ndits to be prior to
Sankara.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 440: An attempt was made to adapt the Veda to modern ideas
by composing new Upanishads. The inspiration of such works is not
denied but they have not the same influence as the literature
mentioned below.]

[Footnote 441: Sri Bhashya, II. 2. 43. So too the Vishnu Purana, I.
1 describes itself as equal in sanctity to the Vedas. Sankara on Brah.
Sutras, I. 3. 33 says that the Puranas are authoritative.]

[Footnote 442: See Grierson in _Ind. Ant._ 1908, p. 251 and p. 373.]

[Footnote 443: _E.g._ the Sanatsujatiya and Anugita (both in _S.B.E._
VIII.). See Deussen, _Vier philosophische Texte des Mahabharatam._]

[Footnote 444: Forming part of the Brahmanda Purana.]

[Footnote 445: See for a summary of them Winternitz, _Gesch. Ind.
Lit._ I. pp. 450-483. For the dates see Pargiter Dynasties of the Kali
age. He holds that the historical portions of the older Puranas were
compiled in Prakrit about 250 A.D. and re-edited in Sanskrit about
350. See also Vincent Smith, _Early History_, p. 21 and, against
Pargiter, Keith in _J.R.A.S._ 1914, p. 1021. Alberuni (who wrote in
1030) mentions eighteen Puranas and gives two lists of them. Bana (c.
620 A.D.) mentions the recitation of the Vayu Purana. The commentary
on the Svetasvatara Upan. ascribed to Sankara quotes the Brahma P.,
Linga P. and Vishnu P. as authorities as well as Puranic texts
described as Vishnudharma and Sivadharmottara. But the authorship of
this commentary is doubtful. The Puranic literature as we know it
probably began with the Gupta dynasty or a century before it, but the
word Purana in the sense of an ancient legend which ought to be
learnt occurs as early as the Satapatha Brahmana (XI. 5. 6. 8) and
even in A.V. XI. 7. 24.]

[Footnote 446: See Dinesh Chandra Sen, _Hist. Bengali Language and
Lit._ pp. 220-225.]

[Footnote 447: Pargiter, _l.c._ pp. xvii, xxviii. It does not belong
to the latest class of Puranas for it seems to contemplate the
performance of Smarta rites not temple ceremonial, but it is not
quoted by Ramanuja (twelfth century) though he cites the Vishnu
Purana. Probably he disapproved of it.]

[Footnote 448: It was made as late as 1803 by Lallu Ji Lal, but is a
rendering into Hindi of a version in the Braj dialect, probably made
in the sixteenth century.]

[Footnote 449: Another Vishnuite work is cited indifferently as
Padma-tantra or Padma-samhita, and the Bhagavata Purana (I. 3. 8)