Padma Purana Pt. 4 (AITM Vol. 42) Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan CONTENTS Preface ix A Note

CONTENTS Preface ix A Note on Terminology xv Part One

Duties of a King 584 226

In this chapter

a social and cultural anthropologist and a specialist in the study of religion pool their talents to examine recent changes in popular religion in Sri Lanka

the origin of the gods

Padma Purana Pt. 4 (AITM Vol. 42) Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan CONTENTS Preface ix A NoteThis is part of a ten volume work, vols 39 48 of the series on Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology. Named after the lotus in which God Brahman appeared at the beginning of creation, this Purana starts with the narration of Cosmological and Cosmogonic myths. Then comes the description of royal dynasties both Solar and Lunar down to the time of Krsna. This is followed by the description of the war between Devas and Asuras and the defeat of Asuras by