ABSTRACT
The Smrtis embody the laws formulated by saints and sages—Manu, Yajnavalkya, and others. Since to the Hindu mind only the Vedas are wholly sacrosanct, it follows that the Smrtis at best possess but a secondary authority. They record civil laws, social obligations, and ceremonies performed at the birth of a child, during initiation into Vedic mantra, at marriage, and at the moment of death. The Puranas were written mainly to popularize the abstract ethical and spiritual truths of the Vedas and the Upanisads by means of concrete illustrations from the lives of avatars, saints, sages, kings, and devotees, whether historical or legendary. The Puranas, then, popularize the abstract teachings of the Upanisads by means of stories concerning saints, sages, and kings. The principal beauty of the Puranas lies in the fact that they reconcile knowledge and devotion. The Bhagavatam is not only the most popular of all the Puranas but is regarded by the Vaisnavas as one of the genuinely authoritative scriptures.
