Purana (Sanskrit: meaning "belonging to ancient times") is the name of a genre (or a group of related genres) of Hindu Sanskrit literature (as distinct from oral tradition). Its general themes are history, tradition and religion. It is usually written in the form of stories related by one person to another.
There are many texts designated as 'Purana.' The most important are:
Mahāpurānas and Upapurānas, the main Puranic corpus Sthala Purānas, scriptures usually extolling the virtues of a certain Hindu temple. They narrate stories of the temple's creation and spiritual history. Kula Purāṇas - Scriptures that deal with the origin and legends of a particular caste. According to tradition the Puranas were composed by Vyasa at the end of Dvapara Yuga, whereas modern scholarship dates them to the latter half of the first millennium AD.
Classification and scopeThe Puranas are classified into a Mahā- ("great") and a Upa- ("lower, additional") corpus. Traditionally they are said to narrate five subjects, called pañcalakṣaṇa ("five distinguishing marks"), which are:
Sarga - The creation of the universe. Pratisarga - Secondary creations, mostly re-creations after dissolution. Vamśa - Genealogy of gods and sages. Manvañtara - The creation of the human race and the first human beings. Vamśānucaritam - Dynastic histories. Most Mahapuranas and Upapuranas deal with these subject matters, although the bulk of their text consists of historical and religious narratives. Some scholars have suggested that these 'distinguishing marks' are shared by other traditional religious scriptures of the world (e.g. the Bible) [2]. A Purana usually gives prominence to a certain deity (Shiva, Vishnu or Krishna, Durga) and depicts the other gods as subservient. Most use an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts in their narration, from Bhakti to Samkhya. Their composition marks the emergence of Vaishnavism and Shaivism, the division that is still prevalent in contemporary Hinduism.
The Puranas are available in vernacular translations and are disseminated by Brahmin scholars, who read from them and tell their stories, usually in Katha sessions (in which a travelling brahmin settles for a few weeks in a temple and narrates parts of a Purana, usually with a Bhakti perspective).
MahapuranasTraditionally it is said that there are 18 Mahapuranas and 18 Upapuranas. Each Mahapurana lists eighteen canonical puranas, but the contents of each list vary reflecting differences in time and place. Combining the lists, Dimmitt and van Buitenen [3] have collated twenty names:
Agni (15,400 verses)
There are many texts designated as 'Purana.' The most important are:
Mahāpurānas and Upapurānas, the main Puranic corpus Sthala Purānas, scriptures usually extolling the virtues of a certain Hindu temple. They narrate stories of the temple's creation and spiritual history. Kula Purāṇas - Scriptures that deal with the origin and legends of a particular caste. According to tradition the Puranas were composed by Vyasa at the end of Dvapara Yuga, whereas modern scholarship dates them to the latter half of the first millennium AD.
Classification and scopeThe Puranas are classified into a Mahā- ("great") and a Upa- ("lower, additional") corpus. Traditionally they are said to narrate five subjects, called pañcalakṣaṇa ("five distinguishing marks"), which are:
Sarga - The creation of the universe. Pratisarga - Secondary creations, mostly re-creations after dissolution. Vamśa - Genealogy of gods and sages. Manvañtara - The creation of the human race and the first human beings. Vamśānucaritam - Dynastic histories. Most Mahapuranas and Upapuranas deal with these subject matters, although the bulk of their text consists of historical and religious narratives. Some scholars have suggested that these 'distinguishing marks' are shared by other traditional religious scriptures of the world (e.g. the Bible) [2]. A Purana usually gives prominence to a certain deity (Shiva, Vishnu or Krishna, Durga) and depicts the other gods as subservient. Most use an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts in their narration, from Bhakti to Samkhya. Their composition marks the emergence of Vaishnavism and Shaivism, the division that is still prevalent in contemporary Hinduism.
The Puranas are available in vernacular translations and are disseminated by Brahmin scholars, who read from them and tell their stories, usually in Katha sessions (in which a travelling brahmin settles for a few weeks in a temple and narrates parts of a Purana, usually with a Bhakti perspective).
MahapuranasTraditionally it is said that there are 18 Mahapuranas and 18 Upapuranas. Each Mahapurana lists eighteen canonical puranas, but the contents of each list vary reflecting differences in time and place. Combining the lists, Dimmitt and van Buitenen [3] have collated twenty names:
Agni (15,400 verses)
Bhagavata (18,000 verses). The most celebrated and popular of the Puranas. It is concerned with Vishnu Bhakti, telling of the exploits and deeds of Vishnu's Avataras. Its tenth canto (its longest) narrates the deeds of Krishna and, probably for the first time in Sanskrit, tells of his exploits as a child, a theme later elaborated by many Bhakti movements.
Bhavishya (14,500 verses)
Brahma (24,000 verses)
Brahmanda (12,000 verses; includes Lalita Sahasranamam, a text some Hindus recite as prayer)
Brahmavaivarta (18,000 verses)
Garuda (19,000 verses)
Harivamsa (16,000 verses; more often considered itihāsa)
Kurma (17,000 verses)
Linga (11,000 verses)
Markandeya (9,000 verses; includes Devi Mahatmyam, an important text for Shaktas)
Matsya (14,000 verses)
Narada (25,000 verses)
Padma (55,000 verses)
Shiva (24,000 verses)
Skanda (81,100 verses), probably the longest of all, containing parables, legends and stories, with multiple versions and recensions. Many untraced quotes from a Purana are conveniently attributed to this Purana.
Vamana (10,000 verses)
Varaha (10,000 verses)
Vayu (24,000 verses)
Vishnu (23,000 verses)
ClassificationThe Mahapuranas are also classified by the three aspects of Trimurti,
Brahma Puranas Brahma Purana Brahmānda Purana Brahma Vaivarta Purana Mārkandeya Purana Bhavishya Purana Vāmana Purana Vishnu Puranas Vishnu Purana Bhagavata Purana Nāradeya Purana Garuda Purana Padma Purana Varaha Purana Shiva Puranas Shiva Purana Vāyu purana Linga Purana Skanda Purana Agni Purana Matsya Purana Kūrma purana
Vaishnava classification by gunaOf the Mahapuranas it is said that six belong to the quality (guna) of goodness, six to passion, and six to ignorance. According to the Padma Purana, these are the Mahapuranas and their corresponding qualities:
Sattva ("truth; purity"): Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Naradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana Rajas ("dimness; passion"): Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana Tamas ("darkness; ignorance": Matsya Purana, Kurma purana, Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana A page from the Bhagavatapurana. Varahapurana.Authorship, name and chronologyTraditionally, the Puranas are said to have been composed by the sage Vyasa, the narrator of the Mahabharata epic. Vyasa in Sanskrit means 'Divider,' and some scholars therefore take this simply as a term meaning 'Editor'. The texts, these scholars say, were probably written all over India and are being rewritten and reedited to the present day all over the world.
The term purana, which means "belonging to ancient times" or "an ancient tale or legend," appears in the Vedas (e.g. Atharvaveda 11.7.24 and the Satapatha Brahmana 11.5.6.8. and 13.4.3.13.. And the term itihasa purana, "account of ancient times," occurs in the Chandogya Upanishad.[10] and Nirukta.[11] and the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, where the text thus referred to is considered the "fifth Veda."
The specific corpus of the Mahapuranas, as opposed to generic purana "ancient tale", are generally estimated to date to the Early Middle Ages, or to roughly between the 5th and 10th centuries, but may contain older material; according to Pargiter, an "original Purana" may date to the time of the final redaction of the Vedas.
Puranic genealogiesThe Puranas also lay emphasis on keeping a record of genealogies, thus Vayu Purana says: "As seen by good people in the ancient times the suta's duty was to preserve the genealogies of gods, rsis and glorious kings and the traditions of great men." (Vayu P. 1. 31-2)
The Puranic genealogies add up to fantastic time depths Pargiter has argued that in the Puranas, the Puranic Krta Yuga "ended with the destruction of the Haihayas [by Rama Jamadagnya]; the Treta began approximately with Sagara and ended with Rama Dasarathi's destruction of the Raksasas; and the Dvapara began with his reinstatement at Ayodhya and ended with the Bharata battle". The Puranas themselves state that these lists are incomplete. In Arrian's Indica, Megasthenes is quoted as stating that the Indians counted from Shiva (Dionysos) to Chandragupta Maurya (Sandracottus) "a hundred and fifty-three kings over six thousand and forty-three years." The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (4.6.), ca. 8th century BCE, mentions 57 links in the Guru-Parampara ("succession of teachers"). This would mean that this Guru-Parampara would go back about 1400 years, although the accuracy of this list is disputed. The list of kings in Kalhana's Rajatarangini goes back to the 19th century BCE.
The Puranic genealogies indicate that Manu Vaivasvata lived 95 generations before the Bharata War.
UpapuranasThe corpus of Upapuranas is less clearly defined. Some Upapuranas are: Sanat-kumara, Narasimha, Brihan-naradiya, Siva-rahasya, Durvasa, Kapila, Vamana, Bhargava, Varuna, Kalika, Samba, Nandi, Surya, Parasara, Vasishtha, Devi-Bhagavata, Ganesa, Mudgala, and Hamsa. The Ganesa and Mudgala Puranas are sectarian Upapuranas devoted to Ganesha..
Most of these have not been critically edited yet, and are available mostly through devotional publications, in multiple versions and recensions.
The Devi-Bhagavata Purana extols the virtues of the goddess Durga as the supreme being. It has become (along with the Devi Mahatmya of the Mārkandeya Purana) a basic text for Devi worshipers.
Other Hindu Puranas
Sthala PuranasThis corpus of texts narrates the virtues and stories connected with a certain temple or shrine (the word 'Sthala' means 'Place' in Sanskrit). There are numerous Sthala Puranas, most written in vernaculars, some with Sanskrit versions as well. Most claim to have a Sanskrit origin, and some of the Sanskrit versions also appear in a Mahapurana or an Upapurana. Some Tamil Sthala Puranas have been researched by David Dean Shulman.
Kula PuranasThese are mostly caste focused Puranas (the word 'Kula' means 'Family' or 'Tribe' in Sanskrit). They deal with a caste's origin myth, stories and legends. The caste purana is an important source for caste identity and is usually contested by other, rival, castes. This subgenre is usually in the vernacular and might at times be oral.
This subgenre has been little researched. But it is rather well documented in the caste section of the British Census of India Report and the various Gazzeteers.
OtherThere are many other narratives that go by the name of Purana. Most are written in vernaculars and are usually concerned with mythical and historical narrations. These texts, such as the Padma Purana of Bengal and Assam (narrating the story of the goddess Manasā), are vast in number and scattered all over the Indian subcontinent.
Non-Hindu PuranasThere are many Jain Puranas, dealing with Jain myths, history and legends. Studies and translations of this particular genre are meagre. Arguably, some Buddhist Mahāyāna Sūtras seem to have some characteristics of Puranas.
ClassificationThe Mahapuranas are also classified by the three aspects of Trimurti,
Brahma Puranas Brahma Purana Brahmānda Purana Brahma Vaivarta Purana Mārkandeya Purana Bhavishya Purana Vāmana Purana Vishnu Puranas Vishnu Purana Bhagavata Purana Nāradeya Purana Garuda Purana Padma Purana Varaha Purana Shiva Puranas Shiva Purana Vāyu purana Linga Purana Skanda Purana Agni Purana Matsya Purana Kūrma purana
Vaishnava classification by gunaOf the Mahapuranas it is said that six belong to the quality (guna) of goodness, six to passion, and six to ignorance. According to the Padma Purana, these are the Mahapuranas and their corresponding qualities:
Sattva ("truth; purity"): Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Naradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana Rajas ("dimness; passion"): Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana Tamas ("darkness; ignorance": Matsya Purana, Kurma purana, Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana A page from the Bhagavatapurana. Varahapurana.Authorship, name and chronologyTraditionally, the Puranas are said to have been composed by the sage Vyasa, the narrator of the Mahabharata epic. Vyasa in Sanskrit means 'Divider,' and some scholars therefore take this simply as a term meaning 'Editor'. The texts, these scholars say, were probably written all over India and are being rewritten and reedited to the present day all over the world.
The term purana, which means "belonging to ancient times" or "an ancient tale or legend," appears in the Vedas (e.g. Atharvaveda 11.7.24 and the Satapatha Brahmana 11.5.6.8. and 13.4.3.13.. And the term itihasa purana, "account of ancient times," occurs in the Chandogya Upanishad.[10] and Nirukta.[11] and the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, where the text thus referred to is considered the "fifth Veda."
The specific corpus of the Mahapuranas, as opposed to generic purana "ancient tale", are generally estimated to date to the Early Middle Ages, or to roughly between the 5th and 10th centuries, but may contain older material; according to Pargiter, an "original Purana" may date to the time of the final redaction of the Vedas.
Puranic genealogiesThe Puranas also lay emphasis on keeping a record of genealogies, thus Vayu Purana says: "As seen by good people in the ancient times the suta's duty was to preserve the genealogies of gods, rsis and glorious kings and the traditions of great men." (Vayu P. 1. 31-2)
The Puranic genealogies add up to fantastic time depths Pargiter has argued that in the Puranas, the Puranic Krta Yuga "ended with the destruction of the Haihayas [by Rama Jamadagnya]; the Treta began approximately with Sagara and ended with Rama Dasarathi's destruction of the Raksasas; and the Dvapara began with his reinstatement at Ayodhya and ended with the Bharata battle". The Puranas themselves state that these lists are incomplete. In Arrian's Indica, Megasthenes is quoted as stating that the Indians counted from Shiva (Dionysos) to Chandragupta Maurya (Sandracottus) "a hundred and fifty-three kings over six thousand and forty-three years." The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (4.6.), ca. 8th century BCE, mentions 57 links in the Guru-Parampara ("succession of teachers"). This would mean that this Guru-Parampara would go back about 1400 years, although the accuracy of this list is disputed. The list of kings in Kalhana's Rajatarangini goes back to the 19th century BCE.
The Puranic genealogies indicate that Manu Vaivasvata lived 95 generations before the Bharata War.
UpapuranasThe corpus of Upapuranas is less clearly defined. Some Upapuranas are: Sanat-kumara, Narasimha, Brihan-naradiya, Siva-rahasya, Durvasa, Kapila, Vamana, Bhargava, Varuna, Kalika, Samba, Nandi, Surya, Parasara, Vasishtha, Devi-Bhagavata, Ganesa, Mudgala, and Hamsa. The Ganesa and Mudgala Puranas are sectarian Upapuranas devoted to Ganesha..
Most of these have not been critically edited yet, and are available mostly through devotional publications, in multiple versions and recensions.
The Devi-Bhagavata Purana extols the virtues of the goddess Durga as the supreme being. It has become (along with the Devi Mahatmya of the Mārkandeya Purana) a basic text for Devi worshipers.
Other Hindu Puranas
Sthala PuranasThis corpus of texts narrates the virtues and stories connected with a certain temple or shrine (the word 'Sthala' means 'Place' in Sanskrit). There are numerous Sthala Puranas, most written in vernaculars, some with Sanskrit versions as well. Most claim to have a Sanskrit origin, and some of the Sanskrit versions also appear in a Mahapurana or an Upapurana. Some Tamil Sthala Puranas have been researched by David Dean Shulman.
Kula PuranasThese are mostly caste focused Puranas (the word 'Kula' means 'Family' or 'Tribe' in Sanskrit). They deal with a caste's origin myth, stories and legends. The caste purana is an important source for caste identity and is usually contested by other, rival, castes. This subgenre is usually in the vernacular and might at times be oral.
This subgenre has been little researched. But it is rather well documented in the caste section of the British Census of India Report and the various Gazzeteers.
OtherThere are many other narratives that go by the name of Purana. Most are written in vernaculars and are usually concerned with mythical and historical narrations. These texts, such as the Padma Purana of Bengal and Assam (narrating the story of the goddess Manasā), are vast in number and scattered all over the Indian subcontinent.
Non-Hindu PuranasThere are many Jain Puranas, dealing with Jain myths, history and legends. Studies and translations of this particular genre are meagre. Arguably, some Buddhist Mahāyāna Sūtras seem to have some characteristics of Puranas.
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