Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c7.72

c7.72

This account mentions the materials⁵ from which the Purana was compiled. As explained above, the sūtas had from remote times preserved the genealogies of gods, rishis and kings, and traditions and ballads about celebrated men, that is, exactly the material—tales, songs and ancient lore—out of which the Purana was constructed. Whether or not Vyāsa composed the original Purana or superintended its compilation, is immaterial for the present purpose. What is important is that there was abundant tradition of various kinds, which could and would naturally have been used in its construction, and of the very kinds that went to its construction. The ancient tales were topics of real interest to kings, people and rishis, as both the epics and the Puranas by their very structure proclaim, and they were also matters to which men of intelligence gave their attention.⁶ Allusions in the Veda itself show the same.⁷ It would be quite natural that, after the religious hymns were formed into the Veda, the ancient secular tales and lore should have been collected in a Purana.