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A Prose English Translation of Vishnupuranam presents the Vishnu Purana in accessible English prose, based on Professor H. H. Wilson’s translation. It is a Sanskrit Hindu sacred and literary work concerned with Vishnu as the origin, sustainer, and end of all things. Its scope is immense: creation and dissolution, cosmic time and the ages, the structure of the universe, gods and sages, dynasties and sacred lineages, religious duties, ancestral rites, spiritual contemplation, and the division of the Vedas. Alongside cosmology and theology, it preserves narratives of figures including Dhruva, Prahlāda, Bharata, Rama, and the early royal houses.
The style is formal, explanatory, and distinctly nineteenth-century, combining devotional language with encyclopedic catalogues, genealogies, ritual instruction, and philosophical dialogue. Readers should expect a text that moves between mythic narrative and systematic accounts of time, geography, society, worship, and liberation rather than following a single continuous storyline. It will appeal especially to those interested in Sanskrit literature in translation, Hindu sacred texts, comparative mythology, religious philosophy, and the literary presentation of ancient cosmology.
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Section I.—Invocation. Maitreya inquires of his teacher Parāçara, the origin and nature of the universe. Parāçara performs a rite to destroy the demons; reproved by Vasishtha, he desists; Pulastya appears, and bestows upon him divine knowledge; he repeats the Vishnu Purāna, Vishnu the origin, existence, and end of all things.
Section II.—Prayer of Parāçara to Vishnu. Successive narration of the Vishnupurana. Explanation of Vasudeva; his existence before creation; his first manifestations. Description of Pradhana or the chief principle of things. Cosmogony. Of Prakrita or material creation; of time; of the active cause. Development of effects; Mahat; Ahankara; Tanmatras; elements; objects of sense; senses; of the mundane egg. Vishnu the same as Brahmā the creator; Vishnu the preserver; Rudra the destroyer.
Section III.—Measure of time, Moments or Kastha's, &c., day and fortnight, month, year, divine year; Yugas or ages; Mahajuga, or great age; day of Brahmā; periods of the Manus; a Manwantara; night of Brahmā, and destruction of the world; a year of Brahmā, his life; a Kalpa; Parardha; the past or Padma Kalpa the present or Varaha.
Section IV.—Nārāyana's appearance, in the beginning of the Kalpa, as the Varaha or Boar; Prīthivi addresses him; he raises the world from beneath the waters; hymned by Sanandana and the Yogis. The earth floats on the ocean; divided into seven zones. The lower spheres of the universe restored. Creation renewed.
Section V.—Vishnu as Brahmā creates the world. General characteristics of creation. Brahmā meditates, and gives origin to immovable things, animals, gods, men. Specific creation of nine kinds; Mahat, Tanmatra, Aindriya, inanimate objects, animals, gods, men, Anugraha Kaumara. More particular account of creation. Origin of different orders of beings from Brahmā's body under different conditions; and of the Vedas from his mouths. All things created again as they existed in a former Kalpa.
Section VI.—Origin of the four castes; their primitive state. Progress of Society. Different kinds of grain. Efficacy of sacrifice. Duties of men; regions assigned them after death.
Section VII.—Creation continued. Production of the mind-born sons of Brahmā; of the Prajāpatis; of Sanandana and others; of Rudra and the eleven Rudras; of the Manu Swayambhuva, and his wife Satarupa; of their children. The daughters of Daksha, and their marriage to Dharma and others. The progeny of Dharma and Adharma. The perpetual succession of worlds, and different modes of mundane dissolution.
Section VIII.—Origin of the Rudra; his becoming eight Rudras; their wives and children. The posterity of Bhrigu. Account of Sri in conjunction with Vishnu. (Sacrifice of Daksha).
Section IX.—Legend of Lakshmi, Durvasa gives a garland to Indra; he treats it disrespectfully, and is cursed by the Muni. The power of the gods impaired; they are oppressed by the Dānavas, and have recourse to Vishnu. The churning of the ocean. Praises of Sri.
Section X.—The descendants of the daughters of Daksha married to the Rishis.
Section XI.—Legend of Dhruva, the son of Uttanpada; he is unkindly treated by his father's second wife; applies to his mother; her advice; he resolves to engage in religious exercises; sees the seven Rishis, who recommend him to propitiate Vishnu.
Section XII.—Dhruva commences a course of religious austerities. Unsuccessful attempts of Indra and ministers to distract Dhruva's attention; they appeal to Vishnu, who allays their fears and appears to Dhruva. Dhruva praises Vishnu, and is raised to the skies as the pole-star.
Section XIII.—Posterity of Dhruva. Legend of Vena; his impiety, he is put to death by the Rishis. Anarchy ensues. The production of Nishad and Prithu; the latter the first king. The origin of Suta and Magadha they enumerate the duties of kings. Prithu compels Earth to acknowledge his authority; he levels it; introduces cultivations; erects cities. Earth called after him Prithivi; typified as a cow.
Section XIV.—Descendants of Prithu. Legend of the Prachetas they are desired by their father to multiply mankind by worshipping Vishnu; they plunge into the sea, and meditate on and praise him; he appears and grants their wishes.
Section XV.—The world overrun with trees; they are destroyed by the Prachetasas. Soma pacifies them, and gives them Marisha to wife; her story; the daughter of nymph Pramlocha. Legend of Kandu, Marisha's former history. Daksha the son of the Prachetasas; his different characters; his sons; his daughters; their marriage and progeny allusion to Prahlāda, his descendant.
Section XVI.—Inquiries of Maitreya respecting the history of Prahlāda.
Section XVII.—Legend of Prahlāda. Hiranyakashipu, the sovereign of the universe; the gods dispersed, or in servitude to him; Prahlāda, his son remains devoted to Vishnu; questioned by his father, he praises Vishnu; Hiranyakashipu orders him to be put to death, but in vain; his repeated deliverance; he teaches his companions to adore Vishnu.
Section XVIII.—Hiranyakashipu's reiterated attempts to destroy his son; their being always frustrated.
Section XIX.—Dialogue between Prahlāda and his father; he is cast from the top of the palace unhurt; baffles the incantation of Samvara; he is thrown fettered into the sea; he praises Vishnu.
Section XX.—Vishnu appears to Prahlāda. Hiranyakashipu relents and is reconciled to his son; he is put to death by Vishnu as the Nrisingha, Prahlāda becomes king of the Daityas; his posterity; fruit of hearing the story.
Section XXI.—Families of the Daityas. Descendants of Kasyapa by Danu. Children of Kasyapa by his other wives. Birth of the Mārutas, the sons of of Diti.
Section XXII.—Dominion over different provinces of creation assigned to different beings. Universality of Vishnu. Four varieties of spiritual contemplation. Two conditions of spirit. The perceptible attributes of Vishnu; types of his imperceptible properties. Vishnu everything. Merit of hearing the first book of the Vishnu Purana.
Section I.—Descendants of Priyavrata, the eldest son of Swayambhuva Manu; his ten sons; three adopt a religious life; the others become kings of seven Dwipas, or isles, of the earth. Agnidhras, king of Jambu-dwipa divides it into nine portions, which he distributes amongst his sons, Nabhi king of the south succeeded by Bharata; India named after him Bhārata; his descendants reign during the Swayambhuva Manwantara.
Section II.—Description of the earth. The seven Dwipas and seven seas Jambu-dwipa. Mount Meru; its existence and boundaries. Extent of Illavrita. Groves, lakes, and branches of Meru. Cities of the Gods. Rivers. The forms of Vishnu worshipped in different Varthas.
Section III.—Description of Bharata-Varsha; extent; chief mountains; nine divisions; principal nations; superiority over other Varshasi especially as the seat of religious acts.
Section IV.—Account of kings, divisions, mountains, rivers, and inhabitants of the other Dwipas viz. Plaksha, Silmala, Kusa, Krauneba, Sāka, and Pushkara; of the oceans separating them; of the tides; the confines of the earth; the Lokaloka Mountain. Extent of the whole.
Section V.—Of the regions of Patala, below the earth. Nārada's praises of Patala. Account of the serpent Sesha. First teacher of astronomy and astrology.
Section VI.—Of the different hells, or divisions of Naraka, below Patala; the crimes punished in them respectively; efficacy of expiation; meditation on Vishnu the most effective expiation.
Section VII.—Extent and situation of the seven spheres viz., earth, sky, planets, Moharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka. Of the egg of Brahmā and its elementary envelopes. Of the influence of the energy of Vishnu.
Section VII.—Description of the Sun; his chariot; its two axles; his horses. The cities of the regents of the cardinal points. The Sun's course; nature of his rays; his path along the ecliptic. Length of day and night. Divisions of time; equinoxes and solstices, months, years, the cyclical yuga, or age of five years. Northern and southern declinations. Saints on the Lokaloka mountain. Celestial paths of the Pitris, gods, Vishnu. Origin of the Ganga, and separation, on the top of Meru into four great rivers.
Section IX.—Planetary system, under the type of a Sisumara or porpoise. The earth nourished by the Sun. Of rain whilst the Sun shines. Of rain from clouds. Rain the support of vegetation, and thence of animal life. Nārāyana the support of all beings.
Section X.—Names of the twelve Adityas. Names of the Rishis, Gandharvas, Apsaras, Yakshas, Uragas, and Rākshasas, who attend the chariot of the sun in each month of the year. Their respective functions.
Section XI.—The sun distinct from, and supreme over, the attendance on his car; identical with the three Vedas and with Vishnu; his functions.
Section XII.—Description of the Moon; his chariot, horses, and course, fed by the Sun; drained periodically of ambrosia by the progenitors and gods. The chariots and horses of the planets; kept in their orbits by aerial chains attached to Dhruva. Tropical members of the planetary porpoise. Vasudeva alone real.
Section XIII.—Legend of Bharata. Bharata abdicates his throne and becomes an ascetic; cherishes a fawn, and becomes so much attached to it as to neglect his devotions; he dies; his successive births; works in the fields and is pressed as a palanquin-bearer for the Raja of Sauvira; rebuked for his awkwardness; his reply; dialogue between him and the king.
Section XIV.—Dialogue continued, Bharata expounds the nature of existence, the end of life, and the identification of individual with universal spirit.
Section XV.—Bharata relates the story of Ribhu and Nidagha, the latter, the pupil of the former, becomes a prince, and is visited by his preceptor, who explains to him the principles unity and departs.
Section XVI.—Ribhu returns to his disciple, and perfects him in divine knowledge. The same recommended to the Rajah by Bharata, who thereupon obtains final liberation. Consequences of hearing this legend.
Section I.—Accounts of the several Manus and Manwantaras Shwarochisha the second Manu; the divinities, the Indra, the seven Rishis of his period and his sons. Similar details of Auttami, Tamasa, Raivata, Chakshusha, and Vaivaswata. The forms of Vishnu, as the preserver, in each Manwantara. The meaning of Vishnu.
Section II.—Of the seven future Manus and Manwantaras. Story of Sanjna and Chhaya, wives of the Sun. Savarni son of Chhaya the eighth Manu. His successors, with divinities, &c of their respective periods. Appearance of Vishnu in each of the four Yugas.
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