A History of Indian Literature v2.c20.s3.96

v2.c20.s3.96

Like the Paüma-Cariya, the Mahā-Purāṇa, too, traces its origin back to Mahāvīra himself, who communicated its contents to Gautama, who in his turn imparted them to King Śreṇika. The knowledge of the sacred legends is said to have been transmitted by Gautama to those versed in the Aṅgas and Pūrvas, and in several passages the Aṅgas are cited as an authority. The real source of the work is, however, the Prathamānuyoga, that is, the third part of the Dṛṣṭivāda, which has gone astray, though we do not know how far the legends of the Mahā-Purāṇa agree with those of the original Dṛṣṭivāda.¹