ABSTRACT
The next category in our division of sm ti is Purā a, meaning something old or ancient; here the word refers to a textual, i.e. oral or written, repository of folklore. In fact, purā a refers primarily to members of a group of Sanskrit texts, traditionally eighteen in number, although as is often the case in Hinduism, the candidates contending for inclusion in the collection are more numerous than the figure sanctioned by tradition. There are also supposed to be eighteen UpaPurā as or sub-Purā as-no doubt a way of accommodating the overflowthough the lists of the two collections can vary and it is not always clear on what grounds particular lists differ. There is a fluidity in such matters in Hindu tradition which is typical; preference of candidates for such lists are expressed according to circumstances and the dictates of the religious tradition in which one finds oneself.
