History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c99.1814.1

v7.c99.1814.1

Purāṇas (*vide* under Alberuni, Bhāgavata, bhakti, brāhmaṇas, Buddha and Buddhism, images, itihāsa-purāṇa, mahāpurāṇa, Matsyapurāṇa, Pargiter, Pāriplava, pūrta, Saurapurāṇa, Śūdra, Upapurāṇa, Vāyupurāṇa, Viṣṇu, Viṣṇupurāṇa, Vyāsa) : 815-1002 ; are far more reliable than most of the Upapurāṇas 836-37 ; are used for divining the future 811 ; caution required before recognizing P. as reliable representatives for ascertaining the general state of Indian society and beliefs 538 ; classification of P as encyclopaedic, historical, sectarian etc 842 ; connect different gods with the conferring of health, wealth, knowledge, *mukti* 119 ; contain at least 25 thousand verses on Vratas 57 ; contain verses, *gāthās* and *anuvaṁśaślokas* sung by Paurāṇikas 854 ; contents of all P. noted by Agni, Matsya, Nāradīya and Skanda 834 ; contents and characteristic features of P. mentioned by Śaṅkarācārya 824-25 : contents of P. in the days of Āp. Dh. S 818 ; dates of P. and Upapurāṇas are at most tentative until critical editions are prepared 872, deemed to be composed by Vyāsa, son of Parāśara and Satyavatī at end of Dvāpara age 849 ; derivation of the word Purāṇa in Nirukta, Vāyu, Padma and Brahmāṇḍa and change in meaning 855-56 ; devote much space to legends about Paraśurāma 90n; Devībhāgavata and Bhāgavata P. say that Mahābhārata and P. were composed by Vyāsa for women and Śūdras 921-22 ; Dharmasūtra of Āp. twice quotes two verses from a Purāṇa and names a Bhaviṣyatpurāṇa 817 ;