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Book No. – 49 (History)
Book Name – The Concept of Bharatvarsha (B.D. Chattopadhyaya)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. Textual Evidence
2. The Divine and the Dynastic Lineage
2.1. Texts of Two Different Genres: The Visnu Purana and the Harsacarita
3. Many Innovations of the Kalika Purana
3.1. Conception, Birth and Early Upbringing
3.2. Conquest of and Rule over Kāmarūpa
3.3. Degeneration and Death
4. Evidence of Inscriptions
5. Legend as History and Legend in History
6. Epilogue
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LANGUAGE
Local and Beyond: The Story of Asura Naraka and Society, State and Religion in Early Assam
Chapter – 5
Table of Contents
- The northeastern region of Kāmarūpa-Prāgjyotiṣapura (present-day Guwahati) is notable for its symbolic motifassociated with the region from the time it appears in written records.
- The story of the demon Naraka is linked to the region from its earliest written references, even though local inscriptions appear only from the fifth century CE.
- Sanskrit epics like the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, as well as the Purāṇas, associate Asura Naraka with the region, and this association persists in later written documents and in contemporary Assam.
- The legend of Naraka not only survives in Indian texts but also becomes familiar in Southeast Asian countries.
- There has been significant scholarship on Naraka, focusing on his historicity and chronology, with ongoing historiographies available.
- The importance of ancient legends for historical understanding does not lie in proving their factuality, as this would lead into the realm of the supernatural.
- The historical significance of a legend can be understood by exploring how its core storyline evolves over time, acquiring embellishments and various versions, as seen in major epics.
- The essay seeks to examine the chronological stages in the evolution of the legend of Naraka, an asura, and the historical significance of this evolution in the early history of Assam as a central motif.
Textual Evidence
- The references to Naraka can be divided into two parts: the first part presents an overview of Naraka in epic, Purāṇic, and other texts, and the second part focuses on the Kālikā Purāṇa, detailing Naraka’s story and introducing new narrative elements.
- The earliest references to Naraka are found in the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata, and possibly in the Arthaśāstraof Kauṭilya.
- In the Kiṣkindhā-Kāṇḍa of the Rāmāyaṇa, Naraka is described as a wicked demon (durātmā Narako nāma dānavaḥ) who lived in Prāgjyotiṣa, situated in the deep sea, west of Kiṣkindhā, including regions like Pāriyātra, Varāha parvata, and Cakravān parvata.
- Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa is associated with Naraka’s fuller story, as he killed Pañcajana and Hayagrīva and acquired his śaṅkhaand cakra.
- A brief mention of Naraka also appears in the Yuddha-Kāṇḍa of the Rāmāyaṇa, where Rāvaṇa, after the death of his brother Kumbhakarṇa, is compared to Naraka and Śambara who were killed by Viṣṇu.
- Mahābhārata contains more references to Naraka, with his citadel located in Prāgjyotiṣa. However, the relationship between Naraka and other characters like Bhagadatta and Vajradatta is unclear but later expanded in later texts.
- In the Vanaparva of the Mahābhārata, Lomaṣa mentions a hillock that was a heap of Naraka’s bones, slain by Viṣṇu with his bare hands for the benefit of the celestial beings.
- The matriarchal dimension of the Naraka story is evident in his being the son of Bhūmi (Earth), who persuaded Viṣṇu to give Naraka the Vaiṣṇavāstra, making him invincible to both devas and asuras.
- Bhagadatta and Vajradatta are mentioned independently in the Mahābhārata. The text shows uncertainty about how to position Naraka, Bhagadatta, and other figures within the cultural and geographical frame of the epic.
- Diagrammatic representation of Naraka’s relationship with other figures:
- Rāmāyaṇa: Naraka → Bhūmi → Viṣṇu = Kṛṣṇa → Naraka (wicked demon, asura)
- Mahābhārata: Naraka → Bhūmi → Vaiṣṇavāstra (Weapon of Viṣṇu) → Bhagadatta and Vajradatta.