Puran -Described in simple and easy way. -

Introduction to Puran

The word “old” literally means “ancient” or “ancient.” Most of these inscriptions are written in Sanskrit, but some also appear in regional dialects. The Puranas are a part of both Hindu and Jain religious literature.

There is an unlimited variety of topics in the Puranas. They include cosmology, genealogy of gods, heroes, sages, mythology, pilgrimage, temples, medicine, astrology, grammar, gemology, humour, romance, and also moral and philosophical the Puranas is vast, and contains many versions of each Purana. Changes are also suggested.

The term “Puran” literally means “ancient narrative” or “old story.” The word “Pura” means past or ancient, and “Ana” means to tell or narrate. In the Raghuvamsha, the meaning of the word Purana is “a book that asks for old letters.” In Vedic literature, it is described as “ancient stories.” From a cultural perspective, in Hinduism, Puranas refer to those particular religious texts that describe the history from creation to destruction using words. The mention of the term Purana can be found even in the oldest literature, including the Vedas. Therefore, they are considered the most ancient. According to the Atharva Veda, the emergence of Puranas occurred alongside Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas. The Shatapatha Brahmana even equates Puranic literature with the Vedas. The Chandogya Upanishad and the Mahabharata also suggest that the expansion of the Vedas should be done through Puranas. These references suggest that in the Vedic period, Puranas and histories were placed on equal footing.

There are five types of Puranas as described in classical works like Amarakosha:

Sarga: Creation, which includes a description of the origin of the five great elements, sense organs, mind, and so on.

Pratisarga: The second stage of creation describing the creation and destruction of all the animate and inanimate world’s beginning with Brahma.

Dynasties: Genealogy, an explanation of the solar and lunar dynasties.

Manvantaras: The periods of Manu with descriptions of the incarnations of the seven sages, Indra and other celestial beings, the gods, the sons of Manu.

Vamashanucharita: A description of the leading persons of each dynasty.

Brahma, the Creator, is believed to have first composed the oldest scriptures known as Puranas, which include these five attributes. The Puranas have guided men, gods and sages since time immemorial. They advise to lead a religious life according to dharma niti (ethics and morality). The Puranas are essentially extensions of the Vedas, written in strong and simple language. The Puranas are said to have been compiled and recompiled by Vedavyasa. The Puranas simplify the teachings of the Vedas in an easy-to-understand language. They also emphasize the worship of the flesh and acknowledge the existence of a divine being with attributes. It focuses on various deities in the Puranas, and gives information on virtue and vice, righteousness and irreligion, actions and consequences. They explain in detail the various gods and heavenly bodies. Despite their great depiction of divine misdeeds, the main purpose of the Puranas is to encourage goodwill and uphold the truth.

Only six Puranas—Matsya, Vayu, Vishnu, Brahmanda, Bhavishya and Bhagavata—have genealogies.

The Puranas are traditionally considered to be eighteen in number from ancient times. What’s interesting is that almost every Purana mentions the names of these eighteen Puranas and their respective verse counts.

According to the Vishnu Purana, the names of the eighteen Puranas are: Brahma, Padma, Vishnu, Shaiva (Vayu), Bhagavata, Narada, Markandeya, Agni, Bhavishya, Brahmavaivarta, Linga, Varaha, Skanda, Vamana, Kurma, Matsya, Garuda, and Brahmanda. Following this enumeration, the Vishnu Purana explicitly uses the term “Mahapurana” for these texts.

Classification of puran

In the Bhagavata, Markandeya, and Kurma Puranas, the same names and sequence are mentioned. The majority agree on these names, with some variations in the count of shlokas (verses) in some cases. Some Puranas include:

Brahma Puran
Padma Puran
Vishnu Puran
(including Uttar Bhag – Vishnudharmottara)
Vayu Puran (alternatively known as the Shiva Purana in some traditions)
Bhagavata Puran (alternatively known as the Devi Bhagavata Purana)
Narada Puran
Markandeya Puran
Agni Puran
Bhavishya Puran
Brahmavaivarta Puran
Linga Puran
Varaha Puran
Skanda Puran
Vamana Puran
Kurma Puran
Matsya Puran
Garuda Puran
Brahmanda Puran.

The symbolic number is eighteen, but the practical count is twenty-one. Acharya Baladeva Upadhyaya has argued convincingly based on sufficient evidence that the Shiv Purana is essentially a subsidiary Purana, and in its place, the Vayu Purana is indeed the primary Mahapurana. Similarly, the Devi Bhagavata is also considered a subsidiary Purana.

However, the main obstacle in accepting both of these as subsidiary Puranas is that their names as subsidiary Puranas are not mentioned in the reliable references available in various Puranas. On the other hand, both in terms of composition and popularity, these two Puranas have been consistently recognized as Mahapuranas. Despite extensive deliberation, scholars like Pandit Jwala Prasad Mishra have not found any definitive solution but suggested that the Shiv Purana, Devi Bhagavata, and Vishnudharmottara Purana are indeed Mahapuranas, each having gained prominence at different times due to variations in Kalpa (cosmic time cycles).

From a modern perspective, it can be said that these two Puranas, based on different traditions, are missing in one or the other Koti (group) of Puranas. This discrepancy keeps the count of Mahapuranas at eighteen, but without considering sectarian differences, the count increases to twenty-one. Similarly, despite being rich in both antiquity and composition, Harivamsa and Vishnudharmottara are not listed in any authoritative list of Puranas or Upapuranas, except in later lists.

Harivamsa is essentially an appendix of the Mahabharata, while Vishnudharmottara, despite being a part of the Vishnu Purana, has established itself as an independent Purana due to its name and stylistic differences in composition. Hence, while symbolically there are eighteen Mahapuranas, practically, counting the Shiv Purana, Devi Bhagavata, and Vishnudharmottara, the count of Mahapuranas becomes twenty-one.

Upapuranas

Adi Puran (Narrated by Sanatkumara)
Narasimha Puran
Nandipuran (Narrated by Kumar)
Shiva dharma Puran
Aashcharya Puran (Narrated by Durvasa)
Naradiya Puran (Narrated by Narada)
Kapila Puran
Manava Puran
Ushana Puran (by Ushanas)
Brahmanda Puran
Varuna Puran
Kalika Puran
Maheshwara Puran
Samba Puran
Saura Puran
Parashara Puran (Said by Parashara)
Maricha Puran
Bhargava Puran
Vishnudharma Puran
Brihaddharma Puran
Ganesha Puran
Mudgala Puran
Ekamra Puran
Datta Puran

Number of Verses According to Sukhasagar:

Brahma Purana: 14,000 verses
Padma Purana: 55,000 verses
Vishnu Purana: 23,000 verses
Shiva Purana: 24,000 verses
Srimad Bhagavata Purana: 18,000 verses
Narada Purana: 25,000 verses
Markandeya Purana: 9,000 verses
Agni Purana: 15,000 verses
Bhavishya Purana: 14,500 verses
Brahmavaivarta Purana: 18,000 verses
Linga Purana: 11,000 verses
Varaha Purana: 24,000 verses
Skanda Purana: 81,100 verses
Vamana Purana: 10,000 verses
Kurma Purana: 17,000 verses
Matsya Purana: 14,000 verses
Garuda Purana: 19,000 verses
Brahmanda Purana: 12,000 verses

A brief Introduction to 18 Puranas

Brahma Purana: Also known as “Adi Purana,” it is mentioned in all ancient Puranas. The number of verses varies from other proofs. It contains various numbers of verses such as 10,000 to 12,000 and 13,787. The narration of this Purana was done by the sage Lomaharshana in Naimisharanya. It describes creation, the origin of Manu, the description of his lineage, the origin of gods and living beings, and elaborates on various pilgrimage sites. It consists of 245 chapters and also includes an appendix known as Saura Upapurana, which describes the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha.
Padma Purana: It contains 641 chapters and 48,000 verses. According to the Matsya Purana, it has 55,000 verses, and according to the Brahma Purana, it has 59,000 verses. It is divided into five parts: (a) Srishtikhanda: 5 Parvas, (b) Bhoomikhanda, (c) Swargakhanda, (d) Patalakhanda, and (e) Uttarakhanda. Its narration was done by Soota Ugrashrava in Naimisharanya. It sheds light on various aspects of Vishnu devotion along with many other subjects. It is considered to have been developed in the 5th century.
Vishnu Purana: It depicts Vishnu as the supreme deity. It has six parts, 126 chapters, and approximately 23,000 or 24,000 or 6,000 verses. The sage Parashara is the preacher of this Purana, and the listener is Maitreya.
Vayu Purana: It describes Shiva particularly, hence also called “Shiva Purana.” It consists of 112 chapters and 11,000 verses. It was prevalent in the Magadha region. It contains Gayamahatmya and is divided into four parts: (a) Prakriyapada, (b) Upodghata, (c) Anushangapadah, and (d) Upasamhara. It narrates the sequence of creation, geography, astronomy, ages, lineages of sages, rivers, branches of the Vedas, music theory, and detailed explanation of Shiva devotion.
Bhagavata Purana: This is the most popular Purana, known for its week-long recitation. It is considered the essence of all philosophies and the testing ground for scholars. It describes devotion to Lord Krishna. It comprises 12 Skandhas, 335 chapters, and 18,000 verses. Some scholars call it “Devi Bhagavata Purana” because it extensively describes Devi (Shakti). Its composition is considered to be in the 6th century.
Narada (Brihannaradiya) Purana: Also known as Mahapurana, it does not meet all five characteristics of Puranas. It describes Vaishnava festivals and vows. It consists of two parts: (a) Purva Khanda with 125 chapters and (b) Uttarakhanda with 82 chapters. It contains 18,000 verses and covers various topics like liberation, dharma, constellations, ages, grammar, etymology, astrology, domesticity, mantra attainment, varna-ashrama-dharma, rituals, expiation, etc.
Markandeya Purana: It is considered the most ancient Purana. It describes Vedic deities like Indra, Agni, Surya, etc. Markandeya Rishi is the preacher, and Kraustuki is the disciple. It consists of 138 chapters and 7,000 verses. It covers topics like household duties, rituals, daily conduct, regular duties, fasts, festivals, Anusuya’s chastity, yoga, Durga Mahatmya, etc.
Agni Purana: Agni and Vasishtha are its preachers. Hence, it is called Agni Purana. It is considered a compendium of Indian culture and knowledge. It contains 383 chapters and 11,500 verses. It describes Vishnu’s incarnations. Additionally, it covers various subjects like geography, mathematics, astrology, marriage, death, omen science, architecture, daily conduct, ethics, military science, jurisprudence, Ayurveda, prosody, poetry, grammar, lexicography, etc.
Bhavishya Purana: It describes future events. It has two parts: (a) Purvavardha with 41 chapters and (b) Uttaravardha with 171 chapters. It contains 15,000 verses in total. It consists of five Parvas: Brahmaparva, Vishnuparva, Shivaparva, Suryaparva, and Pratisargaparva. It primarily covers Brahminical duties, conduct, and varna-ashrama-dharma. Its composition is estimated between 500 CE and 1200 CE.
Brahmavaivarta Purana: This is a Vaishnava Purana. It describes the character of Lord Krishna. It contains 18,000 verses and has four parts: (a) Brahma, (b) Prakriti, (c) Ganesha, and (d) Shri Krishna Janma.
Linga Purana: It describes the worship of Lord Shiva. It contains stories of Shiva’s 28 incarnations. It consists of 11,000 verses and 163 chapters. It is divided into two parts: Purva and Uttara. Its composition is dated back to the 8th-9th centuries. It also does not strictly adhere to the characteristics of Puranas.
Varaha Purana: This Purana describes the Varaha Avatar of Vishnu. Varaha rescued the Earth from the depths of the ocean and delivered discourses in this Purana. It contains 24,000 verses, but currently, only 11,000 verses and 217 chapters are available.
Skanda Purana: This Purana is named after Skanda, the son of Shiva (also known as Kartikeya or Subrahmanya). It is the largest Purana, containing a total of 81,000 verses. It is divided into six Samhitas: Sanatkumara, Suta, Shankara, Vaishnava, Brahma, and Saura. Madhavacharya has written an extensive commentary called “Tatparya Deepika” on the Suta Samhita. At the end of this Samhita, there are two Gitas – Brahma Gita (Chapter 12) and Suta Gita (Chapter 8). The Purana consists of seven Khandas: Maheshvara, Vaishnava, Brahma, Kashi, Avanti, Rev, Nagara (Tapti), and Prabhasa. The Kashi Khanda contains the “Ganga Sahasranama” hymn. It is believed to have been composed in the 7th century. The five characteristics of a Purana are not mentioned in this Purana.
Vamana Purana: This Purana describes the Vamana Avatar of Vishnu. It consists of 95 chapters and 10,000 verses. There are four Samhitas: Maheshwari, Bhagavati, Sauri, and Ganeshvari. It is believed to have been composed between the 9th and 10th centuries.
Kurma Purana: This Purana describes the Kurma Avatar of Vishnu. It has four Samhitas: Brahmi, Bhagavati, Saura, and Vaishnavi. Currently, only the Brahmi Samhita is available. It contains 6,000 verses and is divided into two parts with 51 and 44 chapters respectively. The five characteristics of a Purana are found in this Purana. It also contains the Ishvara Gita and Vyasa Gita. It is believed to have been composed in the sixth century.
Matsya Purana: This Purana fulfills the five characteristics of a Purana. It contains 291 chapters and 14,000 verses, but ancient versions contain 19,000 verses. It describes the deluge and lists the kings of Kali Yuga. It is believed to have been composed in the third century.
Garuda Purana: This is a Vaishnava Purana. Vishnu is the speaker, and Garuda is the listener who narrated it to Kashyapa. It describes the worship of Vishnu. It has two parts, with 229 chapters in the first part and 35 chapters and 18,000 verses in the second part. The first part is considered encyclopedic.
Brahmanda Purana: It contains 109 chapters and 12,000 verses. It consists of four Padas: Prakriya, Anushanga, Upodghata, and Upasamhara. It is believed to have been composed between the 4th and 6th centuries.

Introduction to Major Puranas

The Vishnu Purana appears to be the oldest among the Puranas. It lacks sectarian bias and prejudice. It perfectly adheres to the five characteristics of a Purana. It describes the creation and destruction of the universe, the Manvantaras, the regions like Bharata, and the solar systems, the branches of the Vedas, and their division by Vyasa, the solar and lunar dynasties, etc. It also mentions the kings of Kali Yuga, including the Maurya kings of Magadha and the Gupta dynasty. It also narrates the pastimes of Lord Krishna, but not exactly in the same manner as in the Bhagavata Purana.

The Vayu Purana has four sections, describing the creation, the Kalpas and Manvantaras, the stories of Vedic sages, different creation myths apart from Daksha’s progeny, the genealogy of the solar and lunar kings, and mostly the kings of Kali Yuga, as described in the Vishnu Purana.

The Matsya Purana extensively describes the Varnashrama Dharma apart from Manvantaras and genealogies of kings. It narrates the entire story of the Matsya Avatar. It has a special description of the destruction of demons like Maya, methods of constructing temples and idols, etc.

The preaching of Shrimad Bhagavatam is most widespread because of its detailed descriptions of devotion and the pastimes of Lord Krishna. Within its nine cantos, it describes the unity of living beings with Brahman, the importance of devotion, the creation myth, the birth of Kapila Deva, and advice on Sankhya philosophy according to Vaishnavism, Manvantaras, and genealogies, including the story of Rishabhadeva, Dhruva, Vena, Prithu, Prahlada, etc. It covers many topics like the churning of the ocean.

The biggest segment is the tenth canto, which extensively narrates the pastimes of Lord Krishna. Based on this, many scriptures in Sanskrit and other languages have been written on the romance and devotion of Krishna’s character. In the eleventh canto, there is a description of the destruction of the Yadavas, and in the twelfth, there is a description of the rule of the kings of Kali Yuga.

The Agni Purana is a unique Purana that, apart from genealogies and concise stories, also includes various topics such as jurisprudence, politics, royal duties, societal duties, Ayurveda, grammar, poetry, aesthetics, and military science. It also has a detailed section on tantric initiation. It describes the genealogy of Kali’s kings up to Vikramaditya, and also mentions the topic of avatars.

Apart from the Vishnu Purana, there are doubts about other Puranas available today, as they may not have been created when the original Puranas were not available. Some Puranas are filled with sectarian bias and prejudice. Some establish the primacy of one deity over another. The introduction given in the Matsya Purana about the Brahmavaivarta Purana should have a story about the Kalpa and Varaha Avatar, but the Brahmavaivarta available today does not have this story. It describes the eternal Ras in Goloka, which is the satisfaction of those devotees who were not satisfied with the Ras of Vrindavan. The current Brahmavaivarta is many hundred years old, as it mentions the ‘Julaha’ caste’s origin (10,121). The Brahma Purana has a lot of description about pilgrimage sites and their greatness, including the greatness of Ananta Vasudeva and Purushottama (Jagannath), and many such pilgrimage sites that cannot be called ancient.

There is also a reference to the construction of the colossal temple of Jagannath Ji by the Gangeya dynasty’s king Chodaganga (in 1077 AD). The characteristics given in the Matsya Purana are not entirely found in today’s Padma Purana. There are many things related to Vaishnavas’ aversion in it. For example, Pashadilakshana, criticism of Mayavada, Tamas Shastra, and description of the Puranas. Similarly, the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Shiva, Skanda, and Agni are called Tamasic Puranas. In summary, most Puranas’ current form is within a thousand years. All Puranas are sectarian, there is no doubt about it. Many Puranas (like Vishnu) have been greatly expanded by sectarians.

Authors of the Puranas

The age and authors of the Puranas are often difficult to determine as they are associated with various eras and cultural traditions. Many researchers believe that although most of the Puranas available today are filled with later additions or interpolated subjects, the Puranas themselves were prevalent since ancient times.

It is written in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and the Shatapatha Brahmana that just as smoke arises from damp wood, similarly, from the exhalation of the great Being, the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, histories, Puranic knowledge, Upanishads, verses, aphorisms, expositions, and commentaries emerged. It is also mentioned in the Chandogya Upanishad that history and Puranas are the fifth Veda. Puranas were prevalent along with the Vedas in ancient times and were narrated on occasions like sacrifices.Many characteristics of the Puranas can also be found in the Vedas.

For instance, the concept of creation, the conflict between Devas and Asuras, and dialogues like that of Urvashi and Pururavas are part of the histories mentioned in both Puranas and Vedas. Even in the beginning chapters of the Mahabharata (1.233), the names of many kings and some subjects are recounted, indicating that these tales were narrated in the Puranas by wise poets even during the time of the composition of the Mahabharata. The Manusmriti also mentions that the recitation during ancestral rites should include the Vedas, Dharmashastras, histories, and Puranas.Now the question arises: who composed the Puranas? In the Shiva purana, it is written in the Reva Mahatmya that the speaker of the eighteen Puranas was Satyavati’s son Vyasa.

This belief is widespread among the general populace. However, the Matsya Purana explicitly states that initially, there was only one Purana, from which eighteen Puranas originated (53.4). The Brahmavaivarta Purana states that Vyasa compiled a Purana Samhita. The Vishnu Purana sheds light on what happened next. It mentions that Vyasa had a disciple named Lomaharshana, who belonged to the Suta caste. Vyasa entrusted his Purana Samhita to him. Lomaharshana had six disciples—Sumati, Agnivarsha, Mitrayu, Shashipaya, Akritavrana, and Savarni. Among them, Akritavrana, Savarni, and Shashipaya composed separate Puranic texts based on the Purana Samhita they learned from Lomaharshana. Vyasa compiled the narratives of these disciples into one collection, forming the basis for eighteen Puranas.The Brahmavaivarta Purana, Vishnu Purana, and others mention Brahma Purana as the first Purana, but the current version of Brahma Purana might be different from the original. It is established from the evidence mentioned above that the eighteen Puranas were not authored by Vyasa. The Puranas available today seem to derive their composition from the Vishnu Purana and Brahmavaivarta Purana, indicating their ancient origin.

The Vishnu Purana mentions the lineage of kings up to the Gupta dynasty, suggesting a period prior to the sixth century CE. In Java, the Hindu inhabitants possess the Brahmavaivarta Purana. These Hindus settled in the Indian subcontinent in the fifth century BCE. The Balinese version of Brahmavaivarta Purana does not include the ‘Description of the Future Dynasty’ section, and it mentions names up to Adhisima Krishna, the great-grandson of Janamejaya. This observation indicates that the accounts of future dynasties in the Puranas were added later. It is essential to observe the ancient sections of the Brahmavaivarta Purana to understand the extent of the usage of past and contemporary actions. Verses preceding the ‘Description of the Future Dynasty’ section include:

The son of Vyasa was Shatanika, mighty in valor and known for his truthfulness. Then, the sages consecrated Shatanika. Shatanika had a son named Ashvamedhadatta, who was valorous. From Ashvamedha Datta, another son named Parapuranjaya was born, who was righteous and renowned. It is under their rule that you performed a three-year sacrifice in Pushkara and a two-year sacrifice in Kurukshetra near Drishadvati.

From the above passage, it is evident that the Adi Brahmavaivarta Purana was composed during the time of Adhisimakrishna. Similarly, examining the Vishnu Purana and Matsya Purana reveals that the Adi Vishnu Purana was compiled during the time of Parikshit, the great-grandson of Adhisimakrishna.

Evidence from the Purana Samhitas indicates that the eighteen Puranas were composed in ancient times. The Aapastamba Dharmasutra (2.24.5) mentions the Bhavishya Purana:

“Aabhoot samplavaatte swargajitah, Punah surge beejeerthaa bhavateeti bhavishyat puraane.”

It is evident that nowadays, the Puranas are not found in their original forms. Many Puranas have been recompiled, and additions have been made to them.

Most Puranas are associated with either the Shaiva, Vaishnava, or Shakta traditions, and there is no doubt about this. Worship of Vishnu, Rudra, and Surya has been prevalent since Vedic times, but gradually, some people began to give precedence to one deity over others. This led to the emergence of different traditions after the Mahabharata period. The Purana Samhitas were created during this time. Then, in subsequent ages, Adi Puranas were composed, some parts of which are found in some Puranas today.

The purpose of the Puranas was to compile old narratives, provide teachings through ancient and fabricated stories, and maintain religious consciousness among the general populace through descriptions of the glory of gods and pilgrimage sites. Hence, Vyasa entrusted a person of the Suta (Bhatt or Kathak) caste with disseminating his compiled Adi Purana Samhita.