The historical examination of Purana literature along the lines of textual criticism was long thought to be an impervious field. In recent years, however, this kind of investigation has received a boost from the publication of several critical editions of Purana texts, among them that of the original Skandapurana. The Purana panel of the 12th World Sanskrit Conference held in Helsinki in July of 2003 was envisaged to explore these new departures and to discuss ...