In the Mahābhārata, the term “purā” (पुरा) appears
in the sense of “formerly,” “in ancient times,” or “once
upon a time,” and is typically used to introduce narratives
or historical events in the epic. It functions as a temporal
marker, situating stories in the past, reflecting a traditional
narrative style of Sanskrit Itihāsa literature. For example,
when recounting the tales of King Śantanu, the Pandavas,
or other ancestral figures, passages often begin with phrases
like purā… to frame the events as belonging to an earlier age,
thereby connecting the epic to historical or mythic memory.
The word purā also relates linguistically to other Indic concepts:
Purā as “ancient times” or “formerly”: Used in narrative phrases such as those in the Mahābhārata and later Purāṇic
texts to signal past events (cf. Pāñcarātra Ahirbudhnya-saṃhitā,
Web result ).
Contrast with puruṣārtha: While purā places events in
temporal context, puruṣārtha (as in 12.161) refers
philosophically to human goals—dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa—highlighting that purā provides the narrative backdrop
for ethical, cosmological, and philosophical discourse.
In summary, in the Mahābhārata, purā is primarily a narrative
temporal adverb meaning “once upon a time” or “in former
times,” marking the storytelling framework of the epic and
situating legendary and historical events in the past. It is
not a proper name or mythic character in the text itself, but
rather a literary device that communicates antiquity and
continuity of tradition.
References for Mahābhārata usage:
Mahābhārata, critical edition: Purā used in framing stories
of Śantanu, Bhīṣma, and the Pāṇḍavas ([Web result , ).
Comparative Indo-Sanskrit dictionaries: purā = formerly,
in ancient times ([Web result , ).
This usage reflects classical Sanskrit narrative conventions
and establishes the connection of the Mahābhārata to earlier
Itihāsa traditions, situating moral and historical discourse
within a sense of temporal antiquity.
