18 Puranas Names With Meaning in Hinduism

• By Dr Prabhukar Mishra
• August 2, 2022August 3, 2022

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The word “Puranas” is a broad category of Indian literature that covers a wide range of subjects, including myths, legends, and other traditional lore. The word “Puranas” literally translates as “ancient, old.” Several of these works, which were written mostly in Sanskrit but also in Tamil and other Indian languages, bear the names of important Hindu deities including Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, and Devi.

Types of Puran

Truth, passion, and ignorance are the three Gunas or qualities according to which the Puranas are categorised in the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (236.18–21).

1. Sattva – Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Naradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, and Varaha Purana are examples of Sattva, or “Truth.”
2. Rajas – “Passion” – Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, and Brahma Purana
3. Tamas, or “Ignorance,” is found in the Matsya, Kurma, Skanda, and Agni Purana puranas.

Types of Puran in Hinduism

1. Agni Purana – Included are the geography of Mithila (Bihar and the surrounding states), cultural history, politics, the educational system, iconography, taxation theories, army organisation, theories on the right reasons to wage war, diplomacy, local laws, the construction of public projects, water distribution techniques, trees and plants, medicine, Vastu Shastra (architecture), gemology, grammar, metrics, poetry, food, rituals, and a wide range of other subjects.
2. Bhagavat Purana – The Puranas, which describe Vaishnavism and Vishnu’s avatars, are the most widely studied and read. It includes contentious dynasty-specific genealogy information. There are numerous conflicting translations of this text as well as historical documents in other Indian languages. important and developed during the Bhakti movement.
3. Brahma Purana – The Srimad Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana are the two most well-known Puranas. They are arranged in the same order by popularity. All Hindus are familiar with Chandi, also known as Devimahatmya, which is a section of the Markandeya Purana. Its focus is on worshipping God as the Divine Mother. Hindus frequently read Chandi on holy days including during Navaratri.
4. Brahmanda Purana – One of the oldest Puranas to be written down, it provides contentious information about the ancestry of several dynasties. includes Lalita Sahasranamam, legal principles, the political system, management, trade, and ethics. Old Brahmanda Purana manuscripts have been discovered in Bali, Indonesia’s Hindu literature collections.
5. Brahmavaivarta Purana – It centres on the magnificence of Krishna and Radha and is told by Savarni to Narada. This frequently tells the Brahma-varaha narrative. Notable for declaring that the gods Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma are his incarnations and that Krishna is the absolute reality. makes reference to geography and rivers like the Ganga and Kaveri.
6. Garuda Purana – Celebrates all the gods but is primarily about Vishnu. explains the interaction between Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. The discussion between Vishnu and Garuda, the bird-vehicle, can be found in several chapters. Cosmology, explains the relationship between gods and the cosmology. The final chapters go on Samkhya and Advaita styles of yoga practise, personal growth, and the advantages of self-knowledge.
7. Kurma Purana – Combining mythology, religion, Tirtha (pilgrimage), and stories about Vishnu and Shiva.
8. Linga Puran – Talks about the creation of the universe and the Lingam, a symbol of Shiva. Additionally, it has numerous Lingam legends, one of which describes how Agni Lingam settled a conflict between Vishnu and Brahma.
9. Markandeya Purana – Explains western India and the Vindhya Range. Most likely written in the Gujarati and Maharashtrian river valleys of the Narmada and Tapti. named for the wise Markandeya, a Brahma pupil. contains chapters on the Hindu epic Mahabharata and dharma. The Shaktism Devi Mahatmyam is mentioned in the Purana.
10. Matsya Purana – Relates the life of Matsya, the first of Vishnu’s ten main Avatars. Probably written in west India by someone who is familiar with the location of the Narmada river. includes stories about Saraswati and Brahma. Additionally, it includes contentious information about the various dynasties’ genealogies.
11. Narada Purana – Describes the six Vedangas and the four Vedas. From Chapters 92 to 109, one chapter is devoted to each of the 17 other Maha Puranas and itself. lists the principal rivers in India, the holy sites, and provides a brief tour itinerary for each. Discussion of diverse ideologies, soteriology, planets, astronomy, mythologies, and traits of important deities like Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Krishna, Rama, Lakshmi, and others are included.
12. Padma Purana – The Padma Purana’s north Indian manuscripts and south Indian versions are significantly dissimilar, and there are significant discrepancies between the many recensions of both groups’ texts in various languages (Devanagari and Bengali, for instance). It is a thorough treatment of Indian travel and pilgrimage sites, much like the Skanda Purana.
13. Shiva Purana – Explains Shiva and the stories that surround him. Although other gods are mentioned and revered, the Hindu god Shiva and the goddess Parvati are the main subjects. The Shiva Purana comprises chapters on cosmology, mythology, the divine relationship, ethics, yoga, Tirtha (pilgrimage) places, bhakti, rivers, geography, and other subjects with a focus on Shiva.
14. Skanda Purana – Describes the birth of Shiva’s son Skanda (also known as Karthikeya). The longest Purana is also the most detailed pilgrimage guide, detailing the locations of Hindu pilgrimage sites and the histories, parables, hymns, and stories that go with them. This text is said to contain a lot of unattributed quotes.
15. Vamana Purana – The text was presumably originally a Vaishnava text and is titled after one of Vishnu’s avatars. The Vamana Purana does contain chapters that honour Vishnu and other Hindu gods and goddesses, but the chapters in the modern manuscripts that have survived are more strongly focused on Shiva. It is thought to be a Shaiva text. Additionally, the text rarely resembles a purana and is primarily a compilation of Mahatmyas (trip itineraries) to various Shiva-related locations in India with mythology and tales woven in.
16. Varaha Purana – Essentially a textbook for Vishnu worship with extensive Mahatmya parts or a tour guide to Mathura and Nepal Varaha is emphasised as an embodiment of Narayana, and neither the titles Krishna nor Vasudeva are frequently used. Shiva and Durga are also featured in several examples.
17. Vayu Purana – Is thought to be the most ancient of all the Maha Puranas. Its name is Vayaviya Purana in several sources from mediaeval India. Al Biruni, a Persian traveller to India in the eleventh century, mentioned and studied it. lauds Shiva. Explains customs, family life, and human life stages.
18. Vishnu Purana – More old pre-15th century versions are substantially different from modern versions; some of these versions discuss Buddhism and Jainism. These versions are better preserved after the 17th century, but they do survive in inconsistent versions. Some chapters were probably written in South Asia’s Punjab and Kashmir regions. A text from Vaishnavism that emphasises Vishnu