; giT^t^f: ^rafarfarf^rsft R; °fBRRHT Q ;
A,J,P.
92a-& STCTTF^R; ^ J ; sifawfft C,D; A,J,Q.
c-d wfwa R; R,S; AJ,P,Q.; R;
C.
93a-6 WFLT A,J,P; Q,; C; D; ^ ^
B,H,S; N; gipft L; A; A,J,P;
repeat R;
c-d omit tf^jj ^ R; ^ P; TFlkr A , P , Q j
^ T j ; XQ..
M Q ^ M W M I W II ^ II
m w t i ' infant s r s r ^ K H II
V M M $ RTT Q&HSRAI: I
After sloka 96, G and D insert the following :

f.qe?? cn ssTsf/tJait w a f t i
•EFT % ^ f ^ P i ^ ^ T r i f l f g r p ^ ||
with variants D; D; WTFlfa C. This
insertion is not found in any other manuscript : the
second of these lines merely duplicates 97c-d.
97arb JITO R; CI; " f e r a r a i 0 A; J,P;
0
f?S5fFÎ§rUF5r° B; omit S;
R; spfRT C,D; B; AJ,P,Q; w -
f ^ D ; C; AJ , Q ; P.
c-d w?r P,R; ^ F T ^ f n A , J , Q ; q p f w ^ P; &
RTT^PT G; WT^Frf P; ^ i d f * B,H,N,S; Q,.
98a-b °T*wr R; A,J,P,Q,.
c-d D,R; A,P,Q; J; srlW
simffaT B; jtttM L; 'qifrfRT A J , P ; qifti Q.; add § after
Eriftr^ri C,D; 73|T C; ?3|T A,B,D,H,L,N,P,S;
S T ^ W ^ t C; AJ,Q_,R; P. ,
99a-6 ftm AJ,P,Q_; C; C; both times P;
q m f l i f e r . R; A,D,J,P,Q.
m I % 1 1 H
w s r o r c a ith q f e qrerc*!?: 1
m mm 11 11
^ wim^l mreSt 1
B,H,L,N; S; D;
A,J,P,Cl; J; J,P,Q..
103a-6 ?T%*TT J ; B,H,N,S; L; omit
O^'ttt J,CI; T T ^ T : C; ^ w g B; jR^g
P; TTflÂ; Tr^Tft% P-
c-d A,J,P and Q, omit this line. fftft^ftfft D; ft in place
of ^ D.
10\a-b A,J,P and Q o m i t this line. ftT^TftT g B,C,D,H,L 3 N;
?fft 5 R; q ^ n q i ^ s r c : C; qraqsrc: S; q i ^ q ^ : R;
srisra ^ f t : D .
c-d A,J,P and Q, omit this line, fftsnfft H,S; fsrsTFft B;

f|5TTft^: in place of R; ^T^fft C; L;
^ T ^ f f t B,H,N,S; ftrfVft C,D,H ? N; ft<"Wft R.
105a-6 A,J,P and Q, omit this line. TTIWT^ C; R;
L; B,D,H,L,N; T^TftH C.
c-d smHT5§° R; G; L; sjRTftSftfft A J . Q , ;
g r ^ f ? f t P; ft?R P; ftKjft R; ftSR G.
^ m wmt \
i f r m m i ^ i TO mmt u ^ 11
s i s r f e r w s d w I
m wvm ksifa 1 1 3 W 11 Vt° N
W F T wftmm f ^ d w I
109a-&
0
R;
mwih
0
w f :
p
5 A
11 va n
J»Q.J q in place of J;
I
ife P; WH* A,H; J ; ^ r ^ H t D;
G
L; P; - # - - ; FAWCT: R ; Q,
reads i|eftf& ^ and thereafter continues with
111a, omitting all in between.
c-d Q omits this line. ^frreTOT0 H; ^f?qqi^n° A,J,P;
B; o^RT^rffaT H; S; WITH A,P; wiW
J; 8 ^ B , H , N , S ; R; srprar: A; HTW P.
110a-6 Q, omits this line. A,P; s r ^ t ^ Y J ; sreRFI^t R;
^TTTT A , B , H J , N , P , Q , , S ; ^ C; item R; KVR L ;
B,D,H,L,N,S; ^ C; ^ R; g d w . C; g ^ T O
J ; TOW: R .
c-d Q omits this line. R; SSTRsrfN P; ^ T ^ f a B,H,
N,S; TjTgqTJUT P; T T F J W A; ?rgqi^f C; R.
llla-6 q i f e n ^ j B ; qfonsRT f s t A J , Q , ; q f e f R P;
R; C repeats llOc-d and l l l a - b after 111b, with
further variants *r«pjmiT [ llOd ] and f N t e t .
c-d L; P; wrofNr P; mwm AJ,Q;
f^Twfa B,H,N,S; C; P; f ^ W T C;
xl T H E YUGA PURANA
q § ^ sfq m ^ J m II II
w ^RRR^rwn^ m 1
# GTOSRFT writ Nm 11
c-<Z £ in place of % B; C; =?r N,S; P; ^ i w f a

A,Q; qK^'fn B,C,D,H,L,N; ^ T r m f z S; s f r n f f t C;
omit ^ P; repeat A,J,P,R; H.
115a-6 omit B; ^TTO^TFim'l C; w P ;
A; N; ^ j : C,R.
c-d <jei*R; S; J,S; i&ft P; W T t J ;
A J,P,Q.
omit A,®,HJ,L,N,P,Q,S; sftfs 0 R; omit ^

0 C D
C,D; JTFM D,R; g ^ m S; f ^ W ^ > ;
L; J; mw. P; STR S; ^TTTT^F-I: C,R.
' II
. , l-^t
NO
«W
wh<
livi
tice
i
anc
end
of <
*
in ;
spe
wa:
anc
th(
Ag
th<
cai
WO!
em
by
fl
there was no greed among them, nor anger in the bodies of created
beings.
9. T h e r e was® neither passion nor deceit, neither depravity nor
meanness: neither carnal contact nor sexual union, nor superiority thro-
ugh force. 7
10. I n that K r t a Yuga were born Devas (gods), Gandharvas (hea-
venly musicians) and Kinnaras (creatures half-men and half-beasts),
Danavas (demons) and leading Yaksas (rural demigods), Raksasas (flesh-
eating demons) and also mighty Uragas (semi-divine serpents).
11. They ascended 8 upwards to the sun, and they shone® like the
sun: [and] all men then possessed strength of tapas (asceticism) in the age
of the K r t a Y u g a . 1 0 |
11
12. T h e n at the end of the K r t a Yuga, K r t a n t a ( D e a t h ) drew
near; and a great battle then commenced, (called) the damage of
Taraka.
13. After that great battle had been set in motion by the Devas,
Gandharvas and Kinnaras together with Deva-Rsis (godly sages),
Siddhas (perfected beings), Raksasas and mighty Uragas,
14. then, once that battle had passed, those who remained were
possessed of life: and for the sake of their protection, the Ksatra (power of
the warrior-caste) was created by Svayambhu (Brahma).
15. T h e n feminine qualities and women [came into existence]: and
for [the sake of] those two, a [new] Yuga w a s 1 2 announced in which all
the four varnas (castes) became occupied with their own deeds. 1 8
16. Dharma was eastablished among the four varnas, and the agni-
hotra (fire-sacrifice) was performed: there were then many sastras (sacred
books), mantras (sacred formulae) and japas (prayers).
17. All the Vipras (Brahmins) had their abodes in forests, and were
6 Lit. " i s " .

7 Lit. "superiority t h r o u g h t h e r o d " : t h e use of danda as a symbol of p o w e r , a u t h o -
rity a n d punishment is particularly characteristic of Kaufilya's Arthasastra.'
8 Lit. "ascend".
9 Lit. " s h i n e " .
10 T h e stylistic repetition krtayuge yuge is parallel to trelayuge yuge in Ramayana
7.65.12; see section 8 of the Introduction.
11 A play u p o n t h e n a m e K r t a n t a ( = Yama), also m e a n i n g literally " t h e e n d of
the K r t a " .
12 Lit. " i s " .
13 sva-karma corresponding to sva-dharma, " o n e s own d u t y " .
28. And at the end of that Yuga, the earth will go to destruction:
men, having come under the control of Time, will cook [for] their own
bodies.
29. Kesava (Visnu) will arise at the end of the Dvapara, in order to
destroy horses and elephants, princes and men:
30. [he will be] four-armed, of great valour, bearing the conch, disk
and mace: [and he will be] called Vasudeva, the strong one, dressed in
yellow clothes.
31. Then, resembling Kailasa, wearing a garland of flowers [and]
bearing the plough as weapon, 1 9 there will arise Yudhisthira—the exce-
lent king of the Pandavas—for the purpose of slaughter at the end of
the Dvapara, together with [his] four brothers:
32. [namely] both Bhimasena the son of Vayu, and Phalguna of
severe tapas, and the two brothers Nakula and Sahadeva, born of the
ASvins.
33. Also Bhisma, Drona and others, and the prince Dhrstadyumna:
and Karna the king of Anga, together with Asvatthaman the invincible;
34. Devaka and Satadhanvan, and Daruka the illustrious—they will
arise at the end of the Yuga, in order to protect the world of men.
35. So too Sakuni and Dantavaktra, and Sisupala the haughty:
together with Salya, Rukmi, Jarasandha, Krtavarman [and] Jayadratha.
36.^ The cause [of strife] of these might kings will be Krsna, the
daughter of Drupada: [and] the earth will g o 2 0 to [her] destruction.
37. Then, when the destruction of men has occurred and the circle
of kings has ended, there will be the fourth [and] final Yuga called Kali.
38. Then at\c.?e start of the Kali Yuga, Janamejaya Parlksit (son of
Pariksit) will be born, illustrious and celebrated on the earth—there is no
doubt.
39. And that king will cause a quarrel with the Twice-born: his
anger for his insulted wife having come under the power of Time.
40. Then in the Kali Yuga [there will be] a strong king called
19 vanamalin in generally a n epithet of Vasudeva-Krsna, haldyudha of his brother

Samkarsana-Balarama. T h i s first p a r t of the sloka, although given in all mss., seems to
h a v e been interpolated subsequent to the composition of t h e work as a whole: see section
3 of the I n t r o d u c t i o n .
20 Lit. " w e n t " .
49. There will then finally be a great war of wooden weapons: a n d

there will be the vilest men; dishonourable and unrighteous.
50. At the end of the Yuga, Brahmins, Ksatriyas, VaiSyas and
Sudras will be similar in dress, and of similar conduct—there is no
doubt.
51. At that end of the Yuga, men will be allied with Pasandas
(heretics): they will make friends for the motive of [gaining] women—
there is no doubt.
52. There will be low-born 2 8 Bhiksukas (mendicants) in the world,
clothed in bark-cloth [and] wearing matted hair and bark-garments—
there is no doubt.
53. Once the end of the Yuga has approached, low-born men—
contemptible and loathesome—will offer the three sacred fires as sacrifice
in the world, with mantras celebrated by the sacred syllable "om".
54. Sudras who are persistent in feeding the fire with ghee, in chan-
ting, and in all to do with the [sacred] fire, will exist at the end of the
Yuga—there is no doubt.
55. Sudras will also be utterers of " b h o " , 3 0 and Brahmins will be
utterers of "arya":31 [and] the elders, most fearful of dharma, will fear-
lessly exploit the people.
56. And in the city the Yavanas, the princes, will make this
[people] 8 2 acquainted with them: [but] the Yavanas, infatnated by war,
will not remain in M a d h y a d e s a ; 3 3
57. there will be fnutual agreements among them [to leave], [due
to] a terrible and very dreadful war having broken out in their own
realm—there is no doubt.
58. T h e n , at the disappearance of those Yavanas due to the power
of the Yuga, there will be seven mighty kings in Saketa.
29 Lit. ''Vrsala-Bhiksukas": a Vrsala is virtually synonymous with a S u d r a .

30 T h e common form of address, used especially towards an equal or inferior.
31 T h e form of address used towards a superior.
32 Presumably referring back to janam in the previous sloka: b u t the reading of t h e
first p a r t of this Sloka is not altogether satisfactory.
33 Brahmanical sources usually give the eastern boundary of M a d h y a d e s a as
P r a y a g a or modern Allahabad: b u t several Buddhist sources extend the b o u n d a r y to
K a j a n g a l a (south-east Bihar: e.g. Mahdvngga 5.13.12-13; Sumangalavilasini 14.1.17, e d .
vol.2 p.429) a n d even P u n d r a (north Bengal: e.g. Divyavadana, c h . l pp.21-22). T h e latter
sense is evidently implied in t h e present context.
73. Then there will be that mighty and virtuous king Anaranya: he,
having ruled for three years, will finally 8 8 go to his death.
74. Then [there will be] VikuyaSas, a certain Brahmin famed in the
world: his reign will be rejoiced for [a period of] three years.
75. Then indeed Puspapura [will be] pleasant and overflowing with
people: it will be eminent and successful, full of birth-ceremonies.
76. On the southern side of the city is seen its [principal] draught-
animal—a caparisoned draught-elephant, [together with] two thousand
horses.
77. Then in the Bhadrayaka country [there will be] Agnimitra, 3 •
in the Kilaka [-year]; 4 0 in that [land] will be born a young girl of
exceedingly beautiful form.
78. On account of her, that king [will have] a terrible quarrel with
the Brahmins: then, by the decree of Visnu, he will depart from the
body—there is no doubt.
79. Once that very dreadful and very terrible conflict has passed,
then Agnivesya will be king, a mighty lord.
80. His reign will be successful for twenty years: then king Agnivesya,
having obtained his kingdom like M a h e n d r a , 1 1 will engage in a struggle
with terrible encounters with the Savaras.
81. Then, occupied with a very strong encounter with the Savaras,
that king will go to his death through the shot of a strong man.
82. Then, when that very terrible great battle has passed in time,
the earth will be desolate, terrible, and predominating in women.
83. Women will do the ploughing, with hands the texture of the
plough: [and they will be] warriors with bows in the fields, due to the
scarcity of men.
84. Men will then have 4 2 twenty wives 4 3 once people have dimi-
nished [in number] in the world in every region and division.
38 O r , " i n the W e s t " .

39 For " A g n i m i t r a " in place of " A m e m i t r a " in most mss., see section 7 of the
Introduction.
40 For the Kilaka-year in the cycle of J u p i t e r , see section 10.G of the Introduction.
41 O r , "great I n d r a " .
42 Lit. " b e " .
43 T h e lacuna in all mss. makes translation impossible: a plausible suggestion plight
- ii
, - .97. Speech towards old men, Twice-born and children [will consist
of] blunders or [will be] of evil meaning: [but] those who will maintain
firmness will remain at the end of the Yuga.
98. When the world has been afflicted with famine and has become
a terrible fire,49 [then] from regard for the welfare of living beings,
twelve regions were created.
99. The remnant in the world who are dear to dharma, those men
who resort to dharma, they will remain at the end of the Yuga, wearied
by hunger and thirst.
100. Two regions were created where the river Gavedhuka [flows]
—eight yojanas50 broad, and adorned by the Ajata mountain.
101. Those who will seek refuge there, longing for a better condition
in that realm, will attain excellent happiness once they have resorted
from all sides to that auspicious place.
102. Then the third region is known as [being] on the shores of
the ocean, where [men] will live on fish and costly flesh at the end of the
Yuga.
103. Then [there is a region] in the great forest in the adjacent
areas in the south-eastern region: those will be dwelling there will remain
at the end of the Yuga.
104. On the banks of the Narmada is the mountain Palapanjara:
there the seeds [of living beings] will remain as the end of the Yuga
occurs.
105. Then [there is a region] in the great forest in the southern
parts of the Mahendra [mountain]: those [who] used to dwell there will
maintain many living beings.
106. Then [there is a region] on the banks of the Kaveri, in a
region of 100 yojanas: men will achieve contentment there, through fish
and boars.
107. Then [there is a region] in the vicinity of Bhojakata, in a
region of 100 yojanas: men will attain contentment there, through fish
and birds.
49 Again recalling the M a n v a n t a r a tradition of the worlds being b u r n t to ashes

before being flooded.
50 A yojana is a distance variously c o m p u t e d as either 1\, 4J, 9 or 18 miles: t h e
most common equivalent is that 1 yojana = 4 krosas = 9 miles, hence each region may be
—
L
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1
T H E S T R U C T U R E AND C O N T E N T S O F T H E GARGIYA-JYOTISA
Aside from the several passages and citations from the Gargiya-jyotisa
which are to be found in other works—and which have been noted especi-
ally in section 2 of the Introduction—two passages in the Mahabharata are
of particular help in describing the contents of the Gargiya-jyotisa. The
first of these appears in the &alya Parvan, during the course of a descrip-
tion of various tirthas or sacred bathing-places:
tasmad gandharvatirthac ca mahabahur arimdamah /

gargasroto mahatirtham ajagamaikakundali //
yatra gargena vrddhena tapasa bhavitatmana /
kalajndnagatis caiva jyotisam ca vyatikramah //
utpata darunas caiva subhas ca janamejaya j
sarasvatyah subhe tirthe vihita vai mdhatmana /
tasya namna ca tat tiriham gargasrota iti smrtam 11
tatra gargarn mahdbhagam rsay ah suvrata nrpa /
upasam cakrire nityam kdlajnanam prati prabho 11
"From that Gandharva-Urtfto, the strong-armed conqueror of foes

who wore one ear-ring (i.e. Baladeva) came to a great tirtha called
Garga-srotas (Garga's river). There Vrddha-Garga, his soul purified
through tanas (asceticism), obtained knowledge of time and of the
passing-away (or, evil effects) of heavenly bodies: auspicious and
inauspicious portents were determined by that great-souled one, O
Janamejaya, in the beautiful tirtha on the Sarasvati. That tirtha is
known as "Garga-srota" after his name: there, O mighty prince, the
virtuous Rishis came to pay homage to the illustrious Garga on
account of his innate knowledge of time." 1
It will be noted that the passage uses the names " G a r g a " and " V r d d h a -
Garga" to denote the same person: and it ascribes to him knowledge of
time, knowledge of the evil effects of heavenly bodies, and knowledge of
auspicious and inauspicious portents. AH of these topics appear promi-
14
102 T H E YUGA P U R A N A
nently in the Gargiya-jyotisa—as, indeed, in many other jyotisa works.

T h e second Mahabharata passage appears in the Anusasana Parvan, in a
section in which various illustrious individuals describe how they obtained
gifts and blessings from Siva:
gargya uvaca
catuhsastyangam adadat kalajnanam mahadbhutam, J
sarasvatyas tate tusto manoyajnena pandava //
tulyam mama sahasram tu sutancim brahmavadinam /
ayus caiva saputrasya samvatsarasatayutam //
"Gargya said: 'Pleased by my mental sacrifice, O Pandava (son of

Pandu), he (i.e. Siva) gave me, on the bank of the SarasvatI, the
very wonderful knowledge of time which has sixty-four divisions; as
also a thousand sons equal to myself and discoursers on brahman (the
Absolute), and a life-span for myself and my children which is unim-
peded for 100 years (or, which is of 1,000,000 years' duration)'." 2
While a majority of manuscripts relate that the passage is spoken by

" G a r g y a " , a significant number have " G a r g a " in place of " G a r g y a " . 3
T h e first part of the passage is of particular interest, inasmuch as it
mentions "the very wonderful knowledge of time which has sixty-four
divisions". For the Gargiya-jyotisa itself consists of such a number of
principal divisions: and the work ends by stating iti jyotisam imam catuhsa-
styangam adbhulam, "(the end of) this jyotisa-work consisting of sixty-four
wonderful divisions". Thus both the text of the Gargiya-jyotisa itself and
also this Mahabharata passage witness that the work consists of sixty-four
main divisions. The second chapter of the Gargiya-jyotisa, entitled
Anga-samuddisa or "Enumeration of the Divisions" repeats this information
and also gives a list of many of these divisions:
jyotisam ayanangani catuhsastis taiha pathet 11

yesam agre karmagunas candramargas tv anantaram /
naksatrakendrabham caiva dvivargah prathamah smvtah 11
fahau brhaspatau sukre dhumraketau sanaiscare j
angarake budhe 'rke cacaran astau tatah pathet jj
cakrefv antaracakravi ca mrgacakram tathaiva ca /
Svacakram vatacakram ca cakrahgesu catustamam //
2 Mahabharata 13.18 25-26.

3 Namely the Maithili and Bengali versions, the Devanagari versions of Nilakan-
{ha, and one further Devanagari version (in the B O R I Critical Edition),
Senavyuha. (There are) the Mayuracitra secret teaching, the Upahara

and Prasanti (chapters): near to those is Tulakosa, and Bhavas'rnga—
let him reflect (on these). There are Sarvabhutaruta, Puspalata, and
Vidhu: Upanaha, Cheda, and Vastracheda; the entire Bhuvanakosa,
Garbhadhana, and Dagargala. There are Nirghata, Bhumikampa, and
Parivesa: there are Btusvabhava, and Ulka~let him reflect (on these).
The astrologer, thus versed, should have in view the land of the
Sastras (sacred books): the relative strength or weakness (of celestial
phenomena) is to be perceived, and he should speak forcefully about
whatever is of great importance. This (work) consisting of sixty-four
divisions is entitled the perennial (treatise)."
As can be seen, the passage in fact lists all of the twenty-four (primary)
divisions, but only twenty-seven of the forty secondary divisions. Many
of the names are given in the form in which they appear in the chapters
concerned: others are given alternative names with identical meanings:
as Arka in place of Aditya, and Garbhadhana in place of Garbhasamstha.
This table of contents in fact agrees fairly closely with the actual contents
of the work as given in extant manuscripts: the one main exception to
this being the lengthy mayuracitraka section of 26 chapters which has
been appended after the end of the main work. In order to illustrate
this, we shall now give a full list of contents of the present Gargiya-
jyotisa. This has been compiled from several manuscripts: the folio-
numbers listed for each chapter are those of manuscript D—this is the
longest manuscript, as well one of the more reliable, and thus serves best
to illustrate the relative lengths of each of the chapters. Also listed are
the chapters of the Brhat-samhita which correspond to the appropriate
chapters of the Gargiya-jyotisa.
106 THE YUGA I'URANA
Ahga 5 : Brhaspaticara (The Course of
Brhaspati/Jupiter) 25a-26b BS 8
Ahga 6 : Sukracdra (The Course of Sukra/Venus) 26b-31a BS 9
Ahga 7 : Ketumala (The Line of Ketu/Comets) 31a-37b BS 11
Anga 8 : Sanaiscara (The Course of Sani/Saturn) 37b-39a BS 10
Anga 9 : Angarakacara (The Course of Angaraka/Mars) 39a-40b BS 6
Anga 10 : Budhacara (The Course of Budha/Mercury) 40b-41a BS 7
Anga 11 : Adityacara (The Course of Aditya/The Sun) 41a-45b BS 3

Anga 12 : Agastyacara (The Course of Agastya/
Canopus) 45b-46a BS 12
Anga 13 : Antaracakra (The Circle of 32 Intermediate

Regions) BS 87
i. antaracakre prathama 46a-46b

ii.-vi. antaracakre dvitiya—sastha 46b-49b
vii. antaracakre saptama antaracakram samaptam 49b-51a
Anga 14 : Mrgacakra (The Circle of Mrga/Deer) BS 91
i. mrgacakre prathama 51a-52b

ii.-iii. mrgacakre dvitiya—trtiya 52b-56a
iv. mrgacakre caturtha mrgacakram samaptam 56a-57b
Anga 1 5 : Svacahra (The Circle of Sva/Dogs) 57b-61a BS 89
Ahga 16 : Vatacakra (The Circle of Winds) 61a-66b BS 27
Anga 17 : Vastuvidya (Knowledge of Houses) BS 53

i. vastuvidyayam prathama 66b-70a
ii. vastuvidyayam dvitiya 70a-70b
iii. vastuvidyayam dvaranirdisa trtiya 70b-72a
iv. vastuvidyayam dvarapramanavidhi 72a-73a
v. vastuvidyayam dvitrisalaikaâlavidhi catuhsala 73a-74a
vi. vastuvidyayam caturbhagatribhagavibhaga 74a-75b
Anga 28 : Grahayuddha (Opposition of Planets) 130b-131a
Anga 29 : Grahasrngataka (Configuration of Planets) 131b-141b
Anga 30 : Grahapurana (Traditions of the Planets) 141b-143b
Anga 31 : Grahapaka (Fruits of the Planets) 144a-145b
Anga 32 : Yatra (Journeys)

i. yatralaksana 146a-149a
ii. yatrasiddhi 149b-150b
Anga 33 : Agnivarna (Nature of Fire)

i. agnivarnaprasastalaksana 150b-152b
ii. agninimittalaksan a 152b-153b
Anga 34 : Senavyuha (Battle-Array) 153b-156a
Anga 35 : Mayuracitra (Variegation of the Peacock) 156a-160b BS 47
Ansa
5
36 : Bhuvanapuskara (The Lotus/Heart
o f t h e Earth) 160b-165a
Anga 37 : Balyupahara (The Offering of Oblations)

, , , - 165a-166a
i. balyupahara
ii. naksatrabalyupahara 16ba-168b
Anga 38 : Santikalpa (Rules for Propitiation)

- 168b-171a
i eavam santi
7 •. 171a-172a
ii. janamarasanti
iii. janamarasantike dvitxyah patalah 172a--174b
iv. janamarasantiprakaranam 174b-175b
v. kalajnane santikalpo v a m o p a n g a 175b-l77a
Aiisa 39 : Rastrotpatalaksana (Signs and Portents of

6
" Calamity) BS 46
i. rastrotpatika niscaya 177a-178a

ii. rastrotpato devatacestita 178a-179a
xxiv. vrsabharuta 199a-199a

xx v. loparuta 199a-199a
xxvi. prsataruta 199a-199a
xxvii. sarvabhutaruta 199a-200a
Anga 43 : Vastracheda (Tears in Clothes) 200b-202a BS 71
Anga 44 : Brhaspatipurana (The Tradition of

Brhaspati) 202a-205a
Anga 45 : Indradhvaja (Indra's Banner) BS 43

i. indradhvajam utthana 205a-205b
ii. indradhvajotthane ca 205b-207b
iii. indradhvajotthanam samaptam 207b-208b
Anga 46 : Ajalaksana (Signs of Rams) 208b-211a BS 65
Anga 47 : Kurmalaksana (Signs of Tortoises) 211a-211b BS 64
Anga 48 : Strilaksana (Signs of Women) 21 lb-223b BS 70
Anga 49 : Gajalaksana (Signs of Elephants) 223b-225a BS 67
Anga 50 : Golaksana (Signs of Cows) 225a-228bBS 61
Anga 51 : Bhargavasamsthana (The Appearance

of Venus)
i. bhargavasamsthane prathama 228b-228b

ii. bhargavasamsthane dvitiya 228b-229a
iii. bhargavasamsthane trtlya 229a-229b
Anga 52 : GarbhasamstlM (The Appearance of

Embryos) 229b~231b BS 21
Anga 53 : Dagargala (Water-Divining) 231b-234b BS 54
Anga 54 : Nirghata (Natural Destructions) 234b-235b BS 39
Anga 55 : Bhumikampa (Earthquakes) BS 32
i, bhumikampalaksane prathama 235b-236a

xvii. rnayuracitrake utpatikaprakarane

visvamitrasantinamadhyaya 274b-276a
xviii. rnayuracitrake utpatikaprakarane sodasa (!)
samaptam cedam utpatalaksanam (!) 276a-278b
xix. rnayuracitrake saptadasa 278b-280a
xx. rnayuracitrake uttarottaramargagamanam
asadhacandrayoga 280a-283b
i '
xxi. rnayuracitrake dvadaso paurnamasinam
utpatalaksanam samaptam 283b-285b
xxii. arghakande naksatrapida 285b-286a
xxiii. rnayuracitrake utpataprakarane (!)
arghakandavidhi 286a-291b BS 42
xxiv. rnayuracitrake deânaksatraganah samaptah 291b-292a
xxv. arghakande samvatsarapra 292a-293b
xxvi. rnayuracitrake naksatrarisfcaka 293b-294b
vrddhagargena krta ceyam gargisamhita

BS Passage Name of Chapter No. of Lines
6.4 Bhaumacara 4
6.5 „ *
5
6.13 „
7.14 Budhacara 4
8.1 Brhaspaticara 2
4
8.1 „
8
8.2 »
2
2
8.3 »
2
8.4 »
2
8.6 »
2
8.7 „
2
8.8 »
2
8.9 »
2
8.10 »
2
8.11 »
3
8.12 »
2
8.13 »
94 Sukracara 12
6
9.6 „
6
9.8 »
2
9.37 »
10 1-2 £anaiscaracara 2
2
2
10.7 »
2
10.21 »
11.5 Kctucara 2
4
11.7 „
4
11.10 »
4
11.11 „
2
11.12 »
24.10 Rohiniyoga 2
„ 8
2
24.12 »
4
24.20 »
24.21
6
24.26 »
9
24.35 »
11
25.2-3 Svatiyoga
2
26.1 Asadhiyoga
26.10
26.11
30_i Sandhyalaksana 2
8
30.22 »
7
32 i Bhukampalaksana
6
32.3-7
32.8-11 »
32.12-15
6
32.16-19 »
6
32.20-22 »
32.23
32.29
33 j Ulkalaksana 2
34 g Parivesalaksana 2
4
34.9 »
34.10 »
34.11 »
35 3 Indrayudhalaksana 12
3g j Nirghatalaksana 2
38.2-5
42,7 Indradhvajasampad 5
42.13-14
49.15 Kha4galaksana 6
6
49.20 „
52.16 Vastuvidya 2
2
52,23 „
2
52.31 »
2
52.32 • „
2
52.33 „
2
52.34 »
2
52.35 »
18
52.73 »
2
52.74 »
6
52.83 »
11
52.93 »
8
52.94-5 »
14
52.107 »
28
52.110-111 »
gj 1 Svalaksana 5
g2.1 Kukkutalaksana 6
533 Kurmalaksana 6
64.5 Chagalaksana 2
2
64.6 »
2
64.7 »
2
64.8 »
67.2 Purusalaksana 2
28
67.85-8 »
2
67.94 »
8
67.95 n
2
67.114 >»
69.5 Kanyalaksana 2
2
69.6 »
4
69.7 »
4.13 Candracara 2
4.14 „ 2
4.15 „ 2
4.19 „ 2
5.17 Rahucara 2
2
» »>
5.26 „ 6
5.27 „ 4
5.28-31 „ 2
5.96 „ 10
6.1 Bhaumacara 4
7.1 Budhacara 2
7.12-13 „ 8
7.15 „ 8
7.17 „ 4
8.14 Bfhaspaticara 2
11.7 Ketucara 4
11.32 „ 10
13.3 Saptarsicara 2
13.7 „ 4
13.8-11 si 11
17,2-3 Grahayuddha 6
18.1 Sasigrahasamagama 4
21.32 Garbhalaksana 3
32.2 Bhukampalaksana 4
47.2 Pusyasnana 10
47.15 „ 4
52.39-41 Vastuvidya 2
Total number of lines cited by Utpala from Garga: 960
Total number of lines cited by Utpala from Vrddha-Garga: 158

Gauhati Department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies
Hoshiarpur Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute (b)
Hyderabad Osmania University
Jaipur Chandra Mahal

Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute (branch)
Jodhpur Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute (branch) (b)
Kota Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute (branch)

Sarasvati Vidyapeeth
Lucknow Akhila Bharatiya Sanskrit Parishad
Madras Adyar Library (b)

Government Oriental Manuscript Library (b)
University Sanskrit Department (b)
Moodbidri J a i n Math (b)
Mysore Oriental Research Institute (b)
Nagpur University Library
Patna Jalan Museum

K . P. Jayaswal Research Institute
Poona Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (a) (b)

Deccan College
Fergusson College (a)
Rajkot Saurashtra University Library
Shantiniketan Visva-Bharati
Tanjore Sarasvati Mahal (b)
Trivandrum Travancore University Manuscripts Library (b)

BIBLIOGRAPHIES
17
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1
PRIMARY TEXTS
Agni Purana. Ed. B. Upadhyaya. KSS 174. Banaras, 1966.

Trans. M a n m a t h Nath Dutt. 2 vols. Calcutta, 1903-4: rep.
Banaras, 1967.
Aitareya Brahmana. Ed. S. Samasraml. Bib. Ind. 4 vols. Calcutta,

1894-1906.
Trans. Arthur Berriedale Keith, Rgveda Brahmanas. H O S 25.
Cambridge (Mass.), 1920: rep. Delhi, 1971.
Arthasastra ofKautilya. Ed. & trans. R. P. Kangle. 2 vols. Bombay,

1960-63.
Asokavadana. A-yu-wang-tchouan version, trans. (French) J . Przyluski, La

Legende de I'Empereur Asoka, pp. 223-427. Paris, 1923.
For A-yu-wang-king version; see under Przyluski in Bibliog. 2.
Astadhyaya of Panini. Ed. & trans. (French) Louis Renou. 2 vols.

Paris, 1966.
Asvalayana Grhya Sutra. Ed. & trans. A. F. Stenzler. ADMG. Leipzig,

1864-78.
Trans. Hermann Oldenberg. SBE 29. Oxford, 1886: rep.
Delhi, 1969.
Atharvaveda Parisistas. Ed. George Melville Boiling & Julius von Negelein,
The Parisistas of the Atharvaveda, vol. 1: text and critical apparatus.
Leipzig, 1909-10.
Bhagavata Purana. Ed. & trans. C. L. Goswami. 2 vols. Gorakhpur, 1971.

Trans. J . L. Shastri. A I T M 7-11. Delhi, 1976.
Bhavisya Purana. Ed. Ksemaraja Srlkrsnadasa. Bombay, 1904: rep. 1959.

Brahma Purana. Ed. Hari Narayana-5p$e. ASS 28. Poona, 1895.

Ed. Ksemaraja Srikrsnadasa. Bombay, 1906.
Brahmanda Purana. Ed. J . L. Shastri. Delhi, 1973.
Brahmavaivarta Purana. Ed. V. G. Apte. ASS 102. 2 vols. Poona, 1935.

Trans. Rajendra Nath Sen. SBH 24. 2 vols. Allahabad,
1912-22; rep. New York, 1973.
Brhaj-jataka of Varahamihira. Ed. & trans. V. Subrahmanya Sastri.

Mysore, 1929.
Brhatkathamanjari of Ksemendra. Ed. Sivadatta & Kashlnath Pandurang

Parab. Bombay, 1931.
Brhatkathaslokasarrigraha of Budhasvamin. E d . & trans. Felix Lacotte,

Paris, 1908.
Brhat-saijihita of Varahamihira. Ed. Hendrik Kern. Bib. Ind. Calcutta,

1865.
Ed., with the commentary of Utpala, Avadha Vihari Tripathi.
SBG 97. 2 vols.Varanasi, 1968.
Trans. Hendrik Kern. JRAS n. s. 4-7, 1870-75.
Devlbhagavata Purana. Ed. M. Abhimanyu. Banaras, 1955.

Trans. Swami Vijnanananda. SBH 26. 3 vols. Allahabad,
1921-23: rep. New York, 1973.
Dlpavamsa. Ed. & trans. Hermann Oldenberg. London, 1879.
Divyavadana. Ed. Edward B. Cowell & Robert A. Neil. Cambridge,

1886: rep. Amsterdam, 1970.
Garga-samhita. Ed. Ksemaraja Srikrsnadasa. Bombay, 1909: rep. 1974.

Ed. Vibhuti Bhushan Bhattacharya. SBG 86. Varanasi, 1959-
(in progress)
Garuda Purana. Ed. R. Bhattacharya. KSS 165. Banaras, 1964.

Trans. J . L. Shastri. A I T M 12-13. Delhi, 1977-78.
Geography of Strabo. Ed. & trans. H . L. Jones. LCL. 8 vols. London,

1917-32: rep. 1960-61.
Manava Dharma Nostra (.Manu). Ed. Ganganatha J h a . Bib. Ind. 3 vols.

Calcutta, 1832-39.
Trans. Georg Biihler, The Laws of Manu. SBE 25. Oxford, 1886:
rep. Delhi, 1969.
Mdrkandeya Purana. Ed. Frederick Eden Pargiter. Bib. Ind. Calcutta,

1862.
Trans. Frederick Eden Pargiter. Bib. Ind. 2 vols. Calcutta,
1884-1904: rep. Delhi, 1969.
Matsya Purana. Ed. H a r i Narayana Apte. ASS 54. Poona, 1907.

T r a n s . S. Vidyarnava, SBH 17. Allahabad, 1916-17: rep. New
York, 1973.
Ndrada Parana. Ed. Ksemaraja Srikrsnadasa. Bombay, 1925.
Padma Purana. Ed. M. Ch. Apte. ASS 131. 4 vols. Poona, 1893-94.
PariHsfaparvan of Hema'candra, Ed. H e r m a n n Jacobi, Sthaviravallcarita or
Parisistaparvan, being an appendix of the Trisasti-Saldkdpnrusacanta.
Bib. Ind. Calcutta, 1891; 2nd ed. 1932.
Pataliputrakalpa of Jinaprabhasuri. See under Gazetteer (Bibliog. 2)
Prabandhacintamani of Merutunga. Ed. Durgashankar Kevalram Shastri.

FGS 14. Bombay, 1932.
Trans. C. H. Tawney. Bib. I n d . Calcutta, 1901.
Rdmayana. Ed. G. H . Bhatt. et. al. Baroda, 1960-75.

Trans . H a r i Prasad Shastri. 3 vols. London,1953-59: rep. 1962-70.
Satapatha Brahmana, Ed. Albrecht Weber. Bib. Ind. Calcutta. 1903.

Trans. Julius Eggeling. SBE 1?, 26, 41, 43, 44. Oxford, 1882-
1900: rep. Delhi, 1969.
Saura Purana. Ed. V. G. Apte. ASS 18. Poona, 1924.

Trans, (part) Wilhelm J a h n , Das Saurapuranam. Strassburg,
1908.
Simhasanadvatrimsaka. Ed. & trans. Franklin Edgerton. H O S 26-27. }

Cambridge (Mass.), 1926.
BIBLIOGRAPHY 2
SECONDARY SOURCES
Bailey, Sir Harold W. 'Two KharosthI Casket-Inscriptions from Avaca'.

JRAS 1978 no. 1, pp. 3-13.
Bajpai, K . D. 'Newly Discovered Rare Coins of Early Sakas'. JNSI

1966, pp. 46-50.
Barua, Benimadhab. 'The Yuga-Purana Legend of Salisuka as a Source

for a Comedy of Errors in Indian Historical Research'. CR April 1945,
pp. 24-25.
Bhatt, S. K . 'A Unique Indo-Greek Coin from Malwa'. IURJ 4,

October 1975, pp. 13-17.
Biardeau, Madeleine. 'Some More Considerations about Textual Criti-

cism.' Purana 10 no. 2, 1968, pp. 115-123.
Brown, W. Norman. The Story of Kalaka. Smithsonian Institute, Freer

Gallery of Art, Oriental Series 1. Washington, 1933.
Biihler, Georg. 'Pushpamitra or Pushyamitra ?' IA 2, 1873, pp. 362-363.
Burrow, Thomas. 'Some Cases of Alternation between c and i in Sanskrit'.

In S. K . Chatterji et. al. (eds.), Some Aspects of Indo-Iranian Literary
and Cultural Traditions, ch. 3, pp. 9-11. Delhi, 1977.
Damsteegt, Th. Epigraphical Hybrid Sanskrit: its rise, spread, characteris-

tics and relationship to Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit. O R T 23. Leiden,
1978.
Dhruva, J . H. 'Historical Contents of the Yuga Purana.' JBORS 16,

1930, pp. 18-66.
Edgerton, Franklin. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary.

2 vols. New Haven, 1953.
„ Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit: Language and Literature. Banaras, 1954.
Mitchiner, Michael Bernard. The Ancient & Classical World: 600 B. C.—
A. D. 600. (Vol. 2 of Oriental Coins and their Values). London, 1978.
Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian Coinage. 9 vols. London, 1975-76.
Narain, A. K . The Indo-Greeks. Oxford, 1962.
Nawab, S. M. The Collection of Kalaka Story (sic). 2 vols. Ahmedabad,

1949 & 1958.
Pargiter, Frederick Eden. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition. London,

1922: rep. Delhi, 1972.
The Purana Text of the Dynasties of the Kali Age. Oxford, 1913 :
rep. Varanasi, 1962.
Philips, G. H. (ed). Historians of India, Pakistan and Ceylon. London,

1961.
Pingree, David. Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit. MAPS 111.

Philadelphia, 1970-(Series A vols. 1-3 have appeared to date).
'The Empire of Rudradaman and Yasodharman : Evidence from
Two Astrological Geographies'. JAOS 79, 1959, pp. 267-270.
Przyluski, J. La Legende de I'Empereur Asoka (Asoka-Avadana), dans les

Textes Indiens et Chinois. Paris, 1923.
Raghavan, V., & Kunjunni Raja, K. (eds.) A New Catalogus Catalogo-

rum. Revised Edition. Madras, 1968-(Vols. 1-8 have appeared to
date).
Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra. Political History of Ancient India: from the

a c c e s s i o n o f Parikshit to the extinction of the Gupta dynasty. Calcutta,
1927: 7th ed. rep. 1972.
Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta. 'Dharmavijaya and Dhammavijaya'. CR

February 1943, pp. 114-123.
Sircar, Dinesh Chandra. ' T h e Account of the Yavanas in the Yuga-

Purana'. JRAS 1963, pp. 7-20.
'Asoka's pacifism and the Yugapurana section of the Garglsam-
hita'. CR April 1943, pp. 39-43.
(ed.) The Bharata War and Puranic Genealogies. Calcutta, 1969.
INDICES
INDEX 1
D E I T I E S AND S E M I - D I V I N E BEINGS
Agni (The Fire-God) 12
Asvins (The Two Divine Physicians) 65
Danavas (The Demon-Sons of Danu) 20
Devas (Gods) 8, 19, 25, 182
Gandharvas (Celestial Musicians) 19, 25
Kesava ("Having long hair": a name of Visnu) 58
K f t a n t a ("Causing an end", or " t h e end of actions": a name of Yama,

the God of Death) 2 3 , 4 3
Kinnaras ("What sort of man ?": beings with human bodies and horses'
heads, or vice versa) 19, 25
Mahendra ("Great I n d r a " : the God of the atmosphere and sky) 161
Raksasas (Flesh-eating demons) 20, 26
R a m a (i.e. ParaSu-Rama, or " R a m a with an Axe": son of Jamadagni

regarded as an avatara or descent on earth of Visnu) 44
Rishis (Inspired poets, sages, ascetics and mystics: different orders are
mentioned—in this account, Raja- or Royal-Rishis and Deva- or
Godly-Rishis) 26, 82
Samkara ("Causing Prosperity": a name of Siva the god of destruc-

tion) 1
Siddhas (Perfected Beings) 26
Skanda (The Son of Siva, and god of War) 1, 7
Surya (The Sun-God) 12,21

Svayambhu ("The Self-Existent" : a name of Brahma, the god of crea-

tion) 28
Taraka ("Rescuing": name of a demon conquered by the Gods) 24
Uragas (Semi-divine Serpents, often with human faces) 20, 26
Vasudeva (Patronymic of Kr§na, an avatara of Visnu) 60
Vayu (The Wind-God) 64
Visnu (The God of Preservation) 157
Yaksas (Semi-divine benevolent rural beings) 20

Jayadratha (An opponent of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war) 71
Janamejaya (A son of Pariksit and king of Hastinapura, to whom the

Mahabharata epic was related by Vaisampayana) 76
Jarasandha (A warrior in the Mahabharata war, and opponent of the

Pan4avas) 71
Karna (A* king of Anga, and opponent of the Pandavas in the Maha-
bharata war) 67
Krsna (Daughter of Drupada—hence also known as Draupadi— and

wife of the five Pandava brothers) 73
Krtavarman (An opponent of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war)

71
Magadhas (The inhabitants of the Magadha country, or modern Bihar)

120
Mathuras (The inhabitants of M a t h u r a , near Agra) 94
Nakula (A son of Pandu, and warrior in the Mahabharata war) 65
Pancalas (The inhabitants of Pancala, or modern U t t a r Pradesh) 94
Pandavas (The five sons of Pandu, vis. Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna/

Phalguna, Nakula, and Sahadeva) 65
Phalguna (A name of Arjuna, son of Paniju and warrior in the Maha-

bharata war) 64
Puspaka (A SuAga king) 143, 144
Rukmin (A king of Vidarbha, and antagonist in the Mahabharata war)

71
Sabaiai (Members of a wild hill-tribe of the Deccan) 127, 162, 163
Sahadeva (A son of Paijdu, and warrior in the Mahabharata war) 63
gakas (The Indo-Scythians) 124, 129, 178, 180
Ssakuni (An opponent of the Pandavas in the Hahabharata war) 70
Salya (An opponent of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war) 7i

I,
INDEX 3
G E O G R A P H I C A L NAMES
Ajatagiri (a mountain in the Deccan, probably by the river Godavari)

204
Anga (a kingdom, comprising modern West Bengal) 67
AsokatI (a river of the Deccan) 227
Bhadrayaka (a region, probably in the central and/or northern Deccan)

154
Bhadreyaka (a region, probably in the central Deccan & the same as the
last) 226
Bhojakata (a town and region in Vidarbha, around modern Nagpur) 216
Devikuta (a region or mountain-range, probably in the northern

Konkan) 220
Ganga (the river Ganges) 82, 120, 189
Gavedhuka (a very wide and long river, probably the Godavari) 202
Jaradgava (a mountain, perhaps mt. Jaitgarh near Nagpur) 222
Iravati (the river Ravi, in the Panjab) 190
Kailasa (a Himalayan mountain, the abode of Siva) 61
Kalinga (a region, extending through modern Orissa and Andhra

Pradesh) 126
KauSiki (a river, the modern Kosi in Bihar) 191
Kaveri (the river Cauvery in modern Tamil Nadu) 214
Kusumadhvaja ("the flower-bannered", a name of Pataliputra) 95

INDEX 4 I -
TECHNICAL TERMS
agnihotra (the sacrifice to Agni or the sacred Fire) 31, 106
Bhiksuka (a mendicant or religious beggar) 105
Brahmin (a member of the highest or priestly caste) 37,100,110, 148,

156
darida (a stick, rod or staff: symbol of power, authority and punishment)

18, 132n,175
dharma (righteous conduct, virtue: the proper state of affairs, the correct
performance of ones own duties: religion, law) 5, 31, 39, 50, 52, 53,
54, 111, 200
gxhastha (a householder, one engaged in the second stage of life) 174
guna (a quality or attribute: especially the three constituents of matter,

vis. sattva, rajas and tamas) 29, 81, 92
Kalpa (a period of time, equivalent to 1,000 consecutive (4-) Yugas)

232, 233
karma (deed, action, occupation, duty: result of action) 30, 38, 89, 90,
177
Kilaka (pin, pillar: name o f t h e 42nd year in the 60-year cycle of Jupi-
ter) 154
Dvapara (the side of a die with two spots: "the age o f t h e number two",
the third of the four Yugas) 46, 52, 58, 63
Kali (the side of a die with one spot: the last and worst of the four
Yugas, the present age) 75, 76, 80, 194
Kjta (the side of a die with four spots: the first and best of the four
Yugas, the golden age) 15, 19, 22, 23
also called a Maha-Yuga or great Y u g a - o r the four Yugas indivi-

dually vis. Krta, Treta, Dvdpara and Kali, q. v. also) 4, 5, 6, 10, 11,
29 34,'45, 50, 55, 69, 100, 102, 107, 109, 116, 185, 193, 195, 197, 201,
207, 209, 211, 223, 229, 233.

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BIBLIOTHECA I N D I G A — A COLLECTION OF O R I E N T A L WORKS

THE YUGA PURANA

THE ASIATIC SOCIETY

First Published : M a r c h 1986

Price : Rs. 50-00

T E X T AND CRITICAL A P P A R A T U S i-xl

TRANSLATION AND N O T E S 85-98

1. T h e Structure and Contents of the Gargiya-jyotisa 101

3. List of Manuscript Collections consulted in India 121

1. Primary Texts 527

2. Secondary Sources 132

1. Deities and Semi-Divine Beings 139

The Yuga-Purana is a unique text in several ways. It is perhaps

The Yuga-Purana is a very short work—being but a chapter in a

It is a pleasant duty to record my thanks, firstly, to the Syndicate of

JBBRAS Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society

4 THE YUGA PURANA

6 THE YUGA PURANA

10 A list of these lines is to be f o u n d in A p p e n d i x 2.

Correspondences between the Portent-passages

ranadvi jan // ' . i_-

akalaprasava naryah kalatita prajas akale prasave caxva kalaUte^tha va

asadhyayugmaprasava nlnacin asamkhyajajane caiva yugmasya

caraty asvasadrsyani avod,ru ? ya- vimukh.h -

vinaSam tasya niyata,, k ^ c a v i n ^ tasya ^ a ^ s y a . a

N O T E : after the first line of 230, M P

is uncertain: but an approximate date of A.D. 750 would probably be

25 kathayisye Vfddhagargamataf. Brhat-sarnhita 13.2.

There are two aspects of authenticity to be dealt with in this section:

Purana in the Gargiya-jyotisa—does contain material about the Yugas,

38 Sloka* 115c-d: discussed in section 8.

47 ' T h e Yuga-Purana Legend of SalisOka as a Source for a Comedy of Errors in

While preparing this edition of the Yuga-Purana, I spent several

57 T h e r e is one manuscript at the National L i b r a r y in Calcutta (Th 218) which

Paper: yellowish-white, medium wove.

B Banaras (Sampurnanand) Sanskrit University, Varanasi (1).

Bh Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona.

C Gangajala Vidyapeeth, Aliyavada, Gujarat.

L National Library, Calcutta (2).

N National Library, Calcutta (3).

P Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale.

western Gujarat, and Calcutta—but originally from Bombay) are simi-

68 This analysis consequently differs from those of Jayaswal a n d M a n k a d , both of

The present manuscripts of the Yuga-Purana contain a considerable

69 For a discussion of principles underlying t h e critical editing of texts see eg

independent evolution of different manuscripts and manuscript-groups.

the views of Pargiter on the originally "Prakrit" form of Puranic genea-

72 See e.g. Edgerton, Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit,

(c) etac chrutva tato vakyam bralimano 'vyaktajanmanah /

(c)purne yugasahasre vai nihsesah kalpa ucyale //

76 N o t e especially t h e omission of t h e G u p t a s f r o m t h e Matsya a c c o u n t : see Tradi-

84 Mahabharata 3.188.24-25: c p . Yuga-Purana sloka 5 4 b .

The Yuga-Purana is not an especially sectarian work: that is to say, it

somewhat pro-Brahmin and anti-ascetic (thus by implication also anti-

B. Udayin and the founding of Pataliputra (slokas 40-43)

100 Vayu Purana 2.37.244-250! Matsya Purdria 50.57-65.

THE YUGA PURANA

Gods": the epithet commonly used by Asoka). 1 1 1 T h a t o f S a m p r a t i

111 Sircar StleeI Inscriptions I, pp.77-78.

(Narain) from one unreliable manuscript (P)—which in any case reads

K THE YUGA PURANA

91a-& qTWt A,J,P,R; C,D; C; gff% B; TW-