| Part of a series on |
| Hindu scriptures |
|---|
| Vedas |
| Rigveda · Samaveda Yajurveda · Atharvaveda |
| Vedangas |
| Shiksha · Chandas Vyakarana · Nirukta Kalpa · Jyotisha |
| Upanishads |
| Rig vedic Aitareya |
| Puranas |
| Brahma puranas Brahma · Brahmānda Brahmavaivarta Markandeya · Bhavishya |
| Itihasa |
| Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita) |
| Other scriptures |
| Manu Smriti Artha Shastra · Agama Tantra · Sūtra · Stotra Dharmashastra Divya Prabandha Tevaram Ramcharitmanas Yoga Vasistha |
| Scripture classification |
| Śruti · Smriti |
| Timeline |
| Hindu texts |
The Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts.[1] The text is devoted mainly to the lilas of Kartikeya (also called Skanda or Murugan), a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him. This Mahapurana was recited by Sage Vyasa, and is available in distinct parts, sometimes fragmented too. It also describes the Shaiva tradition in Hemakuta region (near Vijayanagar) of Karnataka, Kashi Khanda describes the Shaiva tradition of Varanasi, and the Utkala Khanda part states about Puruṣottamakṣetramāhātmya of Orissa.
Contents |
Traditionally, the whole corpus of texts, which are considered as part of the Skanda Purana is grouped in two ways. According to a tradition, these are grouped in six saṁhitās, each of which consists several khaṇḍas. According to another tradition, these are grouped in seven Khaṇḍas. The presently available printed editions of this text are published by the Bangabasi Press, Calcutta, the Shri Venkateshvara Press, Bombay (1910) and the N.K. Press, Lucknow and all these editions consist seven Khaṇḍas (parts): Maheśvara, Viṣṇu or Vaiṣṇava, Brahma, Kāśī, Āvantya, Nāgara and Prabhāsa[2]. In 1999–2003, an English translation of this text was published by the Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi in 20 volumes. This translation is also based on a text divided into seven Khaṇḍas.
The Maheśvara Khaṇḍa consists three sections: the Kedāra Khaṇḍa (35 chapters), the Kaumārikā Khaṇḍa or Kumārikā Khaṇḍa (66 chapters) and the Arunācala Khaṇḍa or Arunācala Māhātmya. The Arunācala Khaṇḍa is further divided into two parts: Pūrvārdha (13 chapters) and Uttarārdha (24 chapters). The Viṣṇu Khaṇḍa or Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa consists nine sections: Veṅkaṭācalamāhātmya (40 chapters), Puruṣottamakṣetramāhātmya (49 chapters), Badarikāśramamāhātmya (8 chapters), Kārttikamāsamāhātmya (36 chapters), Mārgaśirṣamāsamāhātmya 17 chapters), Bhāgavatamāhātmya (4 chapters), Vaiśākhamāsamāhātmya (25 chapters), Ayodhyāmāhātmya (10 chapters) and Vāsudevamāhātmya (32 chapters). The Brahma Khaṇḍa has three sections: Setumāhātmya (52 chapters), Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa (40 chapters) and Uttara Khaṇḍa or Brahmottara Khaṇḍa (22 chapters). The Kāśī Khaṇḍa is divided into two parts: Pūrvārdha (50 chapters) and Uttarārdha (50 chapters). The Āvantya Khaṇḍa consists Avantikṣetramāhātmya (71 chapters), Caturaśītiliṅgamāhātmya (84 chapters) and Revā Khaṇḍa (232 chapters). The Nāgara Khaṇḍa (279 chapters) consists Tirthamāhātmya and the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (491 chapters) consists Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya (365 chapters), Vastrāpathakṣetramāhātmya (19 chapters), Arvuda Khaṇḍa (63 chapters) and Dvārakāmāhātmya (44 chapters)[2].
The second type of division of the Skanda Purana is found in some texts like Hālasyamāhātmya of the Agastya Saṁhitā or the Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, Sambhava Kāṇḍa of the Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, Śivamāhātmya Khaṇḍa of the Sūta Saṁhitā and Kālikā Khaṇḍa of the Sanatkumāra Saṁhitā. According to these texts, the Skanda Purana consists of six Saṁhitās (sections): the Sanatkumāra Saṁhitā, the Sūta Saṁhitā, the Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, the Vaiṣṇavī Saṁhitā, the Brāhmī Saṁhitā and the Saura Saṁhitā. The manuscripts of the Sanatkumāra Saṁhitā, the Śaṁkarī Saṁhitā, the Sūta Saṁhitā and the Saura Saṁhitā are extant. A manuscript of a commentary on the Sūta Saṁhitā by Madhavācārya is also available[2].
The manuscripts of several other texts which claim to be part of the Skanda Purana are found partially or wholly. Some of the notable texts amongst these are: Himavat Khaṇḍa which contains Nepālamāhātmya (30 chapters), Kanakādri Khaṇḍa, Bhīma Khaṇḍa, Śivarahasya Khaṇḍa, Sahyādri Khaṇḍa, Ayodhyā Khaṇḍa, Mathurā Khaṇḍa and Pātāla Khaṇḍa[2].
Some of the popular narratives described in the Skanda Purana are:
|
||||||||