Exemplary Figures in the Bhagavata Purana

Abstract

Clifford G. Hospital’s article explores how the Bhagavata Purana (BhP) constructs a unique typology of exemplary figures who embody its spiritual and moral values. Rejecting the limiting Western categories of “saint” or “hero,” the essay proposes a broader, more inclusive framework encompassing humans, gods, demons, sages, and animals. Focusing on avatar narratives such as Narasimha and Vamana, it analyzes figures like Prahlada, whose devotion (bhakti) transcends conventional dualities of good and evil. The essay highlights how the BhP reworks earlier Puranic material (e.g., from the Vishnu Purana), deepening emotional and theological dimensions, especially through the theme of viraha-bhakti (devotion in separation). Hospital argues that the BhP’s literary unity and ethical complexity mark a significant evolution in religious imagination and devotional theology.