The Mahabhagavata-Purana, a work of Bengal

Summary

This paper examines the Mahābhāgavata‑Purāṇa, an obscure Upapurāṇa from Bengal that should not be confused with the canonical Bhagavata‑Purāṇa. The author provides an inventory of printed editions and manuscripts preserved in Indian libraries, noting that the only printed edition was issued in 1913 by the Gujarati Printing Press and that many manuscripts are written in Bengali script. After reviewing catalogues from the India Office and the Asiatic Society, the article turns to the contents of the text. The Mahābhāgavata opens with maṅgala verses saluting Devī as the supreme prakṛti who creates and destroys the universe; it claims to be a revelation from Mahādeva to Vyāsa and then to Jaimini in response to a request to describe a Purāṇa on the glory of the goddess. Unlike the Vaiṣṇava Bhagavata, this Purāṇa belongs to the Śākta tradition: it extols Devī as para, grants her a place above Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva and narrates episodes celebrating her exploits against demons. The author points out that the text is heavily infused with Tantra; it praises the worship of Śākta deities, prescribes rituals and includes hymns that later appear in Devī‑Bhāgavata and other Śākta works. Although comparatively late and omitted from major Purāṇa lists, the Mahābhāgavata deserves attention because it reflects the religious life of eastern Bengal, where goddess worship was intertwined with folk practices. Its language and metre also suggest a regional origin. The article concludes by urging further study of this Purāṇa to understand the evolution of Bengal’s devotional literature and by correcting the common misidentification of the text with the Bhagavata‑Purāṇa.