History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c99.1814.3

v7.c99.1814.3

extol vratas, pilgrimages and bhakti as superior to Vedic sacrifices 43-45, 916, extravagant praise of themselves by P 915-916, 929, extravagant praise in P. of the remembrance of Viṣṇu's or Hari's name 971, first Purāṇa is said to be Brāhma in Viṣṇu and Brahma purāṇas, while Devī-bhāgavata says it is Matsya 829n, five characteristics of, acc. to several purāṇas, are sarga (creation), pratīsarga (creation after dissolution), Vaṁśa (dynasties of Gods, patriarchs and kings), manvantaras (vast cycles of time), Vaṁśānucarita (deeds and history of descendants of dynasties) 839, from about the 6th or 7th century A. D. the Purāṇas began to incorporate the special ceremonial of Śāktas and a few Purāṇas like Devīpurāṇa, Kālikā, Mārkaṇḍeya (Devīmāhātmya) provide for the employment of *Mahāras* in Devī worship 1095, guru's position in P 1033n, gradually P. procedure either came to supersede Vedic procedure or got mixed up with the latter in some matters such as Deva-pūjā, consecration of temples and images etc 922-924, Hazra's view that the text of the extant P which are the results of innumerable changes, modifications and interpolations made at different times and by different sects is scarcely reliable and can be used only with great caution is quite correct, 872, Gautama Dh S.