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" Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha !"
Q. ) Difference between Puraanams and Ithihaasam
The Ithihaasams are written during the period of the event and the puraanams are written after the event has taken place. Since we will not be able to understand the meanings just by using Vedam, Narayana incarnates in this world and he sets an example of how and what we should follow in our life. It has been mentioned that only with the help of Ithihaasas and Puraanams we will be able to understand the Vedhams to some extent.
The Puraanams and Ithihaasam provide us the knowledge of the Shastra:s. The Vedas/ Veda:ntha:s/ Upanishads form the basis and bless us with the knowledge of Brahmam. The Shastras is the only source of knowledge to recognize, realize and reach Brahmam. Since Brahmam is beyond our vision, time and place its difficult to understand Brahmam with the help of just Sashtras. So there are some auxiliary texts and by understanding these texts we will be able to appreciate vedas and Vedantaas. These texts are called as Ithihaasas and puranas. If Vedas are theory based, then Ithihaasas and puranas can be called as practical based.
Among the Ithihaasas and puraanas we know just some of them, there may be many but 2 Ithihaasas and 18 puranas are popular ones.
The two Ithihaasas - epics are
1) Sri Ramayana
2) Mahabaratha
The Puranas are 18 in number and they are categorized into three categories as
a) Saathivika Puranas
b) Rajasha Puranas
c) Thaamasa puranas.
All these puraanaas are propounded by Brahma and he taught it to his son Vasishta and Vasista taught it to his son Sakthi and he inturn taught it to Parasarar and parasarar to his son Vedavyaasar. And Vedavyasaar took the pain to preach these puraanas to this world. Thats how we came to know about these puraanas.
The Raajasa puraanas has the subject as Brahma.
Agni and Shiva are the subject of the Thaamasa puraanas.
The subject of Saathvika Puraanas is Vishnu / Srimannarayana.
Jai Srimannaryana !
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