The Purana Text of the Dynasties of the Kali Age c8.2

c8.2

The dispute between the Paurava king Janamejaya³ and Vaiśampāyana and other brahmans is narrated in *AMt* 50, 57ᵇ–65 and *AVā* 99, 250–256 and gives us an instance of how the text was revised⁴. The Mt version, which is the oldest, says the king made a successful stand against them for some time, but afterwards gave in and, making his son king, departed to the forest (according to custom); but the Vā version has abridged the inconvenient verses, and says he perished and the brahmans made his son king. This alteration may have been made (1) either in, the Bhaviṣya when it was revised, and so passed into the Vāyu⁵, or (2) in the Vāyu itself; but it is impossible to decide this point, because *eVā* and the Bd, which would have thrown much light on it, have unfortunately lost this passage in lacunae. What is clear is that a story of royal opposition to brahmanic claims was modified early in the 4th century A.D. to maintain brahmanic prestige.