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KarmaVaani

The Vishnu Purana

A prose English translation

Translated by Manmatha Nath Dutt, 1896. Public domain, from Project Gutenberg #66208. Footnote markers have been removed for easier reading; the full notes are in the source edition.

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Contents

  1. 1Part 1, Section 1Invocation
  2. 2Part 1, Section 2Prayer of Parāçara to Vishnu
  3. 3Part 1, Section 3Measure of time, Moments or Kastha's, &c., day and
  4. 4Part 1, Section 4Nārāyana's appearance, in the beginning of the Kalpa, as the
  5. 5Part 1, Section 5Vishnu as Brahmā creates the world
  6. 6Part 1, Section 6Origin of the four castes; their primitive state
  7. 7Part 1, Section 7Creation continued
  8. 8Part 1, Section 8Origin of the Rudra; his becoming eight Rudras; their
  9. 9Part 1, Section 9Legend of Lakshmi, Durvasa gives a garland to Indra; he
  10. 10Part 1, Section 10The descendants of the daughters of Daksha married to the
  11. 11Part 1, Section 11Legend of Dhruva, the son of Uttanpada; he is unkindly
  12. 12Part 1, Section 12Dhruva commences a course of religious austerities
  13. 13Part 1, Section 13Posterity of Dhruva
  14. 14Part 1, Section 14Descendants of Prithu
  15. 15Part 1, Section 15The world overrun with trees; they are destroyed by the
  16. 16Part 1, Section 16Inquiries of Maitreya respecting the history of Prahlāda
  17. 17Part 1, Section 17Legend of Prahlāda
  18. 18Part 1, Section 18Hiranyakashipu's reiterated attempts to destroy his son;
  19. 19Part 1, Section 19Dialogue between Prahlāda and his father; he is cast from
  20. 20Part 1, Section 20Vishnu appears to Prahlāda
  21. 21Part 1, Section 21Families of the Daityas
  22. 22Part 1, Section 22Dominion over different provinces of creation assigned to
  23. 23Part 2, Section 1Descendants of Priyavrata, the eldest son of Swayambhuva
  24. 24Part 2, Section 2Description of the earth
  25. 25Part 2, Section 3Description of Bharata-Varsha; extent; chief mountains;
  26. 26Part 2, Section 4Account of kings, divisions, mountains, rivers, and
  27. 27Part 2, Section 5Of the regions of Patala, below the earth
  28. 28Part 2, Section 6Of the different hells, or divisions of Naraka, below
  29. 29Part 2, Section 7Description of the Sun; his chariot; its two axles; his
  30. 30Part 2, Section 8
  31. 31Part 2, Section 9Planetary system, under the type of a Sisumara or porpoise
  32. 32Part 2, Section 10Names of the twelve Adityas
  33. 33Part 2, Section 11The sun distinct from, and supreme over, the attendance on
  34. 34Part 2, Section 12Description of the Moon; his chariot, horses, and course,
  35. 35Part 2, Section 13Legend of Bharata
  36. 36Part 2, Section 14Dialogue continued, Bharata expounds the nature of
  37. 37Part 2, Section 15Bharata relates the story of Ribhu and Nidagha, the latter,
  38. 38Part 2, Section 16Ribhu returns to his disciple, and perfects him in divine
  39. 39Part 3, Section 1Accounts of the several Manus and Manwantaras Shwarochisha
  40. 40Part 3, Section 2Of the seven future Manus and Manwantaras
  41. 41Part 3, Section 3Division of the Vedas into four portions, by a Vyasa in
  42. 42Part 3, Section 4Division of the Veda, in the last Dwapara age, by the Vyasa
  43. 43Part 3, Section 5Division of the Yajur-veda
  44. 44Part 3, Section 6Divisions of the Sama-veda; of the Atharva-veda
  45. 45Part 3, Section 7By what means men are exempted from the authority of Yama,
  46. 46Part 3, Section 8How Vishnu is to be worshipped as related by Aurva to
  47. 47Part 3, Section 9Duties of the religious student, householder, hermit and
  48. 48Part 3, Section 10Ceremonies to be observed at the birth and naming of a child
  49. 49Part 3, Section 11Of the Sadacharas or perpetual obligation of a householder
  50. 50Part 3, Section 12Miscellaneous obligations—purificatory, ceremonial and
  51. 51Part 3, Section 13Of Sraddhas, or rites in honour of ancestors, to be
  52. 52Part 3, Section 14Of occasional Sraddhas, or obsequial ceremonies; when most
  53. 53Part 3, Section 15
  54. 54Part 3, Section 16Things proper to be offered as food to deceased ancestors;
  55. 55Part 3, Section 17Of heretics, or those who rejects the authority of the
  56. 56Part 3, Section 18Buddha goes to the earth and teaches the Daityas to
  57. 57Part 4, Section 1Dynasties of kings
  58. 58Part 4, Section 2Dispersion of Revata's descendants; those of Drisha; those
  59. 59Part 4, Section 3Shaubhri and his wives adopt an ascetic life, Descendant of
  60. 60Part 4, Section 4The progeny of Sagara; their wickedness; he performs an
  61. 61Part 4, Section 5Kings of Mithila
  62. 62Part 4, Section 6Kings of the lunar dynasty
  63. 63Part 4, Section 7Sons of Pururavas
  64. 64Part 4, Section 8Sons of Ayus
  65. 65Part 4, Section 9
  66. 66Part 4, Section 10The sons of Nahusha
  67. 67Part 4, Section 11The Yadava race, or descendants of Yadu
  68. 68Part 4, Section 12Descendants of Kroshtri; Jyamaghas connubial affection for
  69. 69Part 4, Section 13Sons of Satawata
  70. 70Part 4, Section 14Descendants of Sini, of Anamitra, of Swaphalka and Chittra,
  71. 71Part 4, Section 15Explanation of the reason why Sisupal in his previous births
  72. 72Part 4, Section 16Descendants of Turvasu
  73. 73Part 4, Section 17Descendants of Druhyu
  74. 74Part 4, Section 18Descendants of Anu
  75. 75Part 4, Section 19Descendants of Puru
  76. 76Part 4, Section 20Descendants of Kuru
  77. 77Part 4, Section 21Future Kings
  78. 78Part 4, Section 22Future kings of the family of Ikshwaku, ending with
  79. 79Part 4, Section 23Future kings of Magadha, Descendants of Vrihadratha
  80. 80Part 4, Section 24Future kings of Magadha
  81. 81Part 5, Section 1The death of Kansa announced
  82. 82Part 5, Section 2The conception of Devaki; her appearance; she is praised by
  83. 83Part 5, Section 3Birth of Krishna, conveyed by Vasudeva to Mathura and
  84. 84Part 5, Section 4Kansa addresses his friends, announces their danger and
  85. 85Part 5, Section 5Nanda returns with the infants Krishna and Balarāma to
  86. 86Part 5, Section 6Krishna overturns a wagon; casts down two trees
  87. 87Part 5, Section 7Krishna combats the serpent Kaliya; alarm of his parents
  88. 88Part 5, Section 8The Demon Dhenuka destroyed by Rāma
  89. 89Part 5, Section 9Sports of the boys in the forest
  90. 90Part 5, Section 10Description of autumn
  91. 91Part 5, Section 11Indra offended by the loss of his offerings causes heavy
  92. 92Part 5, Section 12Indra comes to Gokula; praises Krishna and makes him prince
  93. 93Part 5, Section 13Krishna praised by the cowherds; his sports with Gopis,
  94. 94Part 5, Section 14Krishna kills the demon Arishta, in the form of a bull
  95. 95Part 5, Section 15Kansa informed by Nārada of the existence of Krishna and
  96. 96Part 5, Section 16Kesin in the form of a horse, slain by Krishna; he is
  97. 97Part 5, Section 17Akrura's meditation to Krishna, his arrival at Gokula; his
  98. 98Part 5, Section 18Grief of the Gopis on the departure of Krishna and
  99. 99Part 5, Section 19Akrura conveys Krishna and Rāma near to Mathura, leaves
  100. 100Part 5, Section 20Krishna and Balarāma meets Kubja; she is made straight by
  101. 101Part 5, Section 21
  102. 102Part 5, Section 22Jarasandha besieges Mathura; is defeated, but repeatedly
  103. 103Part 5, Section 23Birth of Kalayavana; he advances against Mathura, Krishna
  104. 104Part 5, Section 24Indra comes to Dwārakā, and reports to Krishna the tyranny
  105. 105Part 5, Section 25Balarāma finds wine in the hollow of a tree and becomes
  106. 106Part 5, Section 26Krishna carries off Rukmini; the princes who come to
  107. 107Part 5, Section 27Pradyumna stolen by Sambara; thrown into the sea, and
  108. 108Part 5, Section 28
  109. 109Part 5, Section 29
  110. 110Part 5, Section 30Krishna restores her earrings to Aditi, and is praised by
  111. 111Part 5, Section 31Krishna with Indra's consent, takes the Pārijāta tree to
  112. 112Part 5, Section 32Children of Krishna
  113. 113Part 5, Section 33Bana solicits Siva for war; finds Aniruddha in the
  114. 114Part 5, Section 34Paundraka, a Vasudeva, assumes the insignia and style of
  115. 115Part 5, Section 35Samba carries off the daughter of Duryodhana but is taken
  116. 116Part 5, Section 36The Asura Dwivida in the form of an ape destroyed by
  117. 117Part 5, Section 37Destruction of Yadavas
  118. 118Part 5, Section 28
  119. 119Part 6, Section 1Of the dissolution of the world; the four ages; the decline
  120. 120Part 6, Section 2Redeeming properties of the Kali age
  121. 121Part 6, Section 3Three different kinds of dissolution
  122. 122Part 6, Section 4Continuation of the account of the first kind of
  123. 123Part 6, Section 5The third kind of dissolution, or final liberation from
  124. 124Part 6, Section 6Means of attaining liberation
  125. 125Part 6, Section 7Keshidwaja describes the nature of ignorance, and the
  126. 126Part 6, Section 8Conclusion of the dialogue between Parāçara and Maitreya