Changes

===The Puranas ===

===The Puranas ===

{{Main|Puranas (पुराणानि)}}The Puranas as a class of literature existed from very ancient times. For example, Taittriya Aranyaka (2.10) speaks of 'Brahmanas, Itihasas, Puranas and Narasamshi gathas. Brhadaranyaka, [[Chaandogya Upanishad (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद्)|Chandogya Upanishad]], Gautama dharmasutras, Skandapurana, Bhagavata purana and other texts also refer to the Puranas. Mahabharata (Vana. Parv. 191.6) speaks of the Purana given by Vayu (Vayupurana).<ref name=":5" />  

{{Main|Puranas (पुराणानि)}}The Puranas as a class of literature existed from very ancient times. For example, Taittriya Aranyaka (2.10) speaks of 'Brahmanas, Itihasas, Puranas and Narasamshi gathas. Brhadaranyaka, Chandogya Upanishad, Gautama dharmasutras, Skandapurana, Bhagavata purana and other texts also refer to the Puranas. Mahabharata (Vana. Parv. 191.6) speaks of the Purana given by Vayu (Vayupurana).<ref name=":5" />  

The Puranas were written to bring the the teachings of the Vedas closer to the common man. They contain the essence of the Vedas.<blockquote>सर्व वेदार्थ साराणि पुराणानि । sarva vēdārtha sārāṇi purāṇāni । (Nara. Pura. 1.9.100)</blockquote>The Puranas have five characteristics (Pancha-Lakshana) viz., history, cosmology (with various symbolical illustrations of philosophical principles), secondary creation, genealogy of kings and of Manvantaras.

The Puranas were written to bring the the teachings of the Vedas closer to the common man. They contain the essence of the Vedas.<blockquote>सर्व वेदार्थ साराणि पुराणानि । sarva vēdārtha sārāṇi purāṇāni । (Nara. Pura. 1.9.100)</blockquote>The Puranas have five characteristics (Pancha-Lakshana) viz., history, cosmology (with various symbolical illustrations of philosophical principles), secondary creation, genealogy of kings and of Manvantaras.

The aim of the Puranas is to impress on the minds of the masses the teachings of the Vedas and to generate in them devotion to deities and celestial beings, through concrete examples, stories, legends, lives of rishis, rajas, maharajas and great men, allegories and chronicles of great historical events. The seers made use of these to illustrate the eternal principles of religion. The Puranas were meant, not for the scholars, but for the ordinary people who could not understand deep philosophy and who could not study the Vedas.

The aim of the Puranas is to impress on the minds of the masses the teachings of the Vedas and to generate in them devotion to deities and celestial beings, through concrete examples, stories, legends, lives of rishis, rajas, maharajas and great men, allegories and chronicles of great historical events. The seers made use of these to illustrate the eternal principles of religion. The Puranas were meant, not for the scholars, but for the ordinary people who could not understand deep philosophy and who could not study the Vedas.

The Darshanas propound complex and abstract thoughts which cannot be easily grasped. They are meant only for the learned few. Through Puranas, essential teachings are taught in a very easy and interesting way. Even to this day, the Puranas are popular. The Puranas contain the history of remote times. They also give a description of the regions of the universe not visible to the ordinary physical eye. They are very interesting to read and are full of information of all kinds.<ref name=":022" /> Early commentators namely, Apararka, Ballalasena and Hemadri profusely quote the Puranas as the sources of dharma. Topics like Shraddha, Vratas, danas, shanti karmas, tirthas, rajadharmas are predominantly seen in the Matsya Purana. So also in the Vishnupurana, [[Varnashrama Dharma (वर्णाश्रमधर्मः)|varnashramadharmas]], [[Panchamahayajnas (पञ्चमहायज्ञाः)|panchamahayajnas]], samskaras, nitya and naimittika karmas are extensively described.<ref name=":5" />  

The Darshanas propound complex and abstract thoughts which cannot be easily grasped. They are meant only for the learned few. Through Puranas, essential teachings are taught in a very easy and interesting way. Even to this day, the Puranas are popular. The Puranas contain the history of remote times. They also give a description of the regions of the universe not visible to the ordinary physical eye. They are very interesting to read and are full of information of all kinds.<ref name=":022" /> Early commentators namely, Apararka, Ballalasena and Hemadri profusely quote the Puranas as the sources of dharma. Topics like [[Shraddha (श्राद्धम्)|Shraddha]], Vratas, danas, shanti karmas, tirthas, rajadharmas are predominantly seen in the Matsya Purana. So also in the Vishnupurana, [[Varnashrama Dharma (वर्णाश्रमधर्मः)|varnashramadharmas]], [[Panchamahayajnas (पञ्चमहायज्ञाः)|panchamahayajnas]], [[Samskaras (संस्काराः)|samskaras]], nitya and naimittika karmas are extensively described.<ref name=":5" />  

====The Eighteen Mahapuranas ====

====The Eighteen Mahapuranas ====

* [[Mimamsa Darshana (मीमांसदर्शनम्)]]

* [[Mimamsa Darshana (मीमांसदर्शनम्)]]

* [[Vedanta Darshana (वेदान्तदर्शनम्)]]

* [[Vedanta Darshana (वेदान्तदर्शनम्)]]

}}Purva Mimamsa is commonly called as Mimamsa, while Uttara Mimamsa is called Vedanta. Each Darshana is associated with a rishi, a preceptor, who gives its principles in the form of Sutras or short terse sentences embedded with a great meaning in them. Thus the [[Shastra Lekhana Paddhati (शास्त्रलेखनपद्धतिः)|shastra lekhana paddhati]] or the writing format of shastras primarily involve the Sutras for which Bhashyam, a commentary and further on Vritti or Vartikas which are also explanatory notes are written by various authors. The object of all the darshanas is the same - to rescue men from sufferings of three kinds  

}}Purva Mimamsa is commonly called as Mimamsa, while Uttara Mimamsa is called Vedanta. Each Darshana is associated with a rishi, a preceptor, who gives its principles in the form of Sutras or short terse sentences embedded with a great meaning in them. Thus the [[Shastra Shikshana Paddhati (शास्त्रशिक्षणपद्धतिः)|shastra shikshana paddhati]] or the writing format of shastras primarily involve the Sutras for which Bhashyam, a commentary and further on Vritti or Vartikas which are also explanatory notes are written by various authors. The object of all the darshanas is the same - to rescue men from sufferings of three kinds  

* Adhyatmika

* Adhyatmika

* Adibhautika

* Adibhautika