Q- Trace the growth and development of Puranic theistic cults during the

period of study.
Q- Trace the growth of Puranic Hinduism during the period of your study.
Q- Critically examine the main features of Puranic Hinduism during the period
of your study.
Q- Write an essay on Puranic Hinduism.
Q- Discuss the main characteristics of Puranic Hinduism.
Introduction
The concept of a personal God with whom the devotee can form the most
intimate relationships is at the centre of theistic religions' consciousness. In the
realms of religious doctrines and practices, the period of our study i.e., 4 th
century BCE to 750 CE, reflects several continuities with the earlier centuries,
but also some striking new developments. One of the most important of these
was the beginning of new devotional practices and the emergence of what can
be termed early Hinduism
Now, let us take a look at growth and development of various puranic theistic
cults that emerged during the period of our study. Having a demarcation
between the periods will let us know the changes that took place from their
emergence to the flourishment of the cults. Thus, we’ll be looking at same
from the periods between 300 BCE to 300 CE and from 4th century CE to 750
CE.
During the period c. 300 BCE–300 CE, there is evidence from a variety of
sources of certain devotional practices that can be associated with Hinduism.
Vijay Nath states that the Puranic religion was different in many ways from
Vedic Brahmanism. The development of Puranic Hinduism was characterized by
the growth of several sects such as Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism.
Shaivism
The earliest basis of the sect goes back to the Pashupati seal that has roots of
Shiva worship which may go back to the Harappan civilization. On the other
hand, there is a god named Rudra, who is a fierce and feared God. The
multiplicity of Shiva’s forms and his various aspects and exploits are
encapsulated in some of his Puranic epithets. To mention a one, Shiva is
Chandrashekhara, the god who has the crescent moon in his hair.
Shiva is today most popularly worshipped in temples in his linga form which
represents male procreative energy and power. There are several stories
narrated in the epics and the Bhagavata Purana where fierce and strange
nature of Shiva is described. O’Flaherty argues, Shiva is a god who combined in
himself the aspects of asceticism and fertility.
Vaishnavism
Jaiswal mentions, ‘The history of Vishnuism involved the gradual coming
together of the initially independent cults of various deities such as Narayana,
Vasudeva Krishna, Shri, and Lakshmi.’ The cult of Narayana was one of the
important elements eventually absorbed into Vishnuism.
The Chhandogya Upanishad mentions a sage named Krishna Devakiputra. The
first detailed account of Krishna’s life story occurs in the Harivamsha, an
appendix to the Mahabharata.
In the early centuries CE, there was a dramatic increase in the number and
variety of Vaishnava images produced in the Mathura area. Representations of
Vasudeva Krishna are the most numerous, but there are also a large number of
small stone statuettes of Vishnu, Vishnu on garuda, and Vishnu in the form of a
partly anthropomorphic Varaha form.
Vasudeva Krishna, the deity also seems to have been connected with snake
worship. Images show a snake canopy over his head and the Mahabharata
refers to his being an incarnation of Sheshanaga.
Shaktism
In the course of the 1st millennium, the Puranas tried to bring some of these
goddesses together, presenting them as different manifestations of the female
principle, shakti. We find the names of some of the goddesses who later came
to be associated with the worship of Shakti—Katyayani, Kanyakumari, and
Durga.
The Mundaka Upanishad mentions the goddesses Kali and Karali as two of the
seven tongues of Agni. In the Puranas, these goddesses are described as the
terrifying forms of Durga. Later Vedic texts also refer to Bhavani, the female
form of Bhava, i.e., Shiva and Bhadrakali, the auspicious and peaceful form of
Kali.
The growing popularity of the worship of Durga is reflected in the epics. Stories
tell of how the gods, harassed by various demons, approached her for help,
and how she succeeded in destroying the demons. The sculptural evidence
from many early historical sites indicates the popularity of the worship of
Durga Mahishasuramardini.
Moving on to the period 4th century BCE to 750 CE where it has seen as a phase
of Brahmanical revival or consolidation of Brahmanical ideology. This is
reflected in the firm establishment of Sanskrit as the language of royal
inscriptions and the increasing popularity of temple-based sectarian cults.
Shaivism
The worship of Shiva increased in popularity during the period c. 300-750 CE .
Shiva came to be associated with Ganesha, Karttikeya, and the river goddess
Ganga. The Shaiva Puranas describe the various forms of the god and the
installation of Shiva lingas in temples and indicate the existence of various
Shaiva sects.
The Pashupatas seem to be one of the oldest and most important Shaiva sects.
These were associated with yogic practices and are often described as ascetics
with ashes smeared on their bodies. Sculptures and inscription indicate the
popularity of the Pashupata sect in Mathura and several other areas.
Sculptures and inscriptions bear indirect testimony to the existence of many
more that have not survived. The God is mentioned and invoked in numerous
inscriptions, and certain kings are described themselves as parama-maheshvara
as the supreme worshipper of Maheshwara.
Vaishnavism
The first mention of Vishnu comes in the Vedas, where a few hymns are
dedicated to him. More mention is made of him in the class of texts called the
Brahmanas. These texts treat Vishnu as the highest god. While it spread
extensively in the sub-continent, it was particularly prominent in eastern parts
of the sub-continent.
As has been discussed above, local cults were absorbed into each of the three
strands of Puranic Hinduism. Vaishnavism came to imbibe the cults of
Narayana, Jagannatha, Venkateshwara and others. The different incarnations of
Vishnu represent a medium for the inclusion of cults.
Vaishnavism gained prominence from the two important avataras of Vishnu –
Rama and Krishna – which was primarily promulgated through the bhakti
movement. The Krishna tradition of the Mahabharata and the Rama cult of the
Ramayana assimilated social groups by incorporating their folk narratives in the
Epic narratives. But their deities were always subservient to the Brahmanical
deities.
Shaktism
Unlike the other two sects, Shaktism did not begin by revolving around a deity.
It originally began as the female principle, Shakti in Brahmanism. As a principle,
she was the consort of the three chief gods. Thus, she was Saraswati to
Brahma, Lakshmi to Vishnu and Parvati or Durga to Shiva. Since the worship of
the female principle as mother goddess is believed to have been common
among groups that were as yet untouched by Brahmanism, the Shakti cult
developed a large following and further was central to Tantrism. The prime text
of Shaktism is the Devi Bhagavata Purana.
There is no prominent female deity in the Vedas. The brief mention of female
deities in early literature is not independent of male deities. While the idea of
energy in the consort of Indra does exist. We are, therefore, able to determine
the non-Brahmanical origins of the goddess figure from the fact that earlier
Brahmanical texts do not mention her.
Their important features/ characteristics
Image and temple worship, pilgrimage, vrata, mantra, ritual specialists and
bhakti are some of the most important elements of Puranic tradition. Image
worship gradually became established as an alternative to the Vedic yajna. The
divine fashioning of the icon was formless and invisible, it was also believed
that the chosen deity can take up residence in her/ his images — murti or
pratima.
It was seen as an act of graciousness on the part of the deity to become visible
as an icon. After ritual consecration that icon is animated. He is treated like a
living being and a whole repertoire of rituals pertaining to awakening, ritual
bathing, garlanding, offering of food, resting and sleeping of the deity emerged.
Worship in the temples became elaborate. Once idols were brought into
existence, ‘residences’ i.e., Mandiras for them became objects of veneration.
Initially natural caves or shrines made with perishable material were used.
Stone temples began to be built in significant numbers from the middle of the
first millennium CE. Gradually, those in search of the transcendental divine
started journeying to a sacred place much larger than the temple.
Pilgrims began to take journey on foot or carts, living very simply, with few
material comforts. The centre of pilgrimage was called the tirtha. Tirtha can be
translated as ‘crossing place’ or ‘ford’, through which the devotee ‘crosses over’
from ‘this shore’ of the mundane world, of ignorance of God, to the other
shore, the ‘far shore’ of liberation from individual existence. The stories of
tirthas were recounted in Mahatmyas. They laud particular places or deities
and formed part of the Puranic tradition.
Thus, there were religious shifts that formed part of the development of Hindu
Puranic tradition. The shift from the yajna to puja by nearly all is an example in
this regard. The shift from rituals in which a plot of land is temporarily
cordoned off and made into a sacred spot by experts in a consecration rite, to
worship in permanent structures open to a far wider range of devotees is
another.
The vrata is another feature in which the right of participation was extended to
everyone, irrespective of caste or gender. The term vrata is derived from the
root ‘vri’, which means ‘to surround, encompass’. The vrata was a practice that
could encompass all the members of the community. A vrata was a ‘vowed
observance’, a ‘religious act of devotion or austerity’ which one took for a
certain period of time. They were performed for the fulfilment of specific
wishes.
The Puranas emphasize the austere, restrictive aspects of vratas and the
observance of vrata was similar to the accumulation of tapas. In the
Brahmanical religious tradition women and sudras were debarred from many
religious activities. However, in the Puranic tradition, both men and women
from all social groups were allowed to practice vrata.
The katha element of vrata which recounts the purpose why a vrata came to be
observed, became an effective medium for the transmission of messages
particularly Brahmanical messages contained in the Epic-Puranic tales to a large
and diverse gathering of people.
Conclusion
Thus, Vedic Brahmanism was replaced by Puranic Hinduism. The resultant
change led to the creation of an enlarged pantheon and a new system of belief.
This system was made up of elements of various cults that vastly expanded the
scope of Puranic Hinduism. Changes also occurred in religious performance as
modes of worship, the nature of rituals and the space for performance were
altered. Tantric elements also started seeping into Hinduism around this time
which has been discussed above in detail.