The Purāṇas as Śruti

Abstract

The article "The Purāṇas as Śruti" by David Buchta investigates the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava hermeneutical strategy of elevating select Purāṇic texts—especially the Bhāgavata Purāṇa—to the authoritative status of śruti. Buchta explores Jīva Gosvāmin’s argument, particularly from his Tattva-sandarbha, that the Vedic category should be extended to include texts that are apauruṣeya (not of human origin) and embody ultimate truth. Through close reading, the article shows how Jīva deploys epistemological principles from Mīmāṁsā and Vedānta to establish that Purāṇas, though technically smṛti, fulfill all conditions for scriptural authority. Notably, Buchta highlights how Jīva’s classification bypasses traditional scriptural hierarchies by emphasizing the Bhāgavata’s capacity to reveal tattva (ontological truth) and its distinct theocentric focus on Bhagavān. The article places this reinterpretation within larger debates over canon, revealing how devotional communities reshape scriptural categories to legitimate theological innovations while staying anchored in classical exegesis.