Studies in the Upapuranas
by R. C. Hazra | 1958 | 320,504 words
This book studies the Upapuranas: a vast category of (often Sanskrit) literature representing significant historical, religious, and cultural insights of the ancient Indian civilization. These Upa-Purana texts provide rich information, especially on Hinduism covering theology, mythology, rituals, and dynastic genealogies....
Chapter 9.14 - The Mahesha-purana (study)
This work [mahesa-upapurana] has been mentioned in two lists only, viz., those ascribed to the 'Brahma-vaivarta' in Mitra-misra's Viramitrodaya and Gopaladasa's Bhakti-ratnakara. Though derived from the same source, these two lists differ
in texts as well as in the titles of the Upapuranas. In Mitra-misra's list both the Vasistha-lainga and the Mahesa have been mentioned, but in Gopaladasa's list the Vasistha and the Mahesa have been named. In spite of this difference, we can safely take the Mahesa to be different from the Vasistha-lainga (which was known as Vasistha also and perhaps as Mahesvara too). It was also not identical with the Sivadharma, which is mentioned in Mitra-misra's list under the name of 'Saiva-dharma'. The mention of the 'Saiva' or 'Saivaka' (i.e. Siva-purana) in the lists of Puranas given by Mitra-misra from the 'Visnu-purana' and the 'Sribhagavata', shows that this 'Saiva' (or 'Saivaka') Purana and the 'Mahesa' Upapurana were not the same. As to the date of this Upapurana, we can only say that it must have been written earlier than 1200 A.D.
65 Viramitrodaya, Paribhasa-prakasa, p. 12.