History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c90.25.3

v7.c90.25.3

This latter argu-ment is not acceptable, since there was nothing to prevent Bāṇa from expressly saying that the Brahmāṇḍa was the Purāṇa recited by Sudṛṣṭi Kumārilabhaṭṭa in his Tantravārtika refers in several places to the Purāṇas and their contents. A few interesting passages are set out here. On Jaimini I. 3. 1 Kumārila says¹³⁴⁴ 'Therefore the authoritativeness of all smṛtis is established by the purpose which they serve; whatever therein (in smṛtis) is connected with *dharma* and *mokṣa* (is authoritative), because it springs from (is based on) the Veda; whatever concerns wealth (artha) and pleasures is based on the usages of the people. In this way a distinction is to be made. This very reasoning applies to hortatory passages in the Itihāsa and Purāṇas. The Upākhyānas may be explained by the reasoning applicable to arthavādas (i. e they have a purpose and authoritativeness just like the commendatory passages of the Veda). Narration of the divisions of the earth serves the purpose of distinguishing the regions for undergoing the consequences of the (actions that are the) means of dharma and adharma and are partly based on personal experience and partly on the Veda. The orderly presentation of vaṁśas (dynasties) in the Purāṇas is intended to facilitate the knowledge of the brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya castes and their gotras and is based on actual experience and traditional knowledge;