Gaekwad's Oriental Series Published under the Authority of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. General Editor : B. J. Sandesara, M.A, Ph.D, No. 144 TET |MALLAPURANA A Rare Sanskrit Text on Indian Wrestling especially as practised by the Jyesthimallas Edited by Bhogitai Jayachandbhai Sandesara, M.A,, Ph.D. Director, Oriental Institute, Professor & Head of the Department of Gujarati, M. §. University of Baroda, and Ramanlal Nagarji Mehta, M.A, PhD., Bip. m Museology. Head, Department of Archacology, M. S, University of Baroda, ORIENTAL INSTITUTE BARODA 1964First Enirton: Copies 500 Published with the financial aid of the Umiversity Grants Commission and the Gujarat State Pnnted by Ramarlat ) Patel Manager The Maharaja Sayayzao ‘Unversity of Baroda Press {Sadhana Press) Near Palace Gate, Palace Road Baroda and published on behalf of the Maharaja Sayayirao University of Baroda by Dr Bhogilal J Sandesara, Director Oriental Institute Baroda, February 1964 Coptes of this work can be Rad from -— 1To+. Managers < 1! ‘THE UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS SALES UNIT Near Palace Gate, Palace Road, Baroda. 3CONTENTS Introduction 1-32 What 1s Mallapurana ? 1-3, Manuscnpts 3-8; Summary of Malla- Classification of purana 8-12; Classification of Mallas 12-13; exercises 13-20, Time of exercise 20; Massage 20-21, Use of the training 21; Wrestling matches 2r, Arena 2t; Wrestling 22; Wresthng gnps 22; Prize distribution 22, Mallas of Mallapurana 22-25; Vajramusti wrestlers—therr training and wrestling 25-28; Eco- nomic conditions 28; Diet 28; Modern evolution of their exercises 28-29; Vayramusti or Musti 29-32. Text of Mallapurana Index Plate I The first page of the Ms. B —Bhandarkar PLATES Oriental Research Institute Collection, Poona. Plate IL The last page of the Ms B--Bhandarkar .. Onental Research Institute Collection, Poona Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fiz. 4 Fig. § Fig. 6 Workship of Nambajidevi in the arena Wrestlers leaving the gymnasium “ Vajramustt Wrestling ‘ Beginning os Vajramusfi Wrestling: Middle stage .. Vajramust wrestling : End oe e The Vajramusti—the smaller Vajramustis ate for games and the bigger for warfare 1-89 90°95 26-27 26-27 30-35 30-35 3o-3r 30-31Acknowlédgements The authors are most grateful to Shr: J.S. Pade, Dr. U.P. Shah and Dr, §.D. Parekh for their willing cooperation, suggestions and help rendered at various stages of the preparation of this work, They are also indebted to Shn Sitaram and Laxminarayana Sagar, the Vajramusft wrestlers who supplied a copy of the printed text as well as gave very valuable mformation, and an opportumty of photographing therr activities. We ate also thankful to the Bhandarkar Onental Research Institute for the loan and use of the Manuscript of Mallapuraga. We are highly grateful to the Madras Museum for a photograph of Vayramusts published as Figure 6, Baroda B, J. SANDESARA 26'1/64 RN. MentaINTRODUCTION _ I. What is Mallapurana Mallapurina is a Purina’of the Jycsth Mallas or a caste of professional wrestlers found in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Mysore and other parts of India. They claim Gujarat as their place of origin. The term ' Purina’ is used in India from a very long time in the dens¢ of Purinam Akhyanam ie, the ancient story. The term is loosely used to denote Itihdsa, which also narrates theoldstory. The Indians have used the terms Puranam, Akhyana and Itihasa in a loose way and often they are used as synonyms, ! In India from a vety early period the Akhylrtas, Itihisa and Puranas are found and they are mentioned as a branch of study, “in fact the Itihasapurina is actually called the fifth Veda”.? The stories under this literature were literary public property which was drawn upon by the Buddhists, Jains us well as by the Epic poets, , But our ‘Purana’ texts are comparatively late and“ at least from the Sutra literature, the real existence of works whose contents approximately agreed with our Purina texts could be proved.”* From this high antiquity upto the present day Purdinas were written. Some books claim for themselves the proud title of Puriinas while others rest content with the ¢laim of the part of an old Purina, Puriinas are defined as consisting of five characteristics: {1} Sarga: creation (2) Pratisarga? recreation (destruction or Pralaya and recreation) {3} VarhSa: gencology (4) Manvantara: time cycle from one Manu to the other (5) VarhSanucarita ; the history of the dynasties, ¢ When the Pauranic literature is surveyed it is found to contain data which are either more or less than that expected by the above-mentioned standard definition. Sdme Puranas are sectarian, some deal with the sights and duties of Caste and Agrama and occasionally parts of Sankhya and Yoga Philosophy, Mhanarveda rine ar’s and many otlier diverse subjects are interwoven, . In the Paurinic literature there are eighteen Maha-Purinas: Bhrama, 1M. Winternitz, 4 dtstory of Indian Literature, p. 311, University of Caleatta, 1927. 2 [bid. p. 313. 4 , > Ibid. p. §19.° . ‘ © Besides this definition, there are others which give the characteristics of the Puranas. These ten tharacteristies are for Mahi Purinas and the five characteristics are for Upapurinas. Wintemitz, op. crt, 522, In, 2,2 Padma, Vaisnava, Sana, or Vayaviya, Bhagavata, Naradiya, Markagdeya, Agneya, Bhavisyat or Bhavisya, Bhramavaivarta, Lainga, Viraha, Shanda, Vamana, Kaurma, Matsya, Garuda, Brahmanda.! . Besides these Maha Puranas, there are Upapurqas, mentioned in the Puragas themselves. Some of the Upapurdgas deal with the Tirtha Mahatmyas, Stotras, Kalpas and Akhyanas or Upakhyinas, These Upapurinas do not essentially differ from the Puranas but they are more eaclusnely adapted to sutt the purpose of local cult and the religious needs of sepirate sects.? In this characteristic literature a large class of Puranas have intruded They give the ancient stores about the ongrn of certain castes These Paranis occasionally claim to be the part of some Maha Purdgas, but often stand in ther own nght as Porinas, The Nagarhhanda is of the former vanety, wheré- as Mallapurina belongs to the later variety Besides such Purinas, there are others hke Dbarmiaranya, Srimila Pariya, Anavil Purana, Vaya Parana, Kahka Purina, which are the books narrating the tustory of castes? They could be considered as caste Puripas and may be considered to be the extension of Vamsinucarita, in the sence that they devote themselves to the listory of some Vamsa, 1n a broad sense, and in this variety would be included the whole literature of the bards, and histones of different castes Taspite of the fact that these Caste-Puranas claim ta guve the story of the castes, there are much religious data which have nothing to do with pare history. Some Instorical matertal as occasionally seen through this mesh of semi religions and semt fictitious account of the origin of the castes The present Purina would be classed in these Caste Puripas The term Malla 1s used to denote a wrestler ora boxer In this sense the term is known from very ancient times, But it 1s used an the present contert to mean not only a wrestler, but o sub-section of brahmuns from Modheri general- ly known as Modha Brihmins, who were professional wrestlers. Here the word Malla 1s therefore used in rather a restricted sense, The above discussion, clearly brings out the charactenstics of the Malla Purina, which 1s the “Old story of the caste of Mallas from Moghera’. Hts ¥ Wanternite, op of, p $31 ¥ Wanternite, of. cf Pp 579 © Numerous castes in Gujarat have their own Pariinas, The following aysasmalilistofat, Dharmaranya for Modh Brahmins and Banus, Srmiia- puriga for Srimall Brahmins and Banris, Nigarkhanda for Nigars, Andvil Por3ga for Anwal Brahmins, Vayu Poriga for Vayada Brahmins and Baniis, HAbkI Poriga for coppersmiths, There ig also a NAprtapurina for the caste of barbers.3 interesting to note that besides giving the mythological history of the art of Wrestlers or athletes, the work gives much information about the practices of the Indian Mallas, their classification, notes on their diet, preparation of ground for exercise and other details that are noted in the section on the summary of the Mallapurana, ‘ Manuscripts The Mallapuranam is known from two works, in the form of a manuscript and a printed book. The MSS is preserved in the Bhandarkar Oriental Institute, Ace. No. 369 of 1892-95. This is a paper manuscript in Devanagari Script and is dated 1731 Samvat (1674-75 A.D.), Tlie detail of the MSS is given below, Henceforth it is noted as BMS.” ; The details of the B.MS. are as follows :— Place of Deposit~ Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona. Acc. No. 369 of 1892-95. Title—Mallapuragam Author—Unknown, Age—Samvat 1732. Extent—Folios 18. No. of lines in each Folio—about 12. No. of letters in each line—about 36. Material—Paper, Script—Devanfgari of Western India. Style—Written in one uniform handwriting, Size—27.9 ems. X req cms. Condition~Fair with some parts moth-eaten, Colophon—Samvat 1731 Varse Pausa Sukla Paksa 11 Somavare i Subham u likhitarh dunichandrena : . Eventhough this manuscript has its colophon the subject matter is incomp- lete, as it abruptly ends after Chapter IX with the colophon of the scribe, The other copy is a small printed book that was published from Baroda in Saka 1833. This text contains besides the Mallapurdna, the information about Gotra, Pravara, Sandhy&, Upasan4 and other details. The text here is more or less complete but differs in"part from the B.MS, The differences are noted at televant places in the present edition, ~ “4 related work viz. Mallasigtra by Devisishha is noted by Dr. E. D+ Kulkarni of Poona‘in a paper presented to the All India Oriental Conference at Shrinagar.7 But this MS- belonging tovthe Bikaner hbrary is not studied in this work ag it was not available.- ‘4 ‘The present text, therefore, depends upon a manuscript and printed version of the Mallapurigam, The B. MS, is written in the DevanSgar! Script and does not differ much from the contemporary writings, The usual mediaeval form of writing is seen the presence of $a, instead of Sa, Besides the avagraha is rarely used, The anusvara is commonly used for Na. Na is ysed for Na. The irregularities of the use of Sa and Sa is often noticed. Ba and Va are of same form. Some irregular sandhis are noted, Wrong Sloka numbers are also seen. Generally the writing is chaste, in metre and style. Occasionally local dialect is seen in a number of phrases', and hence it betrays the place of origin of the text. ‘The printed book seems to have relied on a more or less complete MS. It was published by Baburio, alias Vyanka{ Sarmi, the son of Govind alias Minappa the son of Vyankat is Saka 1833=1911 A.D, at Baroda, It was printed by Jasasanhar R. at Veerkshetra Press Co, Ltd.; near Chimanabai Tower, Baroda, The work was financed by Kasibai the daughter-in-law of Vyankami, the wife of elder Vyankat. Tt was priced at Re. 1-00, ‘This book contains four works (1) Sukla Yajurvediya Midhyandin Vajasaneya Abnikam (2) Devamallotpatti (3) Medhbrahmanotaptti (5) Malla- puranam. As already noted this is a more complete text of Mallapurinam. It is noted as‘ P'’, ~*B’ comes to an end after the Chapter dealing with food, but ‘*P* is a more complete text. Hence after gth Chapter the present edition entirely relies on the printed text. Necessary corrections are cartied out in the text for making the spellings uniform. Ht may further be noted that the two copics were complimentary a3 they supplemented the missing data from each other, Still, however, these manuscripts have many lacuna which can be easily seen in the discussion in Chapter 1II, Chapter IV. Even'the gt arts as noted in Chapter VI are not correctly recorded. In the Chapter X the hist of middle type of exercises is broken. ‘The list of the exercises and ligas is also defective. The same is the case in the Chapter XI, XIV etc. All these lacuna suggest that an effort is essential to trace other manuscripts of the work for completing parts of this teat, i The copyist of the MS. was probably not conversant with the subject. matter and hence many mistakes. Partly they may be due to oversight, carelessness and not comparing the copy, with the original or he might have copied from a defective text. * Baburdo Minappa still ‘survives and lives in Hyderabad, Deccan and works as Sitar Master. He was not a Government pabalwin,eu0eg ‘Morpaljog ayNyYSU] YPrEasay [epuEG Iexrpiey™— A SM our yo eed ysay oyL Pope | _ | Syste sei ee Fe bie lel ir barb bos tee Bib, yw bapedoren@ He ze Ro YY af ng ahumseeeneeet en anrtioaasinee S * 0 Rausu Bes Bey Warhr Pd mbeGnenyer paye mie wo RE Es _ WRB a nia dante hie ria b bea bes oe yay ge Goatees bet astra LEB U RU, O° EME ge a2 Sunn abaya ae tintin dyebatsU ratio hae SSA Bk nAN Ly eWay maby vee DBAs Boke AGB ba Bin ely ase sles Ran beh a yale . WAIST) be bt Leo 7d RE aie Te ep pear PRE RE) © 1. 5 o Lf ise ApH BL Hew ERED Le Paw ere dssky leas al ay “4 Ye Detsbpiringyimtne: SN ee ee ee ee ee , i Re Speodeyeaatteetea seh Yo Atlee ahi cbebeate jeu AF aD iDieiseeaeae, + REET wo : a _ cot oo . ‘ oy Tm SRB ee diets “senate ] \ me oN ee ~ 7 ~ tat pee ee 1 OdBUdog UoONDaJOZ aynyysuT yoressayy poyuarE rexIepuryg— g_ sy ayy jo aded el OTL “| i en pay pee denelety kh drag blest pfs Yes 12 y MIR ee (ANB R Uhre ee ideal) Ube MY, b yb pop Lege! \ WDenthedn MLA DEB bide Bui uret Werdn Shoowpshcwigis sna = pyre eRe DEA A USERD Lb ett be a BU he Ay ‘ : "ual hue leblebat ule auusszOanerte ten rs Byéeny me Sire s ait nubSieble Ietaereohagn Dowie Bae MDflzrtat ulcer Bee YEaeyrR aetna e » t Beery wD ” [ow I etdUK Previous Wor The Mallapurana was pubhshed once as already noted above Besides, the references to Mallas and specially Jyesthimallas are found in vatious Sanskrit and Gujarati works These references are collected in a Guyarati booklet * Jyesthimalia jnatr Ane Mallapurana’ by one of the editors, Dr. B J Sandesara, published by Gujarat Vidya Sabha in 1948 AD Another important publication is by Shn B Snmvasa Jetiy of Bangalore, a booklet “ The jetty Community of South Indio and sts migration from Medhera (North Gujarat)”, published in 1960 as a separate work. It originally appeared in the Journal of the Mythic Society, Vol L, No 2 Dr. CE B Kulkarni has givena short summary of Mallapurana im Oriental Conference zoth Session, at Bhuvaneswar The first two works give an outiine of the history of the Jetty community both in Gujarat and South India Another important pubheation 1s a Marathi work “ Badodyitil Vyayim Vidya” by late Prof. Mamhrao The notes on Vajramusti form of exercises are reported by Vyankappa in the Vyayam Jnina Kofa, both in Marathi and Guja- rati are extremely useful Besides these works stray articles have been published recently, due to the activity of the Jycsthimalla brothers Sitirima and Laxminiirayano. They are mainly instrumental in supplying useful data to the authors of these articles Date of Maliapurana: Mallapurina, as has already been noted above, 1s a caste purdna and hence at can be inferred that naturally it might haye been written when most of the caste-pur was were composed These caste puragas are not written much prior to the 12th century AD and the activity of writing them continued upto recent times Looking to the hterasy phenomenon st could be expected that the present work also should be written somewhere in this period, To cloce down this wide chronological pap, strong evidence js supplied by the colophon of B MS which states that it was copied down by Durmchandra in Samvat 3731-1674 A D. This statement suggests that the Work 1s at least older than the 14h century AD, but it is rither difficult to ix the upper limit, This Purina is unfortunately not hsted by other purinas, so whateser internal evidence could be gathered 1s utilised to fix sts date in as small a tume- bracket as 1s possible The languages a5 mentioned an ILI 12-13 are Sanskpt, Prdkpt, Laukiba and ApabhrarhSa Tf any mference 1s possible from this statement it means that this work reflects the period when the Moder Indo-Aryan Innguages were used besides Apabhranisa, Prikgt and Sanshet6 The following words also suggest that they are taken up from the local dialect and used in Sanskrit as is clear from the statement Kathita laukihaih i Sabdaistathohta Malla Bhasayd. Mita Vit Takana VIL3.5. Farakape VIL. Khanda IX.51. Melayitva XIL30. Muhudakena XVI4. Chadakt XVI1.33. Dhohara XVIL.39. Tiga Viir.5, EX. 11, X, rx ff utthapana VIL3. Akhadhaka VILr5. . Valana Dhtn ’ Gonitaka X18. Cavayitva XIL30. Harta XVIL6. Karadahi XVIL33. Panpima Prada IX,38. Sphutam Hara XV. . Use of word Hingu in Feminine gender, IX.47. These words are seen in Gujarati language and hence the inference could be drawn that the Laukika Sabda and Mallabhasa is the Gujarati language in its mediaeval form, This inference could be strengthened by the consideration of the authorship, All these evidences lead one to suggest that this work falls in the period of the mediaeval Gujarati and hence may be ascribed to a period after r3th centuty A.D. This inference could be supported by a close study of the language of the Jain Prabandhas composed in mediaeval Gujarat. Another interesting point for fixing the chronology can be inferred from the strong bias of Kysna Bhakti, The religious history of Gujarat may tend some light to this problem, The Mahatmya of Bhagavata puraga mentions Gujarat as the place where Bhakti became weak.! This remark suggests that in Gujatat Vaisnavism was not very strong and this fact is supported by the historical evidence that the Chaulukya rulers were Saivaites, and the brihmuns here were the supporters of Saivism. The stndy of the Chaulihya temples also suggest that most of the Hindu temples are Saiva; but the Vaisnava temples afe very few. 1” Bhagarata, Ch, I, 47, 48. . :7 The strong worsinp of Krsna in Gujarat seems to have revived after the movement of Pustimarga in the late agth and x6th centunes AD, So we meet with the hterature with great emphasis on Kysna worship from these centuries onvatds The establishment of the goddes Limbaj4 3s also attributed to Kysna’s power in the Mallapurina, This fact again suggests that Krsni worship had really gained in Gujarat when this work was composed Ti this religious picture 1s considered the present work need not be placed ina pened prior to about 15th century A.D. This was again a penod of Hinda and Jaina revival as can be gleaned through the post Chanlukyan temples in Guyarat. This period ts suggested by the internal evidence of the language and religious practices as noted in Mallapurana., This date is closer to the Dharm&ranya which was also composed in the 15th century A.D. Summing up the evidence of the chronology of this Purana, it can be seen that rt twas composed before 1674 A DO but not béfore the 15th century A.D. Authorshsp : The Malhipurana brings into its discourse Narada, Brahma, Krsna, Balardma and one brihmin named SomeSvara. Nowhere in the text is any name of any other person taking partin the narrative. The colophons are al>o stlent in this respect. Dumichandra the writer of BMS. 1s merely a scmbe, hence the evidence for authorship ts extremely meagre Stull, however, in the concluding portions af the book there 1s specific mention of a brahmin of Kagyapa gotea (XVITI. 76}. Here all other gotras that are previously mentioned are not noted In the earlier reference ( XVIII. 52.53) tus Kasyapa gotra is considered to be the twelfth gotra and the state- ment just following rk notes that Udiea Jiidte Sambhutant Gotram Kasya- famera ca sucgests that the audichya Brikmins are considered for this purpose to belong to the special gotra and the brahmin of this gotra 1s gwen preference lor worship, This coincidence is anteresting, The Mallas are from Modhera and amongst them this Udichya Jiiydti 1s included for receiving their respect. Thus Paradax can be removed sf one infers that this text was tenitten by some Audkchya Urihmin for the mallas, The writer would naturally desire Ins progeny to proper from his woth ; so in the section of Vydsapij3 the name of ip gotra is included, Trem this circumstantial evidence at could be noted that thas text waa wotten by some audichya Brahmin, for the benefit of the Mallas The narve of the author 5 unkrown bat the major rote ts played by Someliara in the whole text, hence one may reasonably infer that the author of thas work ian sudchys beahrmn, who mitht be a inend of Somedvara of Garga Gotra,