A Comparative Analysis of the Kaṁsavadha Episode Across Various Purāṇic Texts
Keywords:
<i>Bhāgavatam, Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Harivaṃśa, Brahma Purāṇa, Padma Purāṇa, Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Garga Saṁhitā, Kaṁsa, Kaṁsavadha, Krishna, Kubjā, Narrative, Re-telling, Poetic Borrowing, Embellishing, Interpreting, Re-fashioning</i>.Abstract
The Kaṁsavadha episode, a crucial narrative in the Kṛṣṇāvatāra, varies significantly across different purāṇic texts. This paper attempts a comparative analysis of the episode as depicted in several significant Purāṇa-s, including the Bhāgavatam, Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Harivaṃśa, Brahma Purāṇa, Padma Purāṇa, Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa, and Garga Saṁhitā. Though the last mentioned work is not a Purāṇa per se, it has been included in this study because of its Purāṇic narrative style. By examining the space allocated to key events and the thematic differences in dealing with the Kamsavadha episode across these texts, this study reveals the diverse narrative strategies and interpretative traditions within the broader Kṛṣṇāvatāra corpus.
