Talk:Purānasamhitā
By Swami Harshananda
Purānasamhitā (‘collection of ancient anecdotes’)
The purāṇas are extremely popular in the Hindu society even today. Many of the religious rites and practices as also temple rituals are based on, or, connected with, the purāṇas.
The basic material of these purāṇas lies in the gāthās (metrical songs or proverbial sayings), ākhyāyikās (ancient tales), upākhyānas (anecdotes) and kalpok-tis (old sayings), often referred to even in the Vedic literature.
The sage Vyāsa is said to have compiled them all into one treatise called the Purānasamhitā, which became the basic work for the later purāṇas and upapurāṇas.
See PURĀNAS also.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore