Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c8.41

c8.41

The Matsya implies this, for, after describing the eighteen Puranas and the characteristic subjects of a Purana (53, 10–59), it adds (66–9) that the five-subject Purana treats also of the māhātmya of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the sun, Rudra and the earth; and that dharma, wealth, love and final emancipation from existence and what is repugnant thereto are treated of in all the Puranas. The Vāyu, which states the five characteristic subjects, describes the eighteen Puranas briefly (104, 2–11), and adds (11–17), that they give instruction about many dharmas belonging to all classes and āśramas, about rivers, sacrifices, austerities and gifts, about yoga, faith, and knowledge, about the cults of Brahmā, Śiva, Viṣṇu, the sun, the śaktis and the Ārhatas¹ and many other matters. Some of these matters, if not most, were certainly not ancient, and very few of them could by any stretch of terms be reckoned within the five characteristic subjects. Hence clearly all these matters were later additions, additions manifestly made by the Puranic brahmans.