The Puranas
宇宙古史（也称往世书）
 

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The Puranas (Sanskrit 'ancient', since they focus on ancient history of the universe) are part of Hindu Smriti. These religious scriptures discuss varied topics like devotion to God in his various aspects, traditional sciences like Ayurveda, Jyotish, cosmology, concepts like dharma, karma, reincarnation and many others.Sage Vyasa is credited with compilation of Puranas from age Yuga to age, and for the current age, he has been identified and named Krishna Dvaipayana, the son of sage Parashara. According to tradition they were written by Vyasa at the end of Dvapara Yuga, while modern scholarship dates them to the latter half of the first millennium AD.
往世书（音译：普拉那，梵语是“古老”的意思，因为它们是着重于宇宙的古老历史，所以也称宇宙古史），是印度传承的一部分。这些宗教手稿谈论了各种不同的课题，就像以不同外貌献身于神；传统科学，包括阿育吠陀（印度草医学），周谛士（印度占星术），宇宙论，还有达摩（道），业力，化身以及其他的概念。圣者毗耶娑在一个又一个构成历史循环的时代都编写宇宙古史，在当前的时期，他已经被指定为圣人帕拉萨拉的儿子——奎斯那达瓦帕瓦那（Krishna Dvaipayana），并且被看作与之相同。依照传统，它们是在都瓦帕尔年代（青铜年代）的末期由毗耶娑编写，现代学者则把它认定为公元后头一个千禧年的下半叶。（注：Puranas，印度史诗，指印度关于创世，神，万物进化等18篇史诗中任何一篇）
 

One of the main objectives of the Puranas was to make available the essence of the Vedas to the common man, and the Vedas were basically meant not for the scholars but for the ordinary man. They bring forth the Vedic knowledge and teachings by way of myths; parables, allegories and stories; legends; life stories of kings and other prominent persons; and chronologies of historical events. The Puranas unfolds the principles of Hinduism in a very simple way.
宇宙古史的其中一个要素就是让吠陀经的基本要素适合于平民，吠陀经基本上并不意味着只属于学者，而是属于普通人所拥有。他们通过神话、寓言、比喻和故事、传说；国王和其他卓越人物的生动故事、历史事件的年代表等方式来展示出吠陀知识和教导。宇宙古史以非常简单的方式展开了印度教的原理。
 

In all these Puranas the goddess Lakshmi is given a laudable place without any sectarian dispute. In the Vaishnavite Puranas, Shiva starts telling the efficacy of Vishnu to the Goddess Parvati. While Shaiva mythology places goddess Parvati, the consort of Shiva, as one half of His body (ardha naareeshvara tattva), Vaishnavites place the Goddess Lakshmi in the heart of Vishnu itself, as if it were a lotus (hridaya kamala). This is to depict the inseparable union of Universal purusha and prakriti, seed and field, or male and female.
在所有这些宇宙古史中，女神拉克希米没有任何宗派主义者的争论而被赠予一块值得称赞的地方。在《毗瑟奴往世书》中，湿婆神开始告诉女神帕娃蒂毗瑟奴的功效。湿婆的神话把湿婆的配偶，女神帕娃蒂作为他身体的一半，而毗瑟奴的神话就把女神拉克希米作为毗瑟奴自己的心脏，就像一朵莲花。这是对宇宙的帕拉萨和帕拉克提，种子和田野，或者男性与女性不可分割地联合的描写。
 

Puranas (aka Puranams) usually refer to the Mahapuranas. There are also smaller Puranas known as Upapurananas. It is agreed that there are a total of 18 Mahapuranas. However, there is inconsistency in the actual Mahapuranas list. 17 Mahapuranas are consistently mentioned. However, the 18th one is sometimes given as the Shiva Purana, while some refer to the Vayu Purana.
宇宙古史通常是指摩诃普拉那（大宇宙古史），也有更小型的宇宙古史，称为乌盘普拉那（小宇宙古史）。一般公认总共有十八部大宇宙古史。然而，在实际上的大宇宙古史的名单上是有矛盾的。十七本宇宙古史是始终如一。然而，第十八部有时是设定为湿婆往世书，然而有些地方却提到了风神往世书。
 

According to the Matsya Purana (a Tamasika Purana itself), the eighteen Puranas are divided into three groups of six according to gunas of people they are primarily meant for. It is erroneously believed by some people that Rajasika Puranas eulogize Brahma of Hindu Trinity, Sattvika Puranas Vishnu and Tamasika Puranas Shiva and Shakti, God's Power personified. In reality, all Puranas extol the virtues of mainly Vishnu and Shiva, and there are few references to Brahma. Some Shaiva Puranas extol the virtues of Shiva over Vishnu and some Vaishnava Puranas extol the virtues of Vishnu over Shiva.
依照《鱼往世书》，十八部宇宙古史根据人最初的形态（古拿，gunas）划分成三级，每组六本。它错误地被一些人认为首要的宇宙古史颂扬印度教三位一体的梵天，毗瑟奴和湿婆，神的力量人格化。事实上，所有宇宙古史主要地赞美毗瑟奴和湿婆的优点，很少提到梵天。一些湿婆往世书赞美湿婆的优点胜过毗瑟奴，而一些毗瑟奴往世书赞美毗瑟奴的优点胜过湿婆。
 

Puranas are named after the three main forms of Brahman: Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Protector of Life and Humanity; and Shiva, the Destroyer. Search those with the bar on the left to learn more.
往世书是根据婆罗门的三种主要形态来命名的：梵天，创造者；毗瑟奴，人类与生命的保护者；湿婆，毁灭者。搜索以下的书目会知道得更多。
 

• Brahma Puranas
  大梵天往世书
   

1. Brahma Purana
梵卵往世书
2. Brahmanda Purana
梵天往世书
3. Brahma Vaivarta Purana
梵转往世书
4. Markandeya Purana
摩根德耶往世书
5. Bhavishya Purana
未来往世书
6. Vamana Purana
侏儒往世书
 

• Vishnu Puranas
  毗瑟奴往世书
   

1. Vishnu Purana
毗瑟奴往世书
2. Bhagavata Purana
博伽梵往世书
3. Naradeya Purana
那罗陀往世书
4. Garuda Purana
大鹏往世书
5. Padma Purana
莲花往世书
6. Varaha Purana
野猎往世书
 

• Shiva Puranas
  湿婆神往世书
   

1. Shiva Purana
湿婆往世书
2. Vayu Purana
风神往世书
3. Linga Purana
林迦往世书
4. Skanda Purana
室犍陀往世书
5. Agni Purana
火神往世书（阿耆尼往世书）
6. Matsya Purana
鱼往世书
7. Kurma Purana
龟往世书
 

Among all the Puranas, the Bhagavata Purana is the best known Purna.
所有的往世书当中，博伽梵往世书是最好的往世书。
 

Apart from the above mentioned eighteen major Puranas, there are an equal number of subsidiary Puranas, called Upapuranas. Then are: Sanatkumara, Narasimha, Brihannaradiya, Sivarahasya, Durvasa, Kapila, Vamana, Bhargava, Varuna, Kalika, Samba, Nandi, Surya, Parasara, Vasishtha, Devi-Bhagavata, Ganesa and Hamsa.
除了上述的十八本主要往世书之外，也有同样数目的补充性往世书，称为小宇宙古史。它们是：Sanatkumara, Narasimha, Brihannaradiya, Sivarahasya, Durvasa, Kapila, Vamana, Bhargava, Varuna, Kalika, Samba, Nandi, Surya, Parasara, Vasishtha, Devi-Bhagavata, Ganesa and Hamsa。（还没有找到相对应的中文译名，欢迎大家补充。）
 

Puranic cosmology describes numerous worlds, planets and planes of existence (loka). Of the multitude of worlds, heaven (Svarga) and hell (Naraka) stand out as nearest and most relevant to our own planet, the Earth. Svarga, or heaven, is the planet of the demigods, or devas, ruled by King Indra. On Svarga, the ability to enjoy physical senses is enhanced while life in Naraka, the netherworld ruled by the King of Justice, Dharmaraj (Yama) is subjected to pain and misery. The Puranas talk about seven levels of the Netherworld. It should be noted that both heaven and hell are temporary abodes for life and once the Karma that is responsible for birth in heaven and hell is exhausted, the soul transmigrates to other forms and worlds of existence.
往世书的宇宙论描述了众多的世界，行星和存在的位面。在众多的世界里面，天堂和地狱距离最近，与我们的行星——地球关系最密切；天堂，是一个半人神的行星；提婆，由国王因陀罗统领。在天堂上，当生命堕入地狱的时候，享受身体官能的能力会增强，阴间世界是由审判之王统治，阎罗王是服从于痛苦与不幸。宇宙古史谈论了阴间世界的七个级别。应该注意，天堂和地狱都是生命暂时性的居住之所，一旦负责天堂和地狱诞生的业力耗尽，灵魂就会移居到存在的其他形式和世界上。（译者注：译到这里，不由地想起了地藏菩萨和《地藏本愿经》，说到了一位信佛的婆罗门女变成了地藏菩萨。印度教与基督教都有相似的要素，就是相信人死后有天堂和地狱的审判，而印度教的阎罗王是一个恐怖之神，让人因为心理恐惧而产生信仰，而地藏菩萨把原先审判的形象变成了教化的形象，是渡化，而不是恐惧。）
 

There are many variations and different levels of the temporal planets as seen by different Puranas and often describe the nature of the phenomenal universe in various ways which may look conflicting.
不同的往世书里描写的各种暂时性的行星会有变异和不同，经常以不同的方式去描述显著的宇宙本性，看起上来是不一致的。
 

Three of the other most important worlds in Puranic Cosmology are the Satyaloka, the realm of Brahma, the highest plane of existence where souls of extraordinary karma reside before attaining moksha, the Vaikuntha, the realm of Vishnu, from where there is no return to material worlds and Shivaloka, where worshippers of Shiva enjoy eternal bliss.
往世书的宇宙论上的其他更重要世界就称为萨佳珞伽，梵天（布茹阿玛）的领土，存在的最高级行星居住着杰出的灵魂，业力获得解脱之前就居住在这里；外琨塔，毗瑟奴的领域，这里不会返回物质世界；湿婆路卡，湿婆的崇拜者享受永恒福佑的地方。