History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.110

v7.c95.110

The Purāṇas devote thousands of verses to the theories of cosmology and cosmography. Only a very brief summary is all that can be attempted from the contents of a few among the extant Purāṇas that have been shown above to be the earliest, viz. Matsya, Vāyu, Brahmāṇḍa, Viṣṇu and Mārkaṇḍeya. It has been stated above (pp. 838-840) that the topics with which Purāṇas were deemed to be concerned were according to the Amarkośa five and that some of the Purāṇas themselves set out the five topics as creation (*sarga*), recreation after dissolution (*pratisarga*), dynasties (*vaṃśa*), the vast periods of time (called Manvantaras), and history and deeds of the descendants of the solar, lunar and other dynasties (Vamśānucarita). Thus, many of the Purāṇas deal with creation at some length. A few striking theories and passages alone can be set out or cited.