Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c8.35

c8.35

The Purana as so framed was entrusted to the sūta Romaharṣaṇa in virtue of the duties that appertained to sūtas (p. 21), and it is there said that the matters with which sūtas were concerned were displayed in itihāsas and purāṇas, itihāsa-purāṇeṣu diṣṭā. It makes no real difference whether we understand these words as meaning that those matters ‘were displayed in tales and ancient stories’ or as meaning that they ‘are displayed in the Itihāsas and Puranas’; for in the former case those tales and ancient stories would have been comprised among the materials used, and the latter construction would say definitely that they had been incorporated in the Itihāsas and Puranas. It is clear then that the original Purana dealt with ancient traditions about gods, rishis and kings, their genealogies and famous deeds. Itihāsas appear to have remained distinct for some time, and Liṅga i, 26, 28 mentions the Śaiva as one; but afterwards they would seem to have become absorbed into the Puranas.¹