Yajnavalkya and the Origins of Puranic Cosmology

TL;DR

This paper traces the origins of Puranic cosmology features like alternating continents and doubling oceans to Vedic texts, revealing that Yajnavalkya's cosmology in the Upanishad predates and informs later Puranic systems.

Contribution

It demonstrates that key elements of Puranic cosmology originate from Vedic texts, specifically linking Yajnavalkya's cosmology to later Puranic features.

Findings

Puranic cosmology features are rooted in Vedic texts.

Yajnavalkya's cosmology predates Puranic systems.

The origin of Puranic astronomy is traced to Vedic sources.

Abstract

This paper shows that characteristic features of Puranic cosmology, such as alternating cosmic continents and oceans of successively doubling areas, can be traced to Vedic texts. The Rigveda speaks of seven regions of the universe, and Yajnavalkya, in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, presents a cosmology that has all the essential features of the Puranic system. This discovery solves the old puzzle of the origin of Puranic astronomy.