Padmanabhan Janakiraman
Member
Definition of Purana and Itihasa.
Puranas are by definition, the narrations of incidents that occurred in the remote past.
The definition of Purana does not in any way indicate that incidents mentioned in a Purana are old; it only indicates that the narrator is referring to incidents which occurred several centuries before him.
The Itihasas (the epics) on the other hand, are by definition, the narrations of incidents that occurred during the life time of the narrator. Thus Mahabharata and Ramayana are records of contemporary history where as all the Puranas like the Bhagavata_Purana, Matsya-Purana, Vishnu-Purana etc are records of pre-history. But this doesn't in any way mean that the Puranas are older than the Itihasas.
Itihasas can also grow in size when contemporary information is continuously added to it. This has happened to Mahabharata. That is why it is several times larger than Ramayana. In the case of Ramayana this tendency of growth was not so prominent.
Puranic (pre-historic) narrations usually have lesser credibility compared to Itihasic (historic) narration. Sometimes fables are added. Sometimes narrations about the birth and death of the central figures are exaggerated.
Source: ancientvoice.wikidot
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copyrights.
Puranas are by definition, the narrations of incidents that occurred in the remote past.
The definition of Purana does not in any way indicate that incidents mentioned in a Purana are old; it only indicates that the narrator is referring to incidents which occurred several centuries before him.
The Itihasas (the epics) on the other hand, are by definition, the narrations of incidents that occurred during the life time of the narrator. Thus Mahabharata and Ramayana are records of contemporary history where as all the Puranas like the Bhagavata_Purana, Matsya-Purana, Vishnu-Purana etc are records of pre-history. But this doesn't in any way mean that the Puranas are older than the Itihasas.
Itihasas can also grow in size when contemporary information is continuously added to it. This has happened to Mahabharata. That is why it is several times larger than Ramayana. In the case of Ramayana this tendency of growth was not so prominent.
Puranic (pre-historic) narrations usually have lesser credibility compared to Itihasic (historic) narration. Sometimes fables are added. Sometimes narrations about the birth and death of the central figures are exaggerated.
Source: ancientvoice.wikidot
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copyrights.
