Product Description
The Vishnu Purana is a primary sacred text of the Vaishnava branch of Hinduism, which today probably has more adherents than any other. It is one of the canonical Puranas, a branch of post-Vedic sacred literature which was first committed to writing during the first millennium of the common era. Like most of the other Puranas, this is a complete narrative from the creation of the current universe to its destruction. The chronology describes periods as long as a hundred trillion (10 to the 14th power) years! It includes extensive sections on the genealogy of the legendary kings, heroes and demigods of ancient India, including those from the epics, the Mahabharata and Ramayana. There are fascinating descriptions of ancient Hindu cosmology and geography. Of general interest is a collection of stories about the boyhood adventures of Krishna and Rama, whom the Vaishnavas believe to be avatars of Vishnu. There are also references to Buddhism and Jainism, which help establish the date of composition of the work.
H.H. Wilson was one of the first European scholars to produce a scholarly translation of a major Hindu sacred text. There is very little of the pseudo-King James style, loved by 19th century orientalists (and loathed by modern scholars). His translation employs clear English which modern readers will find very readable.--J.B. Hare
H.H. Wilson was one of the first European scholars to produce a scholarly translation of a major Hindu sacred text. There is very little of the pseudo-King James style, loved by 19th century orientalists (and loathed by modern scholars). His translation employs clear English which modern readers will find very readable.--J.B. Hare
