Which other texts besides Padma Purāṇa describe a deity having scriptures as parts of their body?

Question

In the Svarga Khaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa, we get a beautiful composition, where various Purāṇas are described as parts of the body of Śrī Hari Viṣṇu himself.

Here's the description:

श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे द्विषष्टितमोऽध्यायः ६२

सूत उवाच -

एवं यन्महिमा लोके लोकनिस्तारकारणम् । तस्य विष्णोः परेशस्य नानाविग्रहधारिणः ॥ १ ॥
एकं पुराणं रूपं वै तत्र पाद्मं परं महत् । ब्राह्मं मूर्धा हरेरेव हृदयं पद्मसंज्ञितम् ॥ २ ॥
वैष्णवं दक्षिणो बाहुः शैवं वामो महेशितुः । ऊरू भागवतं प्रोक्तं नाभिः स्यान्नारदीयकम् ॥ ३ ॥
मार्कंडेयं च दक्षांघ्रिर्वामो ह्याग्नेयमुच्यते । भविष्यं दक्षिणो जानुर्विष्णोरेव महात्मनः ॥ ४ ॥
ब्रह्मवैवर्तसंज्ञं तु वामजानुरुदाहृतः । लैंगं ह गुल्फकं दक्षं वाराहं वामगुल्फकम् ॥ ५ ॥
स्कांदं पुराणं लोमानि त्वगस्य वामनं स्मृतम् । कौर्मं पृष्ठं समाख्यातं मात्स्यं मेदः प्रकीर्तितम् ॥ ६ ॥
मज्जा तु गारुडं प्रोक्तं ब्रह्मांडमस्थि गीयते । एवमेवाभवद्विष्णुः पुराणावयवो हरिः ॥ ७ ॥
हृदयं तत्र वै पाद्मं यच्छ्रुत्वामृतमश्नुते । पाद्ममेतत्पुराणं तु स्वयं देवोभवद्धरिः ॥ ८ ॥

Sūta said:

1. to 8. Thus is the greatness of that highest lord Viṣṇu, taking up many forms, (Viṣṇu—) who is the cause of complete liberation in the world. One of the forms is the great Padma (Purāṇa). The Brahma (Purāṇa) is the head of Viṣṇu only. His heart is called Padma. The Viṣṇu (Purāṇa) is his right arm. The Śaiva (Purāṇa) is the left arm of the great lord. The Bhāgavata (Purāṇa) is said to be his thighs. The Nāradīya (Purāṇa) is his navel. The Mārkaṇḍeya (Purāṇa) is his right foot; the Agni (Purāṇa) is said to be (his) left foot. The Bhaviṣya (Purāṇa) is the right knee of the magnanimous Viṣṇu only. The (Purāṇa) called Brahmavaivarta is said to be his left knee. The Liṅga (Purāṇa) is said to be the right ankle and the Varāha is the left ankle. The Skanda Purāṇa is the hair, and the Vāmana (Purāṇa) is said to be his skin. The Kūrma (Purāṇa) is said to be his back; the Matsya is said to his fat (or stomach). The Garuḍa (Purāṇa) is said to be his marrow; the Brahmāṇḍa is said to be his bone(s). Thus Viṣṇu was having the Purāṇas as parts of his body. Padma there (i.e. in the body) is the heart, having heard which a man obtains nectar (i.e. immortality). God Viṣṇu himself became (i.e. turned himself into) this Padma Puraṇa,...

Chapter 62 - The Merit of Reciting the Padma Purāṇa, Svargakhaṇḍa
English Translation by N.A. Deshpande

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Question is:

Do other scriptures also describe similar compositions for other deities (including Viṣṇu) too?

Answer 1

Yes.

Another such beautiful description is explained in Tantrāvatārapaṭala of Kāmikāgama.

• Śiva is described as having a form of 'the Āgama-śarīra', i.e., Āgamas as the embodiment of Mahādeva Śiva. Here, the 28 Śaivāgamas are described to compose the body of Śiva, as follows:

श्लोक ९३-१०१.अ, तन्त्रावतर पटलः, पूर्व भाग, कामिकागमः

कामिकं पादयुग्मं स्याद्योगजं गुल्फमेव च । चिन्त्यं पादाङ्गुलिः प्रोक्तः कारणं जचिका भवेत् ॥ ९३ ॥
अजितं जानुदेशं स्याद् दीप्तेमूरुप्रदेशकम् । सूक्ष्मं तु गुह्यमेवं स्यात्सहस्रं कटिदेशकम् ॥ ९४ ॥
अंशुमान् स्यात् पृष्ठतलं सुप्रभेदं तु नाभिकम् । विजयं कुक्षिदेशं स्यान् निश्वासं हृदयं भवेत् ॥ ९५ ॥ स्वायंभुवं स्तनौ द्वौ तु अनलं नेत्रमेव च । वीरं कण्ठप्रदेशस्तु रौरवं श्रोत्रमेव च ॥ ९६ ॥
मकुटं माकुटं तन्त्रं अङ्गप्रत्यङ्गमेव च । बाहू तु विमलं प्रोक्तं चन्द्रज्ञानं उरस्स्थलम् ॥ ७८ ॥
बिम्बतन्त्रं सुवदनं प्रोद्गीतं रसना भवेत् । ललितं स्यात्नपोलं तु सिद्धं चैव ललाटकम् ॥ ९८ ॥
सन्तानं कुण्डलं विद्याच्छोक्तं उपवीतकम् । पारमेशान हारं तु किरणं रत्नभूषणम् ॥ ९९ ॥
वातुलं वसनं प्रोक्तं शिवधर्म त्रिपुण्ड्रके ॥ १००.अ ॥

IAST Translitteration:

kāmikas pādayugmaṁ syādyogajam gulphameva ca । cintyam pādānguliḥ proktaḥ kāraṇam janghikā bhavet ॥ 93 ॥
ajitam jānudeśam syād dīptemūrupradeśakam । sūkşmaṁ tu guhyamevaṁ syātsahasraṁ kațideśakam ॥ 94 ॥
amśumān syāt prsthatalam suprabhedam tu nābhikam । vijayam kukșideśam syān niśvāsam hrdayam bhavet ॥ 95 ॥
svāyambhuvaṁ stanau dvau tu analam netrameva ca । vīram kanthapradeśastu rauravam śrotrameva ca ॥ 96 ॥
makuțaṁ mākutas tantram angapratyangameva ca । bāhū tu vimalam proktam candrajñānam urassthalam ॥ 97 ॥
bimbatantraṁ suvadanam prodgītam rasanā bhavet। lalitam syātkapolas tu siddhaṁ caiva lalātakam ॥ 98 ॥
santānam kundalam vidyāccharvoktam upavītakam । pārameśāna hāram tu kiraņaṁ ratnabhūṣaṇam ॥ 99 ॥
vātulam vasanam proktam śivadharma tripundrake ॥ 100.a ॥

(Verse 93 to 100.a) Tantrāvatāra Patalaḥ , Pūrva Bhāgaḥ, Kāmikāgamaḥ

93. to 100.a. “Kāmikāgama is considered to be the feet of Śiva, Yogajāgama as shin, Cintyāgama as fingers of his feet, Kāraṇagama as the ankle, Ajitāgama as knees, Dīptāgama as thighs, Sūkṣmāgama as loins, Sahasrāgama as hip, Aṃśumānāgama as back, Suprabhedāgama as the navel, Vijayāgama as stomach, Niśvāsāgama as heart, Svāyambhuvāgama as nipples, Analāgama as eyes, Vīrāgama as neck, Rauravāgama as ears, Makuṭāgama as the crown, and other main parts & sub-parts of his body, Vimalāgama as arms or shoulders, Candrajñānāgama as chest, Bimbāgama as the face, Prodgītāgama as tongue, Lalitāgama as cheeks, Siddhāgama as the forehead, Santānāgama as earrings, Śarvoktāgama as sacred thread, Pārameśvarāgama as garland, Kiraṇāgama as ornaments and Vātulāgama as the garment or attire of the Śiva.”

English Translation sourced from Dr. S.P. Sabharathanam's work.

Answer 2

Yes, Bhagwat gita's 18 chapters are said to be the body parts of Lord Shiva/Vishnu as said in the Padma Purana.:

“śrīruvāca | śayālurasi dugdhābdhau bhagavankena hetunā | udāsīna ivaiśvaryaṃ jagaṃti sthāpayanniva ||” (Padma Purana:UK:175:5).

“[Sri Lakshmi said.]: O revered one, You, despite being the sustainer of the world, you being indifferent (passive) towards your glory, are sleeping on this milky ocean, what’s the reason behind this?”.

“śrībhagavānuvāca | nāhaṃ sumukhi nidrālurnijaṃ māheśvaraṃ vapuḥ | dṛśā tatvānuvarttinyā paśyāmyaṃtarnimagnayā ||” (Padma Purana:UK:175:7).

“[Lord Vishnu said]: O you of beautiful face, I’m not sleeping, rather, by the vision which sees (follows) the truth, I am contemplating by being fixed (nimagna) in my true form of Lord Maheshvara (Lord Shiva)“.

“śrīruvāca | bhavāneva hṛṣīkeśa dhyeyo’si yamināṃ sadā | tasmāttvattaḥ paraṃ yattacchrotuṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me ||14 carācarāṇāṃ lokānāṃ karttā harttā svayaṃ prabhuḥ | yathāsthitastato’nyatvaṃ yadi māṃ bodhayācyuta ||” (Padma Purana:UK:175:14-15).

“[Sri Lakshmi said.]: O Hrishikesha! You alone are always to be meditated upon by the self-controlled ones. Therefore, I have a great curiosity to hear from you, about that which is higher than you. O Achuta, tell me if there is something different from you who are the lord, the creator, and the destroyer of the worlds”.

śrībhagavānuvāca | māyāmayamidaṃ devi vapurme na tu tātvikam | sṛṣṭisthityopasaṃhārakriyājālopabṛṃhitam || 16 ato’nyadātmanorūpaṃ dvaitādvaitavivarjitam | bhāvābhāvavinirmuktamādyaṃtarahitaṃ priye ||17 śuddhasaṃvitprabhālābhaṃ parānaṃdaikasuṃdaram | rūpamaiśvaramātmaikyagamyaṃ gītāsu kīrtitam ||” (Padma Purana:UK:175:16-18).

“[Lord Vishnu said]: O goddess (Lakshmi), this my body is illusory and not real, and is augmented with the mass of the acts of creation, maintenance and withdrawal. O dear one, the nature of the self is different form this. It is without duality and unity. It is free from existence and non-existence; and without beginning or end. It is pure consciousness, has acquired luster, is beautiful due to great joy, is the form of the Ishvara (lord), can be known only through the unity with the self, and this is what is told in the Gita”.

“ityākarṇya vaco devi devasyāmitatejasaḥ | śaṃkamānā ha vākyeṣu parasparavirodhiṣu ||19 svayaṃ cetparamānaṃdamavāṅmanasagocaram | kathaṃ gītā bodhayati iti me cchiṃdhi saṃśayam ||” (Padma Purana:UK:175:19-20).

“Hearing the words of him of an unlimited lustre, she having doubt to contradictory statement said: ‘If you are highest joy, and not known through speech and mind, then how does Gita make you known. Remove this doubt of me!'”.

“īśvara uvāca | śriyaḥ śrutvā vacoyuktamitihāsapuraḥsaram | ātmānugāminīṃ dṛṣṭiṃ gītāṃ bodhitavānprabhuḥ ||20 ahamātmā pareśāni parāparavibhedataḥ | dvidhā tataḥ paraḥ sākṣī nirguṇo niṣkalaḥ śivaḥ ||21 aparaḥ paṃcavaktro’haṃ dvidhā tasyāpi saṃsthitiḥ | śabdārthabhedato vācyo yathātmāhaṃ maheśvaraḥ ||22 gītānāṃ vākyarūpeṇa yannirucchidyate dṛḍhaḥ | madīyapāśabaṃdho’yaṃ saṃsāraviṣayātmakaḥ ||23 yadābhyāsaparādhīnau paṃcavaktramaheśvarau | iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā gītāsāramahodadheḥ ||24 idaṃ paravibhedena budhyate bhavabhīrubhiḥ | tamapṛcchadidaṃ lakṣmīraṃgapratyaṃgasaṃsthitam ||25 māhātmyaṃ setihāsaṃ ca sarvaṃ tasyai nyavedayat |26a” (Padma Purana:UK:175:20-26a).

“[Lord Shiva said]: Having heard the proper words of Lakshmi, the lord told her the Gita, the vision leading one towards the self, along with an historical account. “O great lordess, I am the ‘self’ differentiated in two ways, – as higher and lower. The higher is a witness, attributeless, partless, Shiva. As the lower one, I am ‘panchavaktra (of five faces)’ it also remains in two forms. I, Maheshvara, am the self, am to be explained through the distinction in words and meanings, as, through the words of the Gita, my strong noose of the nature of objects in the worldly existence, is completely cut off; since (realization of my two forms) ‘Panchavaktra’ and ‘Maheshvara’, are dependent on its study“. Hearing these words of him (which were) the great ocean of essence of the Gita, those afraid of the worldly existence know it through the difference between this and that. Lakshmi asked thus to him. He told her about the Mahatmayam (greatness) along with the corresponding historical accounts (stories) in its major and minor details.”.

“śṛṇu suśroṇi vakṣyāmi gītāsu sthitimātmanaḥ ||26 vaktrāṇi paṃca jānīhi paṃcādhyāyānanukramāt | daśādhyāyā bhujāścaika udaraṃ dvau padāṃbuje ||27 evamaṣṭādaśādhyāyā vāṅmayī mūrtiraiśvarī | vijñeyā jñānamātreṇa mahāpātakanāśinī ||28 atodhyāyaṃ tadardhaṃ vā ślokamarddhaṃ tadardhakam | abhyasyati sumedhā yaḥ suśarmeva samucyate ||” ((Padma Purana:UK:175:26b-29).

“[Lord Vishnu said]: O you, beautiful lady, I’ll tell you about my firm existence in the Gita. The five chapters are the five faces in order. The (next) ten chapters are the (ten) hands; one is the belly, and the (remaining) two are the lotus like feets. Thus the eighteen chapters are the divine forms of words. It, destroying great sins, should be known through knowledge only. Therefore, he, the very intelligent one, who studies a chapter, or half of it, or a verse of a half-verse is liberated like ‘Susharma’”.

Again, according to Vaishnavas, each cantos of Srimad Krishna Bhagwatam are said to be the body of Lord Krishna. (In the website the below given verse is also, said to have taken from Padma Purana).

padau yadiyau prathama-dvitiyau trtiya-turyau kathitau yad-uru nabhis tatha pancama eva sastho bhujantaram dor-yugalam tathanyau kanthas tu rajan navamo yadiyo mukharavindam dasamah praphullam ekadaso yasya lalata-pattam siro’pi tu dvadasa eva bhati tam adidevam karuna-nidhanam tamala-varnam suhitavataram apara-samsara-samudra-setum bhajamahe bhagavata-svarupam.

“The First and Second Cantos of the Bhagavatam are Sri Krsna’s lotus feet. The Third and Fourth Cantos are His thighs. The Fifth Canto is His navel. The Sixth Canto is His chest. The Seventh and Eighth Cantos are His arms. The Ninth Canto is His throat. The Tenth Canto is His beautiful lotus-face. The Eleventh Canto is His forehead. The Twelfth Canto is His head. I bow down to that Lord, the ocean of mercy whose colour is like that of a tamala tree and who appears in this world for the welfare of all. I worship Him as the bridge for crossing the unfathomable ocean of material existence. The Bhagavatam has appeared as His very Self.” (Padma Purana).

I hope this clarifies your queries.