History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c5.66

v1.c5.66

Purāṇas as a class of literature mentioned in Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, Chāndogya Upaniṣad, Gautama Dh. S., Mahābhāṣya - extant purāṇas are recasts made of older material - some of the extant Purāṇas like Vāyu earlier than 6th century A. D. - Names of principal 18 Purāṇas - 18 Upapurāṇas - Matsyapurāṇa contains much dharmaśāstra material - Agnipurāṇa contains disquisition on rājadharma and chapters 253-258 contain almost the whole of the vyavahāra section of Yājñavalkya - Garuḍapurāṇa borrows about 400 verses from ācāra and prāyaścitta sections of Yājñavalkya - chronology of Purāṇas passed over - Divergence as to the names of the principal 18 purāṇas and as to their extent - Purāṇas very valuable for study of social and religious questions as to mediæval and modern India - Padmapurāṇa divides 18 Purāṇas into three groups of sāttvika, rājasa, tāmasa and divides eighteen smṛtis also in the same way - table showing which dharmaśāstra topics are dealt with in which purāṇa.