The Universe and the Devi: A translation of the unabridged Brahmanda Purana by Bibek Debrov

The late Bibek Debroy had translated the Bhagavata, Markandeya, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the Brahmanda Puranas, with the last one published in 2024.

- ABHINAV AGARWAL

BENGALURU T his unabridged English translation of the Brahmanda Purana is the sixth that the late Bibek Debroy did, and the last to be published during his lifetime.

It brings to the reader his now familiar style of readability, consistency, and abundant explanatory footnotes.

For those unfamiliar with the world of Puranas, they are a huge corpus of religious literature in Hinduism that belongs to the category of smriti textscomposed by sages based on memory. This contrasts with shruti texts-the Vedas (encompassing the Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and the Upanishads), which have a divine origin and were compiled, not composed, also by sages. The word Purana literally means old. While there are many Puranas, there are eighteen that are classified as Maha Puranas. Others are called upa (minor) Puranas, while there are still others that are sthala Puranas that glorify and delve on the geography of sacred teerthas, although such accounts are also found inside Puranas, like Gautami mahatmya from the Brahma Purana, and Ayodhya and Kashi mahatmya from the Skanda Purana.

When it comes to enumerating the eighteen Maha Puranas, there is no debate over Puranas such as the Bhagavata, Skanda, Padma, Markandeya, and so on. However, in some lists, the Bhavishya Purana replaces the Vayu, while in some others, in comes the Vayu and out goes the Agni Purana, and in some the Narasimha and Vayu replace the Brahmanda and Garuda Puranas. Regardless of these taxonomical debates, the Brahmanda Purana is, for all practical purposes, considered a Maha Purana.