History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c99.1814.10

v7.c99.1814.10

topics of tīrtha, dāna, śrāddha and vrata cover about one lakh of verses in the extant P 841, total number of ślokas in 18 Purāṇas according to most Purāṇas is 400600, 832, transformation in ideas, ideals and practices of Indian people due to P. in the first centuries of Christian era 815, treat Vedas as authoritative and prescribe the use of Vedic mantras in many rites, 918-919, two separate Purāṇa versions called Āgneya, Brāhma, Liṅga and Viṣṇu known to Ballālasena in latter half of 12th cen. A. D 870, Vāyupurāṇa named as first among 18 P by Matsya, Agni, Nāradīya, while several of the other P. substitute Śiva for Vāyu but Vāyu is one of the 18 Mahāpurānas and not Śivapurāna 830, Vāyupurāna and Śiva P. both included among 18 P. by Ballālasena 870; Vedārthasaṅgraha of Rāmānujacārya states that all Purāṇas should be so interpreted as not to be in conflict with Viṣṇupurāna 957n, Vedic mantras occurring in Purānas were not to be read or listened to by śūdras 925, Viṣṇupurāna alone of all extant P closely agrees with the definition given by Amarakośa but it also contains several other topics 841, wax eloquent as to great efficacy of vratas, śrāddha, pilgrimages, fasts, gifts, repetition of the name of God, *bhakti* 52, 930, 933-34, P.