The Purana Index v1.c3.s1.18

v1.c3.s1.18

Tradition has unanimously accepted the existence of eighteen Mahāpurāṇas and eighteen Upapurāṇas. The Upapurāṇas are very late productions and are much more of a sectarian character while they are of purely local interest. Their value to the student of history and even religion, is very little and therefore we may dismiss them for the time being. Confining them to the Mahāpurāṇas, one classification is according to the preferential worship of deities like Śiva, Viṣṇu, Devī. From the nature of the subjects dealt with, it is wrong to assume that the ancient Purāṇa literature was divided into few water-tight compartments like the Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava. On this unfounded assumption, these works of value are looked upon as sectarian in character and extent. Whatever classification any Purāṇa may come under, the fact is that every Purāṇa speaks of almost of all deities. For example, in the so-called Śaiva Purāṇa, we come across legends of Viṣṇu, Brahmā and other gods together with their heroic exploits. This can be seen from the Vāyu Purāṇa itself. In the same way, in the so-called Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa, the legends of Śiva and other deities largely figure. Some Purāṇas extol the legendary exploits of a particular deity, and thus seem to inculcate preferential worship to that deity. From this we cannot rush to the conclusion that that Purāṇa is exclusively Śaiva or Vaiṣṇava. Though a particular deity is extolled, it cannot be said that the other deities were ignored or condemned. One interesting point about these Purāṇas is that every Purāṇa specifies the number eighteen together with their names. If it is really sectarian, it will not make mention of other sectarian Purāṇas.