Knowledge Bank

What is the difference between Itihasa and Purana?

The definition of Itihasa is इतिह आस्ते अस्मिन् - it contains advice for leading a meaningful life. They are based on real incidents of the past. The definition of Purana is पुरातनवृत्तान्तकथनम् - Puranas are narrations of past incidents. Itihasas are centered around a particular theme; Ramayana around Rama's life and Mahabharata around the Kuru Vamsha. A book can be called Purana only if it contains the following five: 1. Sarga - description of primary creation. 2. Pratisarga - description of secondary creation. 3. Vamsha - description of important Vamshas such as Surya Vamsha and Chandra Vamsha. 4. Manvantara - description of the 14 Manvantaras, Manus, Devas, Rishis, and avataras. 5. Vamshanucharita - description of the important persons in the Vamshas. पुराणं पञ्चलक्षणम् - Puranas should have these five characteristics.

Who was more powerful, Kans or Jarasandha?

Jarasandha was an emperor. Kans was the king of Mathura. Mahabharata says that Kans derived his power from Jarasandha. Kans was Jarasandha’s son-in-law. Krishna killed Kans but did not kill Jarasandha even after 18 battles. Krishna tells Yudhishtira that he, Balarama, and the eighteen clans of the Yadavas would not be able to defeat Jarasandha even if they fought for 300 years.