The Purana Index v1.c3.s1.13

v1.c3.s1.13

Based on this untenable theory Pargiter had built up another theory styling these Purāṇas as belonging to a distinct Kshatriya tradition. On this western scholars began to speak of the Kshatriya literature, a Parivrājaka literature as distinct from Brahmanic literature. Surely these are imaginary theories, which have no legs to stand on. According to the Hindu tradition the Purāṇas are the fifth Veda, and those who follow it are followers of the Vedic school. Even in the Vedic literature there are Kshatriya sages and families to whom hymns are addressed. Taking the Ṛgveda, for example, nine families are mentioned of which the three, viz., Vaivasvata, Aila, and Cākṣuṣa are Kshatriyas. There are again hymns in the Veda whose authorship is assigned to Vivasvān, Manu, Purūravas, Yayāti, Māndhātṛ, Viśvāmitra, etc., names which are ever the pride of not only the Kshatriya community but of all communities. From these several references is it proper to term this portion of Vedic literature as Kshatriya literature? So there is no justification either taking the Sūta to be an ordinary man, or the classification of Sanskrit literature as Brahmanical or Kshatriya.