Studies in the Epics and Puranas c10.2

c10.2

Mahāmahopādhyāya Dr. Haraprasāda Śāstri observes with regard to the list of eighteen Purāṇas given in almost all the Purāṇas that MSS being rare in ancient times, copyists collected all sorts of information in their copy, which was subsequently transferred from marginal notes to the body of the text.¹ This satisfactorily explains how individual Purāṇas which are obviously products of different times and climes came to contain the names of all the Purāṇas, especially of those which came into vogue later on. Now, there is a difference of opinion among the lists regarding the fourth place in the Purāṇas, some mentioning the Śiva, and others the Vāyu. To be exact, the Bhāgavata, Brahmavaivarta, Kūrma, Liṅga, Mārkaṇḍeya, Padma, Varāha and Viṣṇu cast their vote in favour of the Śiva, while the Matsya, Nārada and Devibhāgavata vote for the Vāyu.² It is proposed to investigate the claims of the Śiva and Vāyu to be ranked as Mahāpurāṇa.