The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (374 page)

) made it their scriptural authority. It is a complex work, fusing many different traditions, hence its wide popularity. Its basic structure and content derive from the
Vi
u
Pur
a
(with traces of influence also from the
M
rka
eya-pur
a
). But unlike that source, and the earlier pur
as generally, it uses highly sophisticated lyrical metres and descriptions (often presented as songs). Also, the form of devotion it advocates—an intense emotionalism that aims at
ecstasy
—is quite different from earlier
bhakti
texts (such as the
Bhagavad-g
t
or the
Vi
u Pur
a