Question
Where Epics and Puranas are mentioned as 5th Veda?
Answer
Similarly, I heard that Epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata) are called as 5th Veda or sometimes Epics and Puranas collectively called as 5th Veda. So, is there any scripture where Ramayana is mentioned as 5th Veda or Epics collectively are mentioned as 5th Veda?
Yes, there is. First of all, the Bhagavatam is one of them, in fact the very Bhagavatam verse you quoted:
ṛg-yajuḥ-sāmātharvākhy vedāś catvāra uddhṛtāḥ
itihāsa-purāṇaṁ ca pañcamo veda ucyate
It's just a translation issue; the verse is actually saying that Itihasas (epics) and Puranas together constitute the fifth Veda.
In any case, another chapter of the Sriman Bhagavatam provides more detail on this:
Beginning from the front face of Brahmā, gradually the four Vedas — Ṛk, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva — became manifest. Thereafter, Vedic hymns which had not been pronounced before, priestly rituals, the subject matters of the recitation, and transcendental activities were all established, one after another. He also created the medical science, military art, musical art and architectural science, all from the Vedas. They all emanated one after another, beginning from the front face. Then he created the fifth Veda — the Purāṇas and the histories — from all his mouths, since he could see all the past, present and future.
This chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad also says that Itihasas and Puranas are the fifth Veda:
I know the Rig-veda, Sir, the Yagur-veda, the Sâma-veda, as the fourth the Âtharvana, as the fifth the Itihâsa-purâna; the Veda of the Vedas; the Pitrya; the Râsi; the Daiva; the Nidhi; the Vâkovâky; the Ekâyana; the Deva-vidyâ; the Brahma-vidyâ; the Bhûta-vidyâ; the Kshatra-vidyâ; the Nakshatra-vidyâ (astronomy); the Sarpa and Devagana-vidyâ.
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