365bet娱乐

Jan., 1970] SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE V膧MANA PUR膧峁咥 145 authorship of the different Pur膩峁嘺s to different authors. According to this tradition, Vyasa was the author of only six Pur膩峁嘺s, which are called the R膩jasa Pur膩峁嘺s, and the VP is one of them.21 There are divergent views about the date of the VP. H. P. Shastri places it in the second century A.D.,22 while Wilson regards it as having been compiled three or four centuries ago. 23 Hazra, after subjecting the arguments advanced by these scholars to a critical examination, concludes that the date of the VP "falls either in the ninth or in the tenth century A.D., and most probably in the former."24 In his latest article on the subject, he states that the VP "was re-written by the Siva-worshippers in the ninth or tenth century A.D., retaining fragments here and there from its earlier form". 25 Durgashanker Shastri places the VP in the seventh century A. D. before the Bh膩gavata, but accepts the possi- bility of there being later interpolations in the VP. 26 According to Kane, the VP "would have to be placed between 600 to 900 A.D.", and we are inclined to agree with Kane's view. Cosmogony and cosmography in the VP are on a line with the other Pur膩峁嘺s. The special feature of the VP may be said to lie in its glorification of both Vis峁噓 and Siva and its emphasis on their identity, which demonstrates the catholicity of outlook on the part of its author or compiler. Though professedly a Vaisnavite work, there are probably as many Saivite legends in it as those of Vis峁噓. Such are, for instance about the marriage of 艢iva, birth of Ga峁噀艣a, life of K膩rttikeya, etc. as also those pertaining to Linga and Linga worship. Besides, there are legends of Dev墨, Durg膩, Katy膩yan墨, etc. With regard to the legends in the VP, Durga- shanker Shastri holds that the Prahlada-carita in the VP is prior to that in the Bhagavata and Vis峁噓 but later than that in the Harivamsa; that the Devi-M膩h膩tmya, Mahi峁Ｄ乻ura-vadha, Canda- Munda-vadha, 艢umbha-Nisumbha-vadha, etc, in the VP are earlier than the Devi-M膩h膩tmya of the Markandeya; and that the Saiva 21. Bhavisya, III. 3. 28. 10-15. 22. Cat. of Skt MSS, ASB, V, Preface, pp. clxxxii-clxxxiii. 23. Visnu Purana, Preface, p. lxxvi. 24. Puranic Records &e, p. 91. 25. Cultural Heritage of India, Rev. Ed., II, p. 260. 26. Purana Vivecana (in Gujarati), p. 197. 27. Hist. of Dharmsaastra, V, p. 905. 19