History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c99.1814.9

v7.c99.1814.9

name minor works called Upa-purāṇas, but Matsya and Kūrma expressly state that they arose from the 18 Purāṇas and were composed as summaries after studying the Purāṇas 815, 835; sometimes P describe themselves as Itihāsa and the Mahābhārata is called Purāṇa rarely 840; sometimes Purāṇas put forward very modern ideas such as saying that social service and removal of distress is highest dharma 949; P. are sources of Dharma and Vidyās acc to Yāj. but there is no evidence as to the number Yāj. knew 835n, stages in the evolution of P are four or five 853-855, stories that occur in the Veda and Upaniṣads such as of Hariścandra, Purūravas and Urvaśī are elaborated in Purāṇas 914-15, strike the keynote that great rewards can be had by little effort as by dānas, vratas, pilgrimages 45, 928, 930; Tai Ār speaks of itihāsas and purāṇas in the plural and so knew at least three Purāṇas 817, 853; task before P. was twofold, viz to undermine the power and prestige of Buddhism, and other non-Vedic systems and to wean away large sections of the masses from the attractive features of Buddhism and therefore promise the same rewards as Buddhism held forth by a restatement of Hindu religion, philosophy and practices 913, 929-30; ten topics of, according to Bhāgavata 839;