History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c90.76

v7.c90.76

The Amarakośa¹³⁶⁴ defines 'Itihāsa' as 'what happened in the past' and 'Purāṇa' as 'what has five signs or characteristics'. It is no doubt true that some purāṇas speak of Purāṇa as 'pañcalakṣaṇa' and set out the five characteristics¹³⁶⁵ as *sarga* (creation), *pratisarga* (re-creation after dissolution of the world), *vaṁśa* (dynasties of gods, the Sun and the Moon, and the patriarchs), *manvantara* (the vast periods of time that are so called), *vaṁśānucarita* or *vaṁśyānucarita* (deeds and history of the descendants of the solar, lunar and other dynasties). The Bhāgavata¹³⁶⁶ states that ten topics are dealt with by Purāṇas and that some say that they are only five The ten topics of the Bhāgavata are *sarga*, *visarga* (dissolution or creation after destruction), *vṛtti* (modes of subsistence, natural or prescribed for all men by śāstra), *rakṣā* (protection i. e. *avatāras* destroying those that hate the Vedas), *antarāṇi* (i. e manvantaras), *vaṁśa*, *vaṁśyānucarita*, *saṁsthā* (four kinds of *laya*), *hetu* (the cause of creation viz. the soul that is subject to *avidyā* and collects *karma*), *apāśraya* (the refuge of individual souls, viz. *brahman*). The Matsyapurāṇa also mentions other characteristics of Purāṇas viz. in all Purāṇas the four goals of man (puruṣārthas) are described, also the consequences of doing what is opposed to dharma, division of Purāṇas into *sāttvika*, *rājasa*, *tāmasa*, the sāttvika and rājasa purāṇas respectively extolling the greatness of Hari and Brahmā, tāmasa Purāṇas extolling Agni and Śiva, the mixed ones extolling the greatness of Sarasvatī and *pitṛs*. The questions addressed by Manu to Keśava (in Matsya 2. 22-24) indicate the subjects that would be dealt with by that Purāṇa viz creation and dissolution, the *vaṁśas*, *manvantaras, vamśyācarita*, the expanse of the world, rules about dānas, śrāddha, varṇas and āśramas, *iṣṭa* and *pūrta*, establishment of images of gods, and everything else.