Skanda Purana

A leaf from a palm leaf of Skanda Purana manuscript book, held together by a thin rope

The Skanda Purana (IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest Mukhyapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts.^[1] The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Shaivite literature,^[2] titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parvati (who is also known as Murugan in Tamil literature).^[3] While the text is named after Skanda, he does not feature either more or less prominently in this text than in other Shiva-related Puranas.^[3] The text has been an important historical record and influence on the Hindu traditions and rituals related to the war-god Skanda.^[3]^[4]

The earliest text titled Skanda Purana likely existed by the 8th century CE,^[5]^[6] but the Skanda Purana that has survived into the modern era exists in many versions.^[7] It is considered as a living text, which has been widely edited, over many centuries, creating numerous variants.^[8] The common elements in the variant editions encyclopedically cover cosmogony, mythology, genealogy, dharma, festivals, gemology, temples, geography, discussion of virtues and evil, of theology and of the nature and qualities of Shiva as the Absolute and the source of true knowledge.^[9]

The editions of Skandapurana text also provide an encyclopedic travel handbook with meticulous Tirtha Mahatmya (pilgrimage tourist guides),^[10] containing geographical locations of pilgrimage centers in India, Nepal and Tibet, with related legends, parables, hymns and stories.^[11]^[12]^[13]

This Mahāpurāṇa, like others, is attributed to the sage Vyasa.

^ Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare (1996). Studies in Skanda Purāṇa. Published by Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1260-3
^ Bakker 2014, pp. 4–6.
^ ^a ^b ^c Rocher 1986, pp. 114, 229–238.
^ KK Kurukkal (1961), A Study of the Karttikeya Cult as reflected in the Epics and the Puranas, University of Ceylon Review, Vol. 19, pages 131-138
^ Cite error: The named reference RDM_2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Bakker 2014, pp. 1–3.
^ Doniger 1993, pp. 59–83.
^ Wendy Doniger. On Hinduism. Oxford University Press. p. 234. Certainly, different parts of Skanda Puran were added at different periods and different traditions, composed in increments over several centuries, were brought together in the present redactions. The text often betrays its chequered past, despite its contant attempts to integrate each new view. But this is its strength not weakness. The Skanda Purana is, in a real sense, a living purana, one of the few Puranas extant still extant in Sanskrit and certainly, one of the most popular.
^ Rocher 1986, pp. 234–238.
^ Glucklich 2008, p. 146, Quote: The earliest promotional works aimed at tourists from that era were called mahatmyas.
^ Jean Holm; John Bowker (1998). Sacred Place. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-8264-5303-7.
^ Krishan Sharma; Anil Kishore Sinha; Bijon Gopal Banerjee (2009). Anthropological Dimensions of Pilgrimage. Northern Book Centre. pp. 3–5. ISBN 978-81-89091-09-5.
^ Vijay Nath (2007), Puranic Tirthas: A study of their indigenous origins and the transformation (based mainly on the Skanda Purana), Indian Historical Review, Vol. 34, Issue 1, pages 1-46

[1] Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare (1996). Studies in Skanda Purāṇa. Published by Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1260-3

[FOOTNOTEBakker20144–6-2] Bakker 2014, pp. 4–6.

[FOOTNOTERocher1986114,_229–238-3] Rocher 1986, pp. 114, 229–238.

[4] KK Kurukkal (1961), A Study of the Karttikeya Cult as reflected in the Epics and the Puranas, University of Ceylon Review, Vol. 19, pages 131-138

[RDM_2011-5] Cite error: The named reference RDM_2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEBakker20141–3-6] Bakker 2014, pp. 1–3.

[FOOTNOTEDoniger199359–83-7] Doniger 1993, pp. 59–83.

[8] Wendy Doniger. On Hinduism. Oxford University Press. p. 234. Certainly, different parts of Skanda Puran were added at different periods and different traditions, composed in increments over several centuries, were brought together in the present redactions. The text often betrays its chequered past, despite its contant attempts to integrate each new view. But this is its strength not weakness. The Skanda Purana is, in a real sense, a living purana, one of the few Puranas extant still extant in Sanskrit and certainly, one of the most popular.

[FOOTNOTERocher1986234–238-9] Rocher 1986, pp. 234–238.

[FOOTNOTEGlucklich2008146,_'''Quote:'''_The_earliest_promotional_works_aimed_at_tourists_from_that_era_were_called_''mahatmyas''-10] Glucklich 2008, p. 146, Quote: The earliest promotional works aimed at tourists from that era were called mahatmyas.

[11] Jean Holm; John Bowker (1998). Sacred Place. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-8264-5303-7.

[sharmasinha-12] Krishan Sharma; Anil Kishore Sinha; Bijon Gopal Banerjee (2009). Anthropological Dimensions of Pilgrimage. Northern Book Centre. pp. 3–5. ISBN 978-81-89091-09-5.

[13] Vijay Nath (2007), Puranic Tirthas: A study of their indigenous origins and the transformation (based mainly on the Skanda Purana), Indian Historical Review, Vol. 34, Issue 1, pages 1-46

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