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{{Short description|One of the eighteen Mahapuranas of Hinduism}}
{{Redirect|Vishnu Puran|the television series|Vishnu Puran (TV series)}}
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{{Infobox religious text
| image    = 
| author   = [[Vyasa]]
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| language = [[Sanskrit]]
| verses   = 23,000
| chapters = 126
| volumes  = 6

}}
{{Hindu scriptures}}

The '''Vishnu Purana''' ({{langx|sa|विष्णुपुराण}}) is one of the eighteen [[Puranas#Mahapuranas|Mahapuranas]], a genre of ancient and medieval texts of [[Hinduism]].{{Sfn|Dalal|2014|p=460}} It is an important [[Pancharatra]] text in the [[Vaishnavism]] literature corpus.{{Sfn|Dalal|2014|p=460}}{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=245–249}}

The manuscripts of ''Vishnu Purana'' have survived into the modern era in many versions.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=18, 245–249}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|pp=xxxiv–xxxv}}<ref name="Sharma2003GB141">{{cite book|author=Gregory Bailey|editor=Arvind Sharma|title=The Study of Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npCKSUUQYEIC|year=2003|publisher=University of South Carolina Press|isbn=978-1-57003-449-7|pages=141–142}}</ref> More than any other major [[Puranas|Purana]], the ''Vishnu Purana'' presents its contents in ''Pancalaksana'' format – ''Sarga'' ([[cosmogony]]), ''Pratisarga'' ([[cosmology]]), ''Vamsa'' ([[genealogy]] of the gods and goddesses, sages and kings and queens), ''[[Manvantara]]'' (cosmic cycles), and ''Vamsanucarita''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vamshanucarita, Vaṃśānucarita, Vamsha-anucarita: 10 definitions |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/vamshanucarita |url-status=live |website=Wisdom Library}}</ref> (legends during the times of various kings and queens).{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=248–249}}{{Sfn|Rao|1993|pp=85–100}}{{Sfn|Johnson|2009|p=248}} Some manuscripts of the text are notable for not including sections found in other major Puranas, such as those on ''Mahatmyas'' and tour guides on pilgrimage,{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}} but some versions include chapters on temples and travel guides to sacred pilgrimage sites.{{Sfn|Dalal|2014|p=460}}{{Sfn|Ariel Glucklich|2008|p=146, '''Quote:''' The earliest promotional works aimed at tourists from that era were called ''mahatmyas''}} The text is also notable as the earliest Purana to have been translated and published in 1840 CE by [[H. H. Wilson|HH Wilson]], based on manuscripts then available, setting the presumptions and premises about what Puranas may have been.{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|pp=i–xviii, for full context and comparison of ''Vishnu Purana'' with other Puranas then known, see all of the Preface section.}}<ref name="Sharma2003GB148">{{cite book|author=Gregory Bailey|editor=Arvind Sharma|title=The Study of Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npCKSUUQYEIC|year=2003|publisher=University of South Carolina Press|isbn=978-1-57003-449-7|pages=148–149}}</ref>

The ''Vishnu Purana'' is among the shorter [[Puranas|Purana]] texts, with about 7,000 verses in extant versions.{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|p=xxxv}}{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=246, 248 with footnote 501}} It primarily centers around the Hindu god [[Vishnu]] and his [[avatar|avatara]]s such as [[Rama]] and [[Krishna]], but it praises [[Brahma]] and [[Shiva]] and says that they are dependent on Vishnu.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=246, 248 with footnote 501}} The Purana, states Wilson, is [[Pantheism|pantheistic]] and the ideas in it, like other Puranas, are premised on the [[Vedas|Vedic]] beliefs and ideas.{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|pp=xii–xiv}}

''Vishnu Purana'', like all major Puranas, attributes its author to be sage [[Vyasa]].{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=48}} The actual author(s) and date of its composition are unknown and contested. Estimates of its composition range from 400 BCE to 900 CE.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}} The text was likely composed and rewritten in layers over a period of time, with roots possibly in ancient 1st-millennium BCE texts that have not survived into the modern era.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=41–48, 249}} The ''[[Padma Purana]]'' categorizes ''Vishnu Purana'' as a [[Sattva]] Purana (Purana that represents goodness and purity).<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=H. H.|author-link=Horace Hayman Wilson|title=The Vishnu Purana: A system of Hindu mythology and tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DgMxAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR12|year=1840|publisher=Oriental Translation Fund|page=12}}</ref>

== Date of composition ==
{{Vaishnavism}}
[[File:Bangkok Airport 07.JPG|thumb|left|[[Samudra manthan|Samudra Manthan]]am depicted in above sculpture, is described in the ''Vishnu Purana''. Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok]]
The composition date of ''Vishnu Purana'' is unknown and contested, with estimates widely disagreeing.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}} Some proposed dates for the earliest version{{refn|group=note|This is not the version that has survived into the modern era. The estimates for earliest version are based on the analysis of the content, events described, literary style, references to other Indian texts within this Purana.{{Sfn|Dimmitt|van Buitenen|2012|p=1-7}}{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=38-49, 59–66}}}} of ''Vishnu Purana'' by various scholars include:

* [[Horace Hayman Wilson]] (1864): acknowledged that the tradition believes it to be 1st millennium BCE text and the text has roots in the Vedic literature, but after his analysis suggested that the extant manuscripts may be from the 11th century.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}}<ref name="Balfour1885">{{cite book|author=Edward Balfour|title=The Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia|url=https://archive.org/details/cyclopindiaeast03balfuoft|year=1885|publisher=B. Quaritch|page=[https://archive.org/details/cyclopindiaeast03balfuoft/page/1025 1025]}}</ref>
* [[Vincent Arthur Smith|Vincent Smith]] (1908): 400–300 BCE,{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}}
* [[Chintaman Vinayak Vaidya|CV Vaidya]] (1925): ~9th-century,{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}}
* [[Moriz Winternitz]] (1932): possibly early 1st millennium, but states Rocher, he added, "it is no more possible to assign a definite date to the ''Vishnu Purana'' than it is for any other Purana".{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}}
* Rajendra Chandra Hazra (1940): 275–325 CE{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}}
* [[V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar|Ramachandra Dikshitar]] (1951): 700–300 BCE,{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}}{{Sfn|K P Gietz|1992|p=986 with note 5739}}
* Roy (1968): after the 9th century.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}}
* [[Wendy Doniger]] (1988): {{ca.}} 450 CE.{{Sfn|Collins|1988|p=36}}

Rocher states that the "date of the ''Vishnu Purana'' is as contested as that of any other Purana".{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}} References to ''Vishnu'' ''Purana'' in texts such as ''[[Brihada Vishnu Purana|Brihadvishnu]]'' whose dates are better established, states Rocher, suggest that a version of ''Vishnu'' ''Purana'' existed by about 1000 CE, but it is unclear to what extent the extant manuscripts reflect the revisions during the 2nd millennium.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=249}}<ref name="Sharma2003GB141"/> ''Vishnu'' ''Purana'' like all Puranas has a complicated chronology. Dimmitt and van Buitenen state that each of the Puranas including the ''Vishnu'' ''Purana'' is encyclopedic in style, and it is difficult to ascertain when, where, why and by whom these were written:{{Sfn|Dimmitt|van Buitenen|2012|p=5}}

{{Quote
|As they exist today, the Puranas are a stratified literature. Each titled work consists of material that has grown by numerous accretions in successive historical eras. Thus, no Purana has a single date of composition. It is as if they were libraries to which new volumes have been continuously added, not necessarily at the end of the shelf, but randomly.|Cornelia Dimmitt and [[J. A. B. van Buitenen|J.A.B. van Buitenen]]|''Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas''{{Sfn|Dimmitt|van Buitenen|2012|p=5}}|source=Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas}}

Many of the extant manuscripts were written on [[Palm-leaf manuscript|palm leaf]] or copied during the British India colonial era, some in the 19th century.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=49–53}}<ref name="Powell2010p128"/> The scholarship on ''Vishnu Purana'', and other Puranas, has suffered from cases of forgeries, states [[Ludo Rocher]], where liberties in the transmission of Puranas were normal and those who copied older manuscripts replaced words or added new content to fit the theory that the colonial scholars were keen on publishing.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=49–53}}<ref name="Powell2010p128">{{cite book|author=Avril Ann Powell|title=Scottish Orientalists and India: The Muir Brothers, Religion, Education and Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KOnS1X8a528C|year=2010|publisher=Boydell & Brewer|isbn=978-1-84383-579-0|pages=130, 128–134, 87–90}}</ref>

==Structure==
The extant text comprises six {{lang|sa|amsas}} (parts) and 126 {{lang|sa|adhyayas}} (chapters).{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=246}} The first part has 22 chapters, the second part consists 16 chapters, the third part comprises 18 chapters and the fourth part has 24 chapters. The fifth and the sixth parts are the longest and the shortest part of the text, comprising 38 and 8 chapters respectively.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=246–248}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1864}}

The textual tradition claims that the original ''Vishnu'' ''Purana'' had 23,000 verses,<ref>{{cite book|author=Kireet Joshi|title=The Veda and Indian Culture: An Introductory Essay|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1CJlM2nhlt0C&pg=PA106|year=1991|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-0889-8|page=106}}</ref> but the surviving manuscripts have just a third of these, about 7,000 verses.{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|p=xxxv}} The text is composed in metric verses or ''sloka'', wherein each verse has exactly 32 syllables, of which 16 syllables in the verse may be free style per ancient literary standards.{{Sfn|Dimmitt|van Buitenen|2012|p=xiii}}

The ''Vishnu'' Purana is an exception in that it presents its contents in Vishnu worship-related ''Pancalaksana'' format – ''Sarga'' ([[Cosmogony]]), ''Pratisarga'' ([[Cosmology]]), ''Vamsa'' (Mythical [[genealogy]] of the gods, sages, and kings), ''[[Manvantara]]'' (Cosmic Cycles), and ''Vamsanucaritam'' (Legends During The Times Of Various Kings and Queens).{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=248–249}}{{Sfn|Rao|1993|pp=85–100}}{{Sfn|Johnson|2009|p=248}} This is rare, state Dimmitt and van Buitenen, because just 2% of the known Puranic literature corpus is about these five ''Pancalaksana'' items, and about 98% is about diverse range of encyclopedic topics.{{Sfn|Dimmitt|van Buitenen|2012|p=9}}

== Contents ==
{{Quote box
| quote = '''Who Is Vishnu?'''
<poem>
Out Of Vishnu This Universe Has Arisen,
In Him Its Exists,
He Is The One Who Governs Its Existence And Destruction,
He Is The Universe.
</poem>
| source = —''Vishnu Purana'', 1.14{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1865|pp=94–95}}
| bgcolor = #FFE0BB
| align = right
}}
Vishnu Purana opens as a conversation between sage [[Maitreya (Mahābhārata)|Maitreya]] and his [[Guru]], [[Parashara]], with the sage asking, "What Is The Nature Of This Universe And Everything That Is In It?"{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=246}}<ref>"A Brief History of India", by Alain Daniélou, publisher = Inner Traditions / Bear & Co., p. 25</ref>

===First Amsa: Cosmology===
The first ''Amsha'' (part) of ''Vishnu Purana'' presents cosmology, dealing with the creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=246–247}} The mythology, states Rocher, is woven with the evolutionary theories of [[Samkhya]] school of [[Hindu philosophy]].{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=246–247}}

The Hindu god Vishnu is presented as the central element of this text's cosmology, unlike some other Puranas where Shiva or Brahma or the [[Tridevi]] are offered prominence. The reverence and the worship of Vishnu is described in 22 chapters of the first part as the means for liberation, along with the profuse use of the synonymous names of Vishnu such as [[Hari]], [[Janardana]], Madhava, Achyuta, [[Hrishikesha]] and others.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|pp=246–247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1865|pp=93–96}} The chapters 1.16 through 1.20 of the ''Vishnu Purana'' presents the legend of compassionate and Vishnu devotee [[Prahlada]] and his persecution by his demon king father [[Hiranyakashipu]], wherein Prahlada is ultimately saved by Vishnu when Vishnu as [[Narasimha]] disimbowels and kills Hiranyakashipu.{{Sfn|Dutt|1896|pp=ii–iii}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1865|pp=32–68}} This story is also found in other Puranas.<ref>Wendy Doniger (2000), Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions, Merriam-Webster, {{ISBN|978-0877790440}}, page 455</ref>

Vishnu is described in the first book of ''Vishnu Purana'' as, translates Wilson, all elements, all matter in the world, the entire universe, all living beings, as well as [[Ātman (Hinduism)|Atman]] (Inner Self, essence) within every living being, nature, intellect, ego, mind, senses, ignorance, wisdom, the four Vedas, all that is and all that is not.{{Sfn|Wilson|1865|pp=93–96}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1864|pp=170–172, 196–198}}

===Second Amsa: Earth===
The second part of the text describes the story of [[earth]], the seven [[Continent|continents]] and seven [[Ocean|oceans]].{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1865|pp=109–126}} It describes [[Mount Meru]], [[Mount Mandara]] and other major [[Mountain|mountains]], as well as [[Names for India|Bharatavarsha]] (Literally, the country of [[Bharata (Mahabharata)|Bharata]]) along with its numerous [[River|rivers]] and diverse [[people]].{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1865|pp=127–190}} The seven continents are named ''Jambu'', ''Plaksha'', ''Salmala'', ''Kusha'', ''Krauncha'', ''Saka,'' and ''Pushkara'', each surrounded by different types of oceans ([[Saline water|saltwater]], [[Fresh water|freshwater]], [[wine]], [[sugarcane juice]], [[Ghee|ghrita]], [[yogurt]], and [[milk]]).{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1865|pp=109–126}}

This part of the ''Vishnu'' Purana describes spheres above the [[Earth]], [[Planet|Planets]], the [[Sun]] and the [[Moon]]. Four Chapters (2.13 to 2.16){{Sfn|Wilson|1865|pp=312–336}} of the second book of the text present the legends of King [[Bharata (Mahabharata)|Bharata]], who abdicates his throne to lead the life of a [[Sannyasa|Sannyasi]], which is similar to the legends found in section 5.7 to 5.14 of the [[Bhagavata Purana]].{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}} The geography of Mount Mandara is east of Mount Meru, presented in this book and other Puranas, states Stella Kramrisch, may be related to the word ''Mandiram'' ([[Hindu temple|Hindu Temple]]) and the reason of its Design, Image, Aim and Destination.{{Sfn|Kramrisch|1976|p=161 with footnote 78}}

===Third Amsa: Time===
The initial chapters of the third book of the ''Vishnu'' Purana presents its theory of ''[[Manvantara]]s'', (each 306.72 Million Years Long<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-last1=Doniger |editor-first1=Wendy |editor-link1=Wendy Doniger |editor-last2=Hawley |editor-first2=John Stratton |year=1999 |title=Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780877790440 |url-access=registration |encyclopedia=[[Merriam-Webster]] |publisher=[[Merriam-Webster|Merriam-Webster, Incorporated]] |page=691 (Manu) |isbn=0877790442 |quote=a day in the life of Brahma is divided into 14 periods called manvantaras ("Manu intervals"), each of which lasts for 306,720,000 years. In every second cycle [(new kalpa after pralaya)] the world is recreated, and a new Manu appears to become the father of the next human race. The present age is considered to be the seventh Manu cycle.}}</ref>).{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=1–19}} This is premised upon the Hindu belief that everything is Cyclic, and even ''[[Yuga|Yugas]]'' (Eras) start, complete and then end. Six manvantaras, states the text, have already passed, and the current age belong to the seventh.{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=1–19}} In each age, asserts the text, the Vedas are arranged into four, it is changed, and this has happened twenty eight times already.{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=33–51}} Each time, a [[Vyasa]] appears and he diligently organizes the eternal knowledge, with the aid of his students.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=40–42}}

[[File:Bagamati cremation.jpg|thumb|The Vishnu Purana includes several chapters in book 3 on rites of passage from birth through death. Included are chapters on cremation rites (above).]]
After presenting the emergence of Vedic schools, the text presents the ethical duties of the four [[Varna (Hinduism)|Varna]]s in chapter 2.8, the four [[Āśrama (stage)|Ashrama]] (Stages) of the life of each human being in chapter 2.9, the rites of passage including wedding rituals in chapters 2.10 through 2.12, and [[Śrāddha|Shraddha]] (Ancestral rites) in chapters 2.13 through 2.16.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=80–199}}

The ''Vishnu'' Purana asserts that the [[Brahmin|Brahmana]] should study the [[Shastra]]s, worship deities and perform libations on behalf of others, the [[Kshatriya]] should maintain arms and protect the earth, the [[Vaishya]] should engage in commerce and farming, while the [[Shudra]] should subsist by profits of trade, service other varnas and through mechanical labor.{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=85–87}}{{Sfn|Dutt|1896|pp=191–192}} The text asserts the ethical duties of all [[Varna (Hinduism)|Varna]]s is to do good to others, never abuse anyone, never engage in calumny or untruth, never covet another person's wife, never steal another's property, never bear ill-will towards anyone, never beat and kill anyone wrongfully.{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=80–90}}{{Sfn|Dutt|1896|pp=191–192}} Be diligent in the service of the deities, sages and [[guru|gurus]], asserts the Purana, and seek the welfare of all creatures, one's own children and of one's own soul.{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=80–90}}{{Sfn|Dutt|1896|pp=191–193}} Anyone, regardless of their varna or stage of life, who lives a life according to the above duties is the best worshipper of Vishnu and Lakshmi, says the ''Vishnu Purana''.{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=80–90}}{{Sfn|Dutt|1896|pp=191–193}} Similar statements on ethical things of people are found in other parts of Vishnu Purana.<ref>NK Devaraja (1976), What is living and what is dead in traditional Indian philosophy?, Philosophy East and West, Volume 26, Issue 4, pages 427–442, Quote: "Thus in the Visnu Purana, Prahlada, the great devotee of Visnu, is found making a number of statements of the following type: Knowing that god Visnu is present in all creatures – since neither the totality of living beings, nor myself, nor the food is other than Viṣṇu – I serve all creatures with food; may this food bring them satisfaction. Elsewhere, in the same text, we read: We offer obeisance to that unborn, imperishable Brahman which is present in our and others bodies and in everything else, there being nothing other than it anywhere. This teaching of the ethics of universal love and service..."</ref>

The text describes in chapter 2.9, the four stages of life as [[Brahmacharya]] (Student), [[Gṛhastha|Grihastha]] (Householder), [[Vānaprastha|Vanaprastha]] (Retirement) and [[Sannyasa]] (Renunciation, Mendicant).{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=92–96}}{{Sfn|Dutt|1896|pp=194–196}} The text repeats the ethical duties in this chapter, translates Wilson.{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=92–96}}{{Sfn|Dutt|1896|pp=194–196}} The chapters on ''Shraddha'' (Rites For Ancestors) describe the rites associated with a death in family, the preparation of the dead body, its cremation and the rituals after the cremation.{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=1 48–170}}

The third book closes with the Legend Of Vishnu, through ''Mayamoha'', helping the [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]] and [[Devi|Devis]] win over [[Asura]]s and [[Asura|Asuris]] by teaching the Asuras and Asuris heretical doctrines that deny the Vedas, who declare their contempt for the Vedas, which makes them easy to identify and all are killed.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=207–227}}

[[File:3 Hindu deity Krishna on ceramic tile at Munnar Kerala India 2014.jpg|thumb|The longest part of the ''Vishnu'' Purana is dedicated to the story Of [[Krishna]] (Above).]]

===Fourth Amsa: Dynasties===
The fourth book of the text, in 24 long chapters, presents royal dynasties, starting with Brahma and Sarasvati, followed by [[Solar dynasty|solar]] and [[Lunar dynasty|lunar]], [[Agnivansha|fire]] and [[Nagavanshi|snake]] dynasties, then those on earth over the ''Yugas'' (eras), with [[Parikshit|Parikshita]] is a current king.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=247}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1866|pp=229–336}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1868|pp=1–242}} The text includes the legends of numerous characters such as Shaubhri, [[Mandhatri]], [[Narmada River|Narmada]], [[Kapila]], [[Rama]], [[Nimi (king)|Nimi]], [[Janaka]], [[Satyavati]], [[Puru and Yadu Dynasties|Puru]], [[Yadu]], [[Krishna]], Devaka, [[Pandu]], [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru]], [[Bharata (Mahabharata)|Bharata]], [[Bhishma]], and others.{{Sfn|Dutt|1896|pp=237–306}}

===Fifth Amsa: Krishna===
The fifth book of the ''Vishnu'' Purana is the longest, with 38 chapters.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=248}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1868|pp=245–342}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|pp=1–167}} It is dedicated to the legend of Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu.{{Sfn|Dutt|1896|pp=317–418}} The book begins with the story of Krishna's birth, his childhood pranks and plays, his exploits, and killing the demon-tyrant king of [[Mathura]], named [[Kamsa]].{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=248}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|pp=245–342}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|pp=1–167}}

The Krishna story in the ''Vishnu Purana'' is similar to his legend in the ''Bhagavata Purana'', in several other Puranas and the Harivamsa of the [[Mahabharata]].{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=248}} Scholars have long debated whether the ''Bhagavata Purana'' expanded the Krishna Legend in the ''Vishnu Purana'', or whether the latter abridged the version in former, or both depended on the Harivamsa estimated to have been composed sometime in the 1st millennium CE.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=248}}<ref name=walterruben115>Walter Ruben (1941), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/594498 The Kṛṣṇacarita in the Harivaṃśa and Certain Purāṇas], Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 61, No. 3, pages 115–127</ref>{{Sfn|Bryant|2007|pp=9–10, 95–109 (Chapter by Ekkehard Lorenz)}}

===Sixth Amsa: Liberation===
{{Quote box
| quote = '''Soul and Prakriti'''
<poem>
This soul is of its own nature,
pure, composed of happiness and wisdom.
The properties of pain, ignorance and impurity,
are those of [[Prakriti]], not of soul.
</poem>
| source = —''Vishnu Purana'', 6.7{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|p=225}}
| bgcolor = #FFE0BB
| align = right
}}
The last book of the ''Vishnu Purana'' is the shortest, with 8 chapters.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=248}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|pp=168–255}} The first part of the sixth book asserts that ''[[Kali Yuga]]'' is vicious, cruel and filled with evilness that create suffering, yet "Kali Yuga is excellent" because one can refuse to join the evil, devote oneself to Vishnu and thus achieve salvation.{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|pp=177–185 with footnotes}}

The last chapters, from 6.6 to 6.7 of the text discusses [[Yoga]] and meditation, as a means to Vishnu devotion.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=248}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|pp=216–255}} Contemplative devotion, asserts the text, is the union with the [[Brahman]] (supreme soul, ultimate reality), which is only achievable with virtues such as compassion, truth, honesty, disinterestedness, self-restraint and holy studies.{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|pp=227–229 with footnotes}} The text mentions five [[Yamas]], five [[Niyama]]s, [[Pranayama]] and [[Pratyahara]].{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|pp=230–232 with footnotes}} The pure and perfect soul is called Vishnu, states the text, and absorption in Vishnu is liberation.{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|pp=242–243}}

The final chapter 6.8 of the text asserts itself to be an "imperishable Vaishnava Purana".{{Sfn|Wilson|1870|p=244}}

Buddha was assimilated as Vishnu's ninth avatar in ''Vishnu Puran'' as a divinely incarnated purveyor of illusion. It states that Vishnu's "descent" as the ''Buddhavatara'' was accomplished so that the wicked and demonic could be only further misled away from the truth in ''kali yuga''. This assimilation and the consequent disingenuous interpretation or rationale for his inclusion aptly articulate the considerable ambivalence characteristic of Hindu attitudes towards Buddhism, undermining his historicity, to make him an appendage of the Vaisnava mythic hierarchy.{{sfn|Holt|2008|p=18–21}}{{sfn|Coulter|2013|p=109}}{{sfn|Srinivasan|2011|p=182}}{{sfn|Jones|Ryan|2006|p=96}}{{sfn|Doniger O'Flaherty|1988|p=188}} But in the opening chapter of his [[Gita Govinda]], the poet [[Jayadeva]] claims that Vishnu reincarnated as the Buddha to condemn the animal sacrifices prevalent in Vedic times.{{sfn|Lochtefeld|2002|loc=[https://archive.org/details/JamesLochtefeldTheIllustratedEncyclopediaOfHinduism/page/n157/mode/2up?view=theater Buddha Avatar]|p=128}}

== Critical edition ==
A [[Textual criticism|Critical Edition]] of the Sanskrit text of the ''Visnu-purana'' was published in two large volumes, 1997 and 1999. A critical edition is prepared by comparing a number of different [[Manuscript|manuscripts]], recording their variant readings in notes, and choosing the best readings to constitute the text of the critical edition. This is a real{{clarify|date=January 2023}}, large-scale critical edition, in which 43 Sanskrit manuscripts were gathered and collated, and 27 were chosen from which to prepare the Sanskrit edition. It is: 

''The Critical Edition of the Visnupuranam'', edited by M. M. Pathak, 2 vols., [[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda|Vadodara: Oriental Institute]], 1997, 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Viṣṇupurāṇa (GRETIL)|url=http://gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de/gretil/corpustei/transformations/html/sa_viSNupurANa-crit.htm|access-date=2021-06-25|website=gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Visnu-Purana, plain text version|url=http://gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de/gretil/1_sanskr/3_purana/vipce_pu.htm|access-date=2021-06-25|website=gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de}}</ref>

All scholars citing translations of Sanskrit texts are expected to refer to the Sanskrit original, because translations are inexact. From 1999 onward, anyone citing the ''Vishnu Purana'' will be expected{{by whom|date=January 2023}} to refer to this Sanskrit critical edition.

A translation of the critical edition was published in 2021 under the title, ''The Vishnu Purana: Ancient Annals of the God with Lotus Eyes.''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Taylor|first=McComas|title=The Viṣṇu Purāṇa: Ancient Annals of the God with Lotus Eyes|publisher=ANU Press (open access)|year=2021|isbn=9781760464400|location=Acton, ACT, Australia}}</ref>

== Influences ==
''Vishnu'' Purana is one of the 18 major Puranas, and these text share many legends, likely influenced each other.{{Sfn|Rocher|1986|p=248}} The fifth chapter of the ''Vishnu'' Purana was likely influenced by the Mahabharata.<ref name="walterruben115" /> Similarly, the verses on rites of passage and ashramas (stages) of life are likely drawn from the [[Dharmasutra]] literature. Rajendra Hazra, in 1940, assumed that Vishnu Purana is ancient and proposed that texts such as ''Apasthamba Dharmasutra'' borrowed text from it.<ref name="allandahlaquist92" /> Modern scholars such as Allan Dahlaquist disagree, however, and state that the borrowing may have been in the other direction, from Dharmasutras into the Purana.<ref name="allandahlaquist92">{{cite book|author=Allan Dahlaquist|title=Megasthenes and Indian Religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xp35-8gTRDkC&pg=PA92|year=1996|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-1323-6|page=92 with footnote 1}}</ref>

Other chapters, particularly those in book 5 and 6 of the ''Vishnu'' Purana have [[Advaita Vedanta]] and [[Yoga]] influences.<ref>NK Devaraja (1970), Contemporary Relevance of Advaita Vedānta, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 20, No. 2, pages 129–136</ref><ref>KSR Datta (1978), The Visnu Purana and Advaita, Journal: Purana, Vol 20, pages 193–196</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=R. Balasubramanian|title=Advaita Vedānta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pe3sAAAAIAAJ|year=2000|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-8187586043|pages=51–78|chapter=Advaita in the Puranas}}</ref> The theistic Vedanta scholar [[Ramanuja]], according to Sucharita Adluri, incorporated ideas from the ''Vishnu'' Purana to identify the [[Brahman]] concept in the Upanishads with Vishnu, thus providing a Vedic foundation to the [[Sri Vaishnavism|Sri Vaishnava]] tradition.<ref>Sucharita Adluri (2015), Textual authority in Classical Indian Thought: Ramanuja and the Visnu Purana, Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0415695756}}, pages 1–11, 18–26</ref>

==See also==
*[[Dvaita Vedanta]]
*[[Hindu texts]]
*[[Upanishads]]
*[[Vedas]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|40em}}
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*{{cite book |first=Charles Dillard |last= Collins |title=The Iconography and Ritual of Siva at Elephanta: On Life, Illumination, and Being |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=pQNi6kAGJQ4C&pg=PA36 | year=1988 | publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-88706-773-0}}
* {{cite book | last = Dimmitt | first = Cornelia | first2 = J. A. B.  |last2 = van Buitenen | title = Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=re7CR2jKn3QC| publisher = Temple University Press (1st Edition: 1977) | year = 2012 | isbn =978-1-4399-0464-0  }}
*{{cite book|first = Rosen|last= Dalal|year= 2014|title= Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide| publisher= Penguin|isbn= 978-8184752779| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC }}
*{{cite book|first = MN|last = Dutt|title= A prose translation of Vishnupuranam| year= 1896| publisher=Elysium Press|url = https://archive.org/stream/Vishnupurana-English-MnDutt#page/n1/mode/2up}}
*{{cite book |last=Flood |first=Gavin |title=An Introduction to Hinduism |url=https://archive.org/details/introductiontohi0000floo |url-access=registration |year=1996 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn= 0-521-43878-0}}
*{{cite book|author=K P Gietz|display-authors=etal|title=Epic and Puranic Bibliography (Up to 1985) Annoted and with Indexes: Part I: A - R, Part II: S - Z, Indexes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kgpLBpUCufwC&pg=PA870|year= 1992|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=978-3-447-03028-1}}
*{{cite book|author=Ariel Glucklich|title=The Strides of Vishnu : Hindu Culture in Historical Perspective: Hindu Culture in Historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KtLScrjrWiAC| year=2008| publisher=Oxford University Press| isbn=978-0-19-971825-2 }}
* {{cite book | last = Johnson |first = W.J. |title = A Dictionary of Hinduism | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2009 | ISBN = 978-0-19-861025-0  }}
*{{cite book|first= Stella| last= Kramrisch| year= 1976| title= The Hindu Temple, Volume 1 & 2|isbn = 81-208-0223-3| publisher=Motilal Banarsidass}}
* {{cite book | last = Rao | first = Velcheru Narayana | title = Purana Perennis: Reciprocity and Transformation in Hindu and Jaina Texts | chapter = Purana as Brahminic Ideology | isbn = 0-7914-1381-0 | editor = Doniger Wendy | year = 1993 | publisher = State University of New York Press | location = Albany  }}
*{{Cite book|first=Ludo |last=Rocher| year= 1986| author-link= Ludo Rocher| title= The Puranas| publisher= Otto Harrassowitz Verlag| isbn= 978-3447025225}}
* {{citation |last=Thapar |first=Romila |author-link=Romila Thapar |title=The Past Before Us|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aei9AAAAQBAJ |year=2013 |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |isbn=978-0-674-72651-2 }}
*{{cite book |last= Wilson |first=H. H. |author-link= Horace Hayman Wilson|title=The Vishnu Purana: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition (Volume 1: Introduction, Book I) |year=1864 | url=https://archive.org/stream/vishnupurnsyst01wils#page/n3/mode/2up | publisher=Read Country Books (reprinted in 2006) |isbn=1-84664-664-2}}
*{{cite book |last= Wilson |first=H. H. |title=The Vishnu Purana: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition (Volume 2: Book I & II) |year=1865 | url=https://archive.org/stream/vishnupurnsyst02wils#page/n5/mode/2up }}
*{{cite book |last= Wilson |first=H. H. |title=The Vishnu Purana: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition (Volume 3: Book III & IV) |year=1866 | url=https://archive.org/stream/vishnupurnsyst03wils#page/n5/mode/2up }}
*{{cite book |last= Wilson |first=H. H. |title=The Vishnu Purana: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition (Volume 4: Book IV & V) |year=1868 | url=https://archive.org/stream/vishnupurnsyst04wils#page/n5/mode/2up }}
*{{cite book |last= Wilson |first=H. H. |author-link= Horace Hayman Wilson |title=The Vishnu Purana: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition (Volume 5 Part 1: Book V & VI) |year=1870 | url=https://archive.org/stream/vishnupurnsyst51wils#page/n5/mode/2up }}

==Further reading==
*Mani, Vettam. ''Puranic Encyclopedia''. 1st English ed. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1975.
*Shri Vishnupuran published by Gitapress Gorakhpur
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/textbooks/visnu-purana ''The Viṣṇu Purāṇa: Ancient Annals of the God with Lotus Eyes''] translation by McComas Taylor
*[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/index.htm ''Vishnu Purana''] translation by [[H.H. Wilson]] at sacred-texts
*[https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/vishnu-purana-wilson ''Vishnu Purana'' English translation] correct IAST transliteration and glossary
*Other language versions on the Internet Archive: [https://archive.org/details/Vishnu_Purana_with_Vishnuchittiyam_-_PB_Annangaracharya_1972 Sanskrit] (by Vishnuchitta Alwar, 1922), [https://archive.org/details/brhatvishnupurana Bengali] by Kaliprasanna Vidyaratna (1926), [https://archive.org/details/puran_vishnu Hindi], [https://archive.org/details/VishnuPuranaTelugu Telugu] by K. Bhavanarayana (1930)
*Read [http://gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de/gretil/corpustei/transformations/html/sa_viSNupurANa-crit.htm Critical Edition of Vishnu Purana] by Vadodara: Oriental Institute

{{Puranas}}
{{Hindudharma}}

[[Category:Puranas]]
[[Category:Vaishnava texts]]