The Puranas are of the same class as the Itihasas. They have
five characteristics (Pancha-Lakshana) viz., history, cosmology
(with various symbolical illustrations of philosophical
principles), secondary creation, genealogy of kings and of
Manvantaras. All the Puranas belong to the class of Suhrit-
Samhitas. Vyasa is the compiler of the Puranas from age to age;
and for this age, he is Krishnadvaipayana, the son of Parasara.
The Puranas were written to popularise the religion of the
Vedas. They contain the essence of 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 God, through
concrete examples, myths, stories, legends, lives of saints,
kings and great men, allegories and chronicles of great
historical events. The sages made use of these things to
illustrate the eternal principles of religion. The Puranas were
meant, not for the scholars, but for the ordinary people who
could not understand high philosophy and who could no