![]() ![]() Even when the list varies, Brahmavaivarta Purana will invariably be included in the list of eighteen Maha-Puranas. The names in the list of eighteen are almost standardized. How many Puranas are there? This is an easier question to answer for Maha-Puranas. We also know agama texts coexisted with nigama texts and both strands coexist in the Puranas. This is how Saswati Sengupta defines the Puranas: “The puranas, a corpus composed with the view to widen the social base of Brahmanism by selectively sanctioning non- vedic rituals, were instrumental in the ideological incorporation of the ‘others’ (p.12).” Itihasa (the Mahabharata, the Ramayana) and Puranas are believed to have been composed by Vedavyasa to popularize the Vedas. ![]() There are major Puranas ( Maha-Puranas) and minor Puranas ( Upa-Puranas). ![]() In documenting Bengal’s “ laukika” (popular) tradition of worshipping Manasa, Chandi, Sashthi and Lakshmi and associated vratas, this is a valuable piece of research. ![]() Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” That’s Sherlock Holmes, of course, and I was reminded of the second sentence while reading this book. “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. ![]()
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