Introduction

The Indian Puranas are a collection of ancient Sanskrit texts that serve as a vital repository of Hindu knowledge. They are traditionally classified into 18 major Puranas, divided into three groups: Sattva (Vishnu-related), Rajas (Brahma-related), and Tamas (Shiva-related). These texts are a blend of mythology, history, and cosmology, providing narratives of deities, legends, and genealogies of kings. The Puranas offer moral and philosophical teachings, reflecting the cultural values and social structure of ancient India. Their influence extends to Indian art, literature, and religious practices, making them an essential part of understanding India's spiritual and cultural evolution.

Indian Puranas

Indian Puranas serve as the encyclopedias of religion and culture. The popularity of the Puranas lies in the fact that they are narrated in simple, lucid language unlike the four Vedas.

Mahapuranas

Maha-purana lists 18 canonical puranas where the contents of each list vary reflecting differences in time and place. The Mahapuranas is a description of the Hindu trinity lords namely, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Classification of Puranas

Classification of Puranas is made according to their importance. They are classified into Mahapuranas and Upapuranas. According to myths and traditional scriptures, both of these narrate five subjects.

Upapuranas

Upapuranas are more sectarian in nature compared to Mahapuranas to which most of them are added as supplements. Upapuranas are mainly concerned with propagating various cults in Hinduism.

Meaning and Characteristics of Indian Puranas

Puranas can be ascribed as post Vedic texts narrating the history of Universe, from its creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes and demigods with a detailed discussion of Hindu Cosmology and Philosophy.

Age of Puranas

Age of Puranas represents the earliest traditional chronicle and this material is very old and valuable. Antiquity is the chief characteristic of the Puranas, since its age cannot be defined properly.

Geography in the Puranas

Geographical descriptions of the Purana provide information of the topography of the universe during its creation. According to Puranic tradition, the earth consisted of seven dvipa or continent.

Sthala Puranas

Sthala Puranas, is the short Purana concerning to particular places, sacred spots ideal for building temples. These texts explicitly describe origins and traditions of particular temples or shrine.

Jain and Buddhist Puranas

Jain and Buddhist Puranas are texts that reveal the origin and narrate the history of the religions. Among these Puranas, the Mahapurana of Acharya Jinasena and the Swayambhu Purana are well-known.

Kula Puranas

Kula Puranas have different sections, describing the origin of each caste, sources for caste identity. These puranas introduce the Indian civilisation to the history and origin of families.

Origin of Indian Puranas

Origin of Indian Puranas is ancient; the texts give prominence to deities. The Puranas are in the form of stories, transferred from one generation to another orally or through written record.

Genealogy of Kings in Indian Puranas

Genealogy of Kings in Indian Puranas proves extremely useful in tracing the chronology of Indian kings. Indian Puranas contain genealogy of Kings from the sun and moon dynasties to the heroes of Mahabharata.

Vaishnavism in Puranas

Vaishnavism in Puranas is considered important in determining the various doctrines and philosophies of Vaishnavite belief. Lord Vishnu is constantly upheld as the Supreme deity of the universe.

Significance of Puranas

Indian Puranas teach Mythology, cosmogony, astronomy, geography, grammar and many more that adds to the significance of Puranas. One of the major features of the Indian Puranas is pantheism.

Garuda Purana

Garuda Purana is one of the ancient Indian texts which forms a part of ‘Smriti’ literature. It is in the form of instructions given by Lord Vishnu to his carrier, Garuda King of birds.

Bhagavata Purana

Bhagavata Purana is the most celebrated among the eighteen Puranas and contains stories about the life of Lord Krishna. Bhagavata Purana is popular because it focuses on the Bhakti Yoga.

Nilamata Purana

Nilamata Purana speaks of the sacred places of Kashmir and their legends as well as Kashmiri lifestyle. Nilamata speaks of common men in their homes, streets, gardens and temples.

Shiva Purana

Shiva Purana is one of the eighteen major Puranas and it is completely devoted to the Lord Shiva. Also known as the Avyu Purana, this work extensively describes Lord Shiva and the importance and means of Sadhana.

Skanda Purana

Skanda Purana is the largest of the eighteen Puranas. It is named after the son of Lord Shiva, Skanda. He was the commander of the celestial armies.

Agni Purana

Agni Purana, apart from giving a detailed description of the avatars of Lord Vishnu, is noted for its encyclopedic character. The Purana is believed to have been communicated to Vasistha by Agni.

Vishnu Purana

Vishnu Purana is the most ancient of all the Puranas and a sacred text of the Vaishnava branch of Hinduism. Lord Vishnu is worshipped as the most important God of all things in this Purana.

Narada Purana

Narada Purana primarily is a discourse between Narada Muni and Sanat Kumar. The Narada Purana is divided into two parts, comprising respectively 125 and 82 chapters.

Padma Purana

Padma Purana is one of the major Puranas among the eighteen Mahapuranas and an ancient Hindu religious text. There are five parts in this Purana.

Varaha Purana

Varaha Purana, one of the ancient Hindu religious texts, is so-named as it has been narrated by Lord Vishnu in the form of his Varaha incarnation. The chief subject of the Varaha Purana is the rescue of the world from Rasatal.

Brahmanda Purana

One of the eighteen Puranas, the Brahmanda Purana can be described as a religious text of the Hindus. It is considered as the last of the Puranas.

Brahmavaivarta Purana

Brahmavaivarta Purana is one among the list of ancient Indian Puranas which are considered sacred to Hinduism. It is believed that Narada instructed to Savarnika the Brahmavaivarta.

Markandeya Purana

Markendeya Purana is among the oldest works of Purana literature and also one of the most interesting. It is written in the style of a conversation between Sage Jaimini and sage Markandeya.

Bhavishya Purana

Bhavishya Purana is one of the eighteen major Puranas. This Purana contains certain prophecies of the future. There are certain parts of this Purana which are drawn from the law book of Manu.

Vamana Purana

Vamana Purana is the fourteenth among the eighteen ancient India Puranas. Though smaller in size than the other Puranas, it is nonetheless equally important.

Brahma Purana

Brahma Purana is one of the major eighteen Puranas. It is a Hindu religious text. Brahma Purana is in the form of teachings by Brahma to Daksha and contains a number of verses.

Matsya Purana

Matsya Purana is the sixteenth Purana, dedicated to Matsya, the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu on earth. Matsya Purana was first recited by Vishnu in his Matsya avatar to Manu.  

Kurma Purana

Kurma Purana is a compilation of the teachings imparted by Kurma (incarnation of Vishnu as a tortoise) while narrating the story of Indradyumna at Patala.

Linga Purana

Linga Purana is one of the eighteen major Puranas dedicated to the worship of the Linga form of Lord Shiva. This text explains the Purusharthas, that is four goals of life, and the significance of Shivalinga worship.

Kalika Purana

Kalika Purana is a great work which was composed in the tenth century in Assam. This Purana contains about nine thousand stanzas and ninety-eight chapters.