Kaushika Purana is a minor Purana or Upapurana. Kaushik
Puranam is not mentioned in any of the Mahapuranas. The reference of the text
is found in the Dharmashastras.
Kaushika Purana is named after Kaushika – Sage Vishwamitra.
The name Kaushika as Sage Vishwamitra was the descendant of Kusha.
Kausika comes in the
third generation from Kusha, i.e, Kusha, Kusanabha, Gadhi and Vishwamitra.
The Rishi was a towering personality in the Kaushika Purana,
as he had become Brahmarishi by the virtue of his deeds, though by birth he was
of Kshatriya origin.
The only reference to the Purana is found in New Catalogus
Catalogorum of the Madras University, Chennai.
The legends and stories of Chandal devotees are narrated in
this Purana through the dialogues between Bhumi and Varaha.
The text is not currently available in printed form and even
the manuscripts are not traceable.
As per New Catalogus Catalogrum of Madras University, a
Telugu version of the purana was published in 1904 in Chennai.
The purana was narrated at the Sri Varadarajaswami Temple in
Kanchi. The person narrating the purana was presented with a cloth and this is
marked in the records of the temple from 1528 AD to 1541 AD.
The Purana was read after Kaisiki Ekadashi on Kaushiki
Dwadasi day in certain temples in Tamil Nadu.