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Purana (Sanskrit: पुराण purāṇa), meaning "belonging to ancient or olden times," is the name of an ancient Indian genre (or a group of related genres) of Hindu or Jain literature (as distinct from oral tradition). Literature regarded as central to the Hindu literary tradition was predominantly composed in Sanskrit, Indeed much of the morphology and linguistic "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. The Rigveda ( Sanskrit sa ऋग्वेद ṛgveda, a compound of ṛc "praise verse" and veda "knowledge" The Yajurveda ( Sanskrit यजुर्वेदः, a Tatpurusha compound of yajus "sacrificial formula' + veda The Samaveda ( Sanskrit: सामवेद sāmaveda, from sāman "melody" + veda "knowledge") is third (in the usual The Atharvaveda ( Sanskrit: अथर्ववेद atharvaveda, a Tatpurusha compound of {{IAST|atharvan}}, an ancient Rishi The oral tradition of the Vedas ( Śrauta) consists of several pathas, "recitations" or ways of chanting the Vedic Mantras Such traditions The Brāhmaṇa s ( Devanagari: sa ब्राह्मणं are part of the Hindu śruti literature The Aranyakas (Sanskrit आरण्यक āraṇyaka) are part of the Hindu śruti, the four Vedas these religious texts were composed in The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings The Aitareya Upanishad is one of the older "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad ( Sanskrit: बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् is one of the older "primary" ( Mukhya The Isha Upanishad ( īśa upaniṣad, otherwise Ishopanishad īśopaniṣad or īśāvāsya upaniṣad) is one of the shortest of the Upanishads The Taittiriya Upanishad is one of the older " primary " Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. The Chandogya Upanishad is one of the "primary" ( Mukhya) Upanishads Together with the Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana and the Brihadaranyaka The Kena Upanishad (kenopaniṣad is one of the older "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. The Muṇḍaka Upanishad is one of the older "primary" ( Mukhya) Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. Māndūkya Upanishad is the shortest Upanishads - the scriptures of Hindu Vedanta. The Kaṭha Upanishad is one of the older Mukhya "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. Prashna Upanishad ( IAST praṣnopaniṣad is one of the older "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad (Sanskrit Śvetāśvatara) (400 - 200 BCE is one of the older "primary" Upanishads It is associated with the Black The Vedanga ( vedāṅga, "member of the Veda" are six auxiliary disciplines for the understanding and tradition of the Vedas. See Shiksha (NGO for the Indian non-governmental organization The main principle of Vedic meter is measurement by the number of syllables The Sanskrit grammatical tradition of vyākaraṇa is one of the six Vedanga disciplines Nirukta ("explanation etymological interpretation" is one of the six {{IAST|Vedānga}} disciplines of Hinduism, treating Etymology, particularly Jyotiṣa ( Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light heavenly body" also spelled Jyotish and Jyotisha in English Kalpa is one of the six disciplines of Vedanga, treating Ritual. Indian epic poetry is the Epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent. The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki The following is a bibliography of Hindu scriptures and texts. Smriti (Sanskrit स्मृति " that which is remembered " refers to a specific body of Hindu religious Scripture If you are looking for the singer see Shruti Haasan. For other meanings see Śruti (disambiguation. Darśana ( Darshan, दर्शन is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" (in the sense of an instance of seeing or beholding from a root Pāñcarātra are Vaishnavite devotional texts dedicated to a single deity Sriman Narayana who manifests in different forms Tantras (" Looms " or " Weavings " refers to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions In Hinduism a Stotra is a hymn of praise These hymns praise aspects of the divine such as Devi, Siva, or Vishnu. Dharmaśāstra is a genre of Sanskrit texts and refers to the śāstra, or Indic branch of learning pertaining to Hindu Dharma, religious The Nalayira Divya Prabandha (or Nalayira Divya Prabhandham) is a collection of 4000 verses (Naalayira in Tamil means 'four thousand' composed before 8th century The Tevaram ( Tamil: தேவாரம் Teva means "God" aram means "garland") denotes the first seven volumes of the Śrī Rāmacaritamānas ( Devanāgarī: hi श्री राम चरित मानस ( Hindi / Avadhi) is an Epic poem composed by the The Shikshapatri ( Devanagari: शिक्षापत्री is a text of two hundred and twelve verses written in Sanskrit by Bhagwan Swaminarayan The Vachanamrut of Bhagwan Swaminarayan is the most sacred and foundational scripture of the Swaminarayan faith. Ananda Sutram is the basic scripture of modern Yoga composed in Sanskrit by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti (1921-1990 in the year 1961 Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical This article is about the history of South Asia prior to the Partition of British India in 1947 A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Literature in Sanskrit begins with the Vedas, and continues with the Sanskrit Epics of Iron Age India; the golden age of Classical Oral tradition, oral culture and oral lore is a way for a society to transmit history, literature, law and other Knowledges They primarily are post-Vedic texts containing a narrative of the history of the Universe, from creation to destruction, genealogies of the kings, heroes and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy and geography. ^[1]

Puranas are called the Friendly Treatises or Suhrit-Sammitas, and are usually written in the form of stories related by one person to another. Vyasa Rishi is considered to be the compiler of the Puranas. ^[2]

An early reference to Purana in its present sense can be traced to the Chandogya Upanishad (7. The Chandogya Upanishad is one of the "primary" ( Mukhya) Upanishads Together with the Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana and the Brihadaranyaka 1. 2), in which the sage Narada refers to itihāsapurāṇaṃ pañcamaṃ vedānāṃ. Thus the Chandogya Upanishad ascribes to the Puranas, together with Itihas, the status of a fifth Veda, or Panchama Veda. Indian epic poetry is the Epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent. The notion of a fifth veda ( Sanskrit: pañcama veda) that is of a text which lies outside than the four canonical Vedas but nonetheless has the status

There are many texts designated as 'Purana'. The most important are:

• Mahāpurāṇas and Upapurāṇas, the main Puranic corpus
• Sthala Purāṇas, scriptures usually extolling the virtues of a certain Hindu temple. A Hindu temple or Mandir ( Sanskrit: मंदिर is a house of worship for Hindus followers of Hinduism. 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. Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power.

The Mahāpurāṇas are dated philologically to between roughly the 3rd and the 12th centuries,^[3] the bulk of the texts likely originating in the Gupta period (320-500 CE), with incremental additions well into medieval times. The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Gupta Empire ( Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 C ^[4] According to Hindu tradition, the Puranas were composed by Vyasa at the end of Dvapara Yuga. Vyāsa ( Devanāgarī: व्यास is a central and revered figure in the majority of Hindu traditions Dvapara Yuga ( Devanagari: द्वापर युग is the third out of four Yugas or ages described in the scriptures of Hinduism.

In the opinion of Gavin Flood^[4], the Puranic corpus is a complex body of materials that advance the views of various competing cults:

Although these texts are related to each other, and material in one is found in another, they nevertheless each present a view of ordering of the world from a particular perspective. They must not be seen as random collections of old tales, but as highly selective and crafted expositions and presentations of worldviews and soteriologies, compiled by particular groups of Brahmins to propagate a particular vision, whether it be focused on Viṣṇu, Śiva, or Devī, or, indeed, any number of deities. Soteriology is the branch of theology that deals with Salvation.

Contents 1 Classification and scope 2 Mahapuranas 2.1 Classification by Trimurti 2.2 Classification by guna 2.3 Authorship, name and chronology 2.4 Puranic genealogies 3 Upapuranas 4 Other Hindu Puranas 4.1 Sthala Puranas 4.2 Kula Puranas 4.3 Other 5 Jain and Buddhist Puranas 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links 8.1 Texts 8.2 Translations 8.3 Synopses

Classification and scope

The Puranas are classified into a Mahā- ("great") and a Upa- ("lower, additional") corpus. According to Matysa Purana, ^[5] they are said to narrate five subjects, called Pancha Lakshana pañcalakṣaṇa ("five distinguishing marks"):

1. Sarga - The creation of the universe.
2. Pratisarga - Secondary creations, mostly re-creations after dissolution.
3. Vamśa - Genealogy of gods and sages.
4. Manvañtara - The creation of the human race and the first human beings.
5. Vamśānucaritam - Dynastic histories.

Manvantras is the period of Manu's rule consisting of 71 celestial Yugas or 308,448,000 years. Swami Sivananda

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). Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin ^[6] A Purana usually gives prominence to a certain deity (Shiva, Vishnu or Krishna, Durga) and depicts the other gods as subservient. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism In Hinduism, Durga ("the inaccessible" or "the invincible" or Maa Durga (Mother Durga is a form of Devi, the supreme Goddess Most use an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts in their narration, from Bhakti to Samkhya. Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Sankhya, also Samkhya, ( सांख्य, IAST: sānkhya - 'enumeration' is one of the six schools of classical Indian philosophy.

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). Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion.

Mahapuranas

Traditionally 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 ^[7] have collated twenty names:

1. Agni (15,400 verses)
2. Bhagavata (18,000 verses). Agni Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text contains descriptions and details of various incarnations ( Avatars of Vishnu The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature The most celebrated and popular of the Puranas. ^[8] It is concerned with Vishnu Bhakti, telling of the exploits and deeds of Vishnu's Avataras. Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation 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. The Bhakti movement was a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual practice was loving devotion to God, or Bhakti. ^[9]
3. Bhavishya (14,500 verses)
4. Brahma (24,000 verses)
5. Brahmanda (12,000 verses; includes Lalita Sahasranamam, a text some Hindus recite as prayer)
6. Brahmavaivarta (18,000 verses)
7. Garuda (19,000 verses)
8. Harivamsa (16,000 verses; more often considered itihāsa)
9. Kurma (17,000 verses)
10. Linga (11,000 verses)
11. Markandeya (9,000 verses; includes Devi Mahatmyam, an important text for Shaktas)
12. Matsya (14,000 verses)
13. Narada (25,000 verses)
14. Padma (55,000 verses)
15. Shiva (24,000 verses)
16. Skanda (81,100 verses), probably the longest of all, containing parables, legends and stories, with multiple versions and recensions. The Bhavishya Purana (Sanskrit Bhaviṣyat Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen major Hindu Puranas It is written in Sanskrit and attributed to Rishi Brahma Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, is a Hindu religious text Brahmanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is considered as the eighteenth Purana in almost all the lists of the Puranas and it Lalita Sahasranama is a sacred Hindu text for the worshippers of the Goddess Lalita Devi, i Brahma Vaivarta Purana, ( IAST brahma-vaivarta purāṇa) one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into four parts Garuda Purana is one of the Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as Smriti. The Harivamsha (also Harivamsa; Sanskrit Harivaṃśa sa हरिवंश "the lineage of Hari ( Vishnu)" is an important Indian epic poetry is the Epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent. The Kurma Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, is a Hindu religious text Linga Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into two parts Markandeya Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is in the style of a dialogue between the sage Jaimini, and the sage The Devi Mahatmya ( Sanskrit: devīmāhātmyam, sa देवीमाहात्म्यम् or "Glory of the Goddess " is a Hindu Shaktism ( Sanskrit: Śāktaṃ sa शाक्तं lit "doctrine of power" or "doctrine of the Goddess") is a denomination of The Matsya Purana is the first and oldest of all the Puranas and Hindu scriptures and texts The Naradiya Purana, or Narada Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text Padma Purana ( Devanagari: पद्म पुराण one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into five parts The Shiva Purana is one of the Purāṇa s dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. Skanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is the largest Purana and is devoted mainly to the life and deed of Kartikeya Many untraced quotes from a Purana are conveniently attributed to this Purana. ^[10]
17. Vamana (10,000 verses)
18. Varaha (10,000 verses)
19. Vayu (24,000 verses)
20. Vishnu (23,000 verses)

Classification by Trimurti

The Mahapuranas are also classified by the three aspects of Trimurti,

• Brahma Puranas: Brahma Purana, Brahmānda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Mārkandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana,
• Vishnu Puranas: Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Nāradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana,Vāmana Purana,Kūrma Purana, Matsya Purana, Kalki Purana
• Shiva Puranas: Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana, Vāyu Purana

^[11]

Classification by guna

A reference from the Puranas themselves classifies the various Puranic texts in accordance with the three gunas (qualities of material nature) -- goodness, passion and ignorance. Vamana Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is devoted to the Vamana Avatar of Vishnu. Varaha Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text The Vayu Purana ( Hindi: वायु पुराण is a Shaiva Purana, a Hindu religious text dedicated to the god Vayu (the wind The Trimurti ( English: ‘three forms’ Sanskrit: trimūrti) is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation Brahma is the Hindu god ( deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, is a Hindu religious text Brahmanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is considered as the eighteenth Purana in almost all the lists of the Puranas and it Brahma Vaivarta Purana, ( IAST brahma-vaivarta purāṇa) one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into four parts Markandeya Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is in the style of a dialogue between the sage Jaimini, and the sage The Bhavishya Purana (Sanskrit Bhaviṣyat Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen major Hindu Puranas It is written in Sanskrit and attributed to Rishi For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature The Naradiya Purana, or Narada Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text Garuda Purana is one of the Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as Smriti. Padma Purana ( Devanagari: पद्म पुराण one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into five parts Varaha Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text Vamana Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is devoted to the Vamana Avatar of Vishnu. The Kurma Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, is a Hindu religious text The Matsya Purana is the first and oldest of all the Puranas and Hindu scriptures and texts The Kalki Purana (कल्कि पुराण is a prophectic work that details the life and times of Sri Kalki, the tenth and final Maha Avatara Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva The Shiva Purana is one of the Purāṇa s dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. Linga Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into two parts Skanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is the largest Purana and is devoted mainly to the life and deed of Kartikeya Agni Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text contains descriptions and details of various incarnations ( Avatars of Vishnu The Vayu Purana ( Hindi: वायु पुराण is a Shaiva Purana, a Hindu religious text dedicated to the god Vayu (the wind The Sanskrit word guṇa has the basic meaning of "string" or "a single thread or strand of a cord or twine" In Hindu philosophy, sattva ( Sanskrit sattva "purity" literally "existence reality" adjectival sāttvika "pure" In Samkhya philosophy one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, rajas (Sanskrit rajas, or rajoguna) is the quality ( Guna) of activity Of the Mahapuranas it is said that six are more effective for readers in the guna of goodness, six for those in the guna of passion, and six to people in the guna of ignorance. According to the Padma Purana,^[12] 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

Authorship, name and chronology

Traditionally, the Puranas are said to have been composed by the sage Vyasa, the narrator of the Mahabharata epic. In Hindu philosophy, sattva ( Sanskrit sattva "purity" literally "existence reality" adjectival sāttvika "pure" The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature The Naradiya Purana, or Narada Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text Garuda Purana is one of the Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as Smriti. Padma Purana ( Devanagari: पद्म पुराण one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into five parts Varaha Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text In Samkhya philosophy one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, rajas (Sanskrit rajas, or rajoguna) is the quality ( Guna) of activity Brahmanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is considered as the eighteenth Purana in almost all the lists of the Puranas and it Brahma Vaivarta Purana, ( IAST brahma-vaivarta purāṇa) one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into four parts Markandeya Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is in the style of a dialogue between the sage Jaimini, and the sage The Bhavishya Purana (Sanskrit Bhaviṣyat Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen major Hindu Puranas It is written in Sanskrit and attributed to Rishi Vamana Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is devoted to the Vamana Avatar of Vishnu. Brahma Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, is a Hindu religious text The Matsya Purana is the first and oldest of all the Puranas and Hindu scriptures and texts The Kurma Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, is a Hindu religious text Linga Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into two parts The Shiva Purana is one of the Purāṇa s dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. Skanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is the largest Purana and is devoted mainly to the life and deed of Kartikeya Agni Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text contains descriptions and details of various incarnations ( Avatars of Vishnu In Hinduism, Varaha (वाराह is the third Avatar of Vishnu, in the form of a Boar. The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature Vyāsa ( Devanāgarī: व्यास is a central and revered figure in the majority of Hindu traditions Vyasa in Sanskrit means 'Divider,' and some scholars therefore take this simply as a term meaning 'Editor'. Editing Language, Images or Sound through correction condensation organization and other modifications in various media ^[13] 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. "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. g. Atharvaveda 11. The Atharvaveda ( Sanskrit: अथर्ववेद atharvaveda, a Tatpurusha compound of {{IAST|atharvan}}, an ancient Rishi 7. 24^{[14] [15]}). And the term itihasa purana, "account of ancient times", occurs in the Chandogya Upanishad^[16], Nirukta^[17], Maitrayana Brahmana Upanisad^[18] and the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, where the text thus referred to is considered the "fifth Veda. Indian epic poetry is the Epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent. The Chandogya Upanishad is one of the "primary" ( Mukhya) Upanishads Together with the Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana and the Brihadaranyaka Nirukta ("explanation etymological interpretation" is one of the six {{IAST|Vedānga}} disciplines of Hinduism, treating Etymology, particularly The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad ( Sanskrit: बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् is one of the older "primary" ( Mukhya "^[19]

The specific corpus of the Mahapuranas, as opposed to generic purana "ancient tale", is sometimes estimated by Western scholars to date to the Early Middle Ages, or to roughly between the fifth and tenth centuries, but to contain older material; according to Pargiter, an "original Purana" may date to the time of the final redaction of the Vedas. The Early Middle Ages is a period in the History of Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire spanning roughly five centuries from AD 500 ^[14]

Puranic genealogies

The Puranas also lay emphasis on keeping a record of genealogies. Thus the 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 see e. g. F. E. Pargiter (1922)^[14] and Pargiter (1979) ^{[20] [21]} Pargiter has argued that in the Puranas the Puranic Krta Yuga^[22] "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". ^[23] The Puranas themselves state that these lists are incomplete. ^{[14] [24]} 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. For others with this name see Arrianus (disambiguation. Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon' (ca Indica is the name of an ancient book about India written by Arrian, one of the main ancient historians of Alexander the Great. Megasthenes (Μεγασθένης ca 350 BC - 290 BC was a Greek traveller and Geographer. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Chandragupta may refer to Chandragupta Maurya, Indian king Mauryan Empire 322–293 BCE Chandragupta I, Indian king Gupta Empire 320-335 "^[25] The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (4. 6. ), ca. 8th century BCE, mentions 57 links in the Guru-Parampara ("succession of teachers"). A guru (गुरु গুরু is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge wisdom and authority in a certain area and uses it to guide others Parampara ( Sanskrit: परम्परा paramparā) denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture This would mean that this Guru-Parampara would go back about 1400 years, although the accuracy of this list is disputed. ^[26] The list of kings in Kalhana's Rajatarangini goes back to the 19th century BCE. Kalhana ( कल्हण) (c 12th century) a Kashmiri Brahmin was the celebrated author of Rajatarangini, Kashmir 's history The Rājatarangiṇī ( The River of Kings) is a metrical chronicle of the kings of Kashmir from earliest time written in Sanskrit by Kalhaṇa. ^[27]

The Puranic genealogies indicate that Manu Vaivasvata lived 95 generations before the Bharata War. ^[28]

Upapuranas

Upapuranas are eighteen in number, namely: Sanat-kumara, Narasimha, Brihan-naradiya, Siva-rahasya, Durvasa, Kapila, Vamana, Bhargava, Varuna, Kalika, Samba, Nandi, Surya, Parasara, Vasishtha, Devi-Bhagavata, Ganesha, Mudgala, and Hamsa. Narasimha Purana (Narasiṁha Purāṇa (Sanskritsa नरसिंह पुराण is one of the Upapuranas. The Kalika-Purana (composed c 10th century in Kamarupa (modern Assam) is one of the 18 Upapuranas It is an important work which The Samba Purana (Sāmba Purāṇa is one of the Saura Upapuranas. The Ganesha Purana ( Sanskrit:sa गणेश पुराणम् gaṇeśa purāṇam) is a Hindu religious text dedicated to the Hindu deity The Mudgala Purana ( Sanskrit:sa मुद्गल पुराणम् mudgala purāṇam) is a Hindu religious text dedicated to the Hindu deity ^[29] The Ganesha and Mudgala Puranas are sectarian Upapuranas devoted to Ganesha. Ganesha ( Sanskrit: sa गणेश Gaṇeśa) also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar ^{[30] [31]}

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. Devi-Bhagavata Purana popularly known as Shrimad Devi Bhagvatam, is a Hindu scripture in Sanskrit, dedicated to Devi, the Hindu name for the In Hinduism, Durga ("the inaccessible" or "the invincible" or Maa Durga (Mother Durga is a form of Devi, the supreme Goddess It has become (along with the Devi Mahatmya of the Mārkandeya Purana) a basic text for Devi worshipers. Devi ( Devanagari: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism. ^[32]

Other Hindu Puranas

Sthala Puranas

This 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. Vernacular refers to the Native language of a country or a locality 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. ^[33]

Kula Puranas

These 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. ^[34]

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. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British The Demographics of India are overall remarkably diverse India's population of approximately 1 A gazetteer is a geographical Dictionary or directory, an important reference for information about places and place names (see Toponomy) used in conjunction ^[35]

Other

There 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. Manasa (মনসা Manasha is a Hindu folk goddess of snakes worshipped mainly in Bengal and other parts of northeastern India, chiefly for the India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^[36]

Jain and Buddhist Puranas

There are many Jain Puranas, dealing with Jain myths, history and legends. ^{[37] [38]} Studies and English translations of this particular genre are meagre. The best known of them is the Mahapurana of Acharya Jinasena. Mahapurana (महापुराण is a major Jain text composed largely by Acharya Jinasena during the rule of Rashtrakuta ruler Amoghavarsha and completed An acharya ( acariya in Pali) is an important religious teacher ( Guru) who teaches by his own example (from Sanskrit 'achara' behavior Jinasena (जिनसेन is the name of several famous Jain Acharyas of the Digambar tradition The Jain Puranas form a major part of the early Kannada literature. Kannada literature is the body of literature of Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the

Swayambhu Purana, a Buddhist Purana, is major source of the history of the Kathmandu valley. Swayambhu Purana ( Devnagari: स्वयम्भू पूराण is a Buddhist scripture about the origin and development of Kathmandu valley Arguably, some Buddhist Mahāyāna Sūtras seem to have some characteristics of Puranas. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Historicity and Background Place in the Canon Various Mahayana Sutras have been included in the Tibetan Canon and the Chinese Canon.

Notes

References

• Bhargava, P. L. 1971. India in the Vedic Age. Lucknow: Upper India Publishing.

• Dimmitt, Cornelia, and J. A. B. van Buitenen. Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1978. Pages 4 to 5.

• Doniger, Wendy (editor) (1993). Wendy Doniger (born November 20 1940) is an American scholar of history of religion Purāṇa Perennis: Reciprocity and Transformation in Hindu and Jaina Texts. Albany, New York: State University of New York. ISBN 0-7914-1382-9.  

• Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-43878-0.  

• Handoo, Jawaharlal (editor). Folklore in Modern India. ISBN 81-7342-055-6

• Hardy, Friedhelm. Viraha-Bhakti - The Early History of Krsna Devotion in South India. ISBN 0-19-564916-8

• Kaushal, Molly (editor). Chanted Narratives - The Katha Vachana Tradition. ISBN 81-246-0182-8

• Mackenzie, Brwon. The Triumph of the Goddess - The Canonical Models and Theological Visions of the DevI-BhAgavata PuraNa. ISBN 0-7914-0363-7 . Sri Satguru Publications. Delhi. India

• Majumdar, R. C. and Pusalker, A. Ramesh Chandra Majumdar (December 4 1888- February 12 1980 was an Indian Historian and Vice-Chancellor of Dacca University. D. (editors): The history and culture of the Indian people. Volume I, The Vedic age. Bombay : Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan 1951 (esp. ch. XIV - XV by A. D. Pusalker)

• Moghe, S. G. (editor). Professor Kane's contribution to Dharmasastra literature. 1997, New Delhi: D. K. Printworld (P) Ltd. ISBN 81-246-0075-9

• Monier-Williams, Monier. Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1819&ndash1899 studied documented and taught Asian languages in England, and compiled one of the most widely-used Sanskrit A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.  . Sri Satguru Publications. Delhi

• Pargiter, F. E. 1922. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition. London. Oxford University Press.

• Shulman, David Dean. Tamil Temple Myths - Sacrifice and Divine Marriage in the South Indian Saiva Tradition. ISBN 0-691-06415-6

• Thapan, Anita Raina (1997). Understanding Gaņapati: Insights into the Dynamics of a Cult. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers. ISBN 81-7304-195-4.  

• Thurston Edgar. Castes and Tribes of Southern India (Vols I-V). Cosmo Publication, Delhi.

External links

• The Puranas (bharatadesam. com)

Texts

• Puranas in Devnagari, scanned, PDF files
• GRETIL (uni-goettingen. de)

Translations

• Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Full text of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, with the original Sanskrit, word-for-word meanings, translation, and commentary.
• The Vishnu Purana Full text of the H. H. Wilson translation at sacred-texts. com

Synopses

• Contents of 18 Puranas and a list of Upapuranas (lesser Puranas) (a Java applet)
• Extensive synopsis of several Maha Puranas
• Synopsis of Puranas at Urday.com
• Agni Purana - A synopsis

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