The Mystery of the Fifth Veda: Unlocking Vedic Origins
The Vedas and the Puranas are the foundational pillars of the Indian knowledge tradition.
Yet, the question persists: Why does scripture insist the Puranas are the “Fifth Veda,” and why do they hold such profound authority? The answer lies in their purpose: they don’t just supplement the Vedas; they make the unmanifest manifest, providing the necessary elaboration to unlock the Veda’s meaning for humanity.
It has been repeatedly stated in the scriptures that the Puranas elaborate on the meaning of the Veda. The validity (authenticity) of the Vedas and Puranas and their mutual relationship are discussed extensively in the Puranic texts and many other philosophical treatises / scriptures.
The great scholar revered Shri Jiva Goswami established a new etymology for the word ‘Purana’ to confirm this assertion He deduced it as: ‘Pūrṇāt Purāṇam’—meaning, that which Fulfills the comprehensive understanding (of the Veda) is called the ‘Purana’.
Think of it like an artisan’s workshop. If a half-finished gold bangle needs its wholeness restored, it must be completed with gold, never with lacquer. The Purana acts as the gold, the same spiritual substance as the Veda, ensuring that the Vedic meaning is perfected and made accessible. This logical deduction instantly proves the Veda-nature (Vedatva) of the Puranas; they are the simplified, dramatic elaboration of the Veda itself.
Quotes from Major Puran’s supporting Vedic origins
The Puranas are not human inventions; they share the same divine source as the Vedas, as affirmed by major texts:
Skanda Purana: “At the beginning of creation, Brahmā… performed intense Tap (austerity), which resulted in the manifestation of the Vedas. Subsequently, the Purana, encompassing all knowledge, also manifested, eternal, auspicious and vast… This Purana was also generated from the mouth of Brahmā, just like the Veda.”
Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purana: It reveals that the Rig, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva Vedas originated from the four faces of Brahmā, and subsequently, the Itihāsa-Purana, which is the Fifth Veda, manifested from those same faces.
The Ultimate Authority (The Upanishads): The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.4.10) states that just as the Vedas are the “Nihsvāsa” (breath) of Brahman (God), so too are the “Itihāsa and Purana” exhalations from the same ultimate reality. Hence, the Puranas, like the Vedas, are self-evident authorities (Svataḥ Pramāṇya).
The Veda is Lord Nārāyaṇa Himself. Veda – being the very essence of GOD (Shri Vishnu), bewilders many great scholars, rishi munis and devata’s (Surya)!
Vedapraṇihito dharmo hyadharmastadviparyayaḥ । Vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣātsvayambhūriti śuśruma । Vedasya ceśvarātmatvāttatra muhyanti sūrayaḥ ॥
This implies that the apauruṣeyatva (non-human origin), eternality, and self-validity of the Vedas are affirmed even within the Puranas.
Purana as the Elaboration of the Veda
The ‘Revered Dharma Samrāṭ Śrī Karpātrī Ji Maharaj, in his commentary, confirms this status:
The Brihannāradīya Purana states that like the Rāghunātha Charita (Rāmāyaṇa), all Puranas are vast, extending up to one hundred crore verses. The passage states:
Harir Vyāsasvarūpeṇa jāyate ca yuge yuge । Catur-lakṣa-pramāṇena dvāpare dvāpare sadā ॥ Tadaṣṭādaśadhā kṛtvā bhūrloke nirdiśatyapi । Adyāpi devaloke tu śatakoṭi-pravistaram ॥
Meaning: Lord Hari, taking the form of Vyāsa, manifests in every Dvāpara Yuga to compile the Puranas into the four lakh verses found on Earth. However, the full extent of the Puranas in Devaloka (heavenly realm) remains one hundred crore verses. This establishes that the Puranas, like the Vedas, are beginningless (Anādi), manifesting through the Lord in every cycle, thereby confirming their role as Upabriṃhaka (reinforcers) of the Vedas. Just as a deficiency in gold can only be completed by gold, the meaning of the Veda cannot be completed by anything non-Vedic. Thus, the saying “Purāṇaṃ Vedasammitam” (The Purana is equivalent to the Veda) is valid.
“The full content of the Puranas in Devaloka (heavenly realm) remains one hundred crore verses”
Why is Itihasa-Purana Called the Fifth Veda?
The Vedas are complex and have many strict procedures for learning, and even if one has the eligibility to learn Veda’s he cannot (without Guru’s grace and procedures) understand – specific details on practical daily life Dharma practices. Additionally many subjects such as the movement of planets, time calculation (kāla-śuddhi, Tithi), the determination of festival dates, procedure for rituals and the precise rules for fasts and festivals cannot be learned directly by reading Vedas directly.
These informations are found in the Smṛtis and Puranas. Therefore, the Veda instructs: “Itihāsapurāṇābhyāṃ vedaṃ samupabṛṃhayet” (One should reinforce/elaborate the Veda through Itihāsa and Purana). This is why the Itihāsa and Purana are collectively called the “Pañcham Veda” (Fifth Veda).
The Śiva-Pārvatī dialogue in the Uttara-Khanda (Chapter 24) further underscores this necessity:
Na vede grahasaṁcavāro na śuddhiḥ kālabodhinī । Tithivṛddhikṣayo vāpi na parvagrahanirṇayaḥ ॥ Itihāsapurāṇaistu kṛto’yaṁ nirṇayaḥ purā । Yanna dṛṣṭaṁ hi vedeṣu tatsarvaṁ lakṣyate smṛtau॥ Ubhoyoryanna dṛṣṭaṁ hi tatpurāṇaiḥ pragīyate । Vedārthādadhikaṁ manye purāṇārthaṁ varānane ॥ Vedāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ samyak purāṇe nātra saṁśayaḥ ।
lord Shiv says to Parvati ji – What is not found in the Vedas is found in the Smṛtis; what is not found in both is sung by the Puranas. I consider the meaning of the Purana to be more Vishad [clear/elaborate] than the the Veda,. There is no doubt that the Vedas are completely established (or represented) in the Puranas.
The resolution to an objection (not found in vedas) regarding the Ekādaśī Vrata is that even if it is not explicitly mentioned in the Veda, it is acceptable because it is mentioned in the Puranas, which provide necessary decisions regarding practical issues like lunar changes, festivals, and time calculations (details that the Vedas do not explicitly define).
Vedas, while supreme, do not provide instructions for daily living. They lack specific, practical details for the householder: such as – The movement of planets and celestial bodies which decide on the tithi tyohaar (festivals). and procedures for the rites.
Puran Reinforce and Elaborate the Veda as per Mahābhārata
Mahābhārata mentions in many places about Puranas, that they are elaboration of the Veda:
“Itihāsapurāṇābhyāṁ vedaṁ samupabṛṃhayet । Bibhetyalpaśrutād vedo māmayaṁ prahariṣyati“ – This is the famous shlok (Verse) from Mahabharata- One should reinforce the Veda through Itihāsa and Purana. The Veda fears the person who has studied little, thinking: he will misunderstand/misinterpret me
Direct Incorporation of Vedic Content
The Puranas demonstrate elaboration of vedas through:
- Direct Use of Vedic Padas: Specific words from Vedic mantras are directly adopted into Puranic hymns (Stutis). For example, the Rudrādhyāya (Yajur Veda, Ch. 16) is extensively utilized in Śiva Stutis, and Vishnu Stutis adopt specific words from Vishnu mantras.
- Elaboration of the Puruṣa Sūkta: The Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purana directly embraces the essence of the Puruṣa Sūkta (Rig Veda 10.90.1).
The Bhāgavata affirms this tradition by calling itself the “galitam phalam” (the juicy, ripe fruit) of the Kalpavriksha tree of the Vedas (Nigama kalpataror galitam phalam), and concludes by declaring itself the ‘Sarvavedāntasāra’ (the essence of all Vedānta).
Conclusion: The Importance of Puranas and the Need in Kaliyuga
This entire discussion establishes that the Puranas are not merely supplementary literature but are the valid, and practically accessible means of understanding the Vedas.
The necessity of the Puranas rests on three crucial pillars:
- Protection of the Vedas: The Puranas safeguard the cryptic Vedic mantras from misinterpretation by the less knowledgeable, offering the necessary simple and detailed explanations (Upabriṃhaṇa). Their status is further elevated by the assertion that they are the very form of Lord Nārāyaṇa.
- Practical Supremacy: Where the Vedas fall short on practical details of daily dharma rituals (like planetary movements, precise festival timing, or the resolution of Tithi changes), the Puranas provide the definitive guidance. The statement that the Purana’s meaning is considered more Vishad (clear, detailed, and practically useful) than that of the Veda establishes them as the ultimate guide for householders and common people.
- The Gateway to Dharma in Kaliyuga: The Puranas simplified the complexities of Vedic rituals, opening the door to Bhakti (devotion) and simple observance for all sections of society. They ensured that Vedic knowledge was accessible to everyone, even granting the Śūdras the right to perform acts of piety using simplified forms of mantras, thereby establishing the foundation of inclusive Dharma.
Therefore, the fact remains indisputable: if the Śrutis (Vedas) and Smṛtis (Dharmaśāstras) are the two eyes, the Purana is undoubtedly the Heart (Hṛdayam). It is not enough to merely ‘see’ the knowledge; it must be installed and lived in the heart. The Puranas fulfill this function, proving them to be the supreme guide and the finest elaboration of the Veda in Kaliyuga.
Reference:
Purāṇa Vimarśa Book; Author- Āchārya Śrī Baldev Upādhyāy, Bhūtpūrva Sanchālak – Anusandhān Sansthān, Śrī Sampūrṇānand Sanskrit Viśvavidyālay, Vārāṇasī, Chaukhambā Vidyābhavan Chauk – (Publisher)