Hindu Puranas - Light of Knowledge

April 01, 2015 17:51

The Puranas are ancient Hindu texts eulogizing various deities, primarily the divine Trimurti (Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva) in Hinduism through divine stories. Puranas may also be described as a genre of important Hindu religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages and demigods and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography. Puranas usually employ an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts. They are usually written in the form of stories. Sage Vyasa, is traditionally considered the compiler of the Puranas. Puranas existed in oral form before being written. Of the many texts designated 'Puranas' the most important are the Mahapuraṇas. These are said to be eighteen in number, divided into three groups of six.

The Puranas and their features are given below:

Sl No	Name of Purana	No of Verses	Main Contents
1	Brahma Purana	10,000 verses	Godavari and its tributaries.
2	Padma Purana	55,000 verses	Greatness of Bhagavad Gita.
3	Vishnu Purana	23,000 verses	Deeds of Vishnu and various ways to worship
4	Shiva Purana	24,000 verses	Greatness of Shiva, worshiping and other stories
5	Vamana Purana	10,000 verses	Areas around Kurukshetra in North India.
6	Markandeya Purana	9,000 verses	Devi Mahatmya, an important text for the Shaktas
7	Varaha Purana	24,000 verses	Describes various forms prayer and devotional observances to Vishnu. Also involve Shiva and Durga
8	Agni Purana	15,400 verses	Vastu Shastra and Gemology
9	Kurma Purana	17,000 verses	Second of ten major avatar of Lord Vishnu.
10	Bhagavad Maha Purana	18,000 verses	Most celebrated and popular of the Puranas telling of Vishnu's ten Avatars. Narrates the deeds of KrishnaMost celebrated and popular of the Puranas telling of Vishnu's ten Avatars. Narrates the deeds of Krishna
11	Linga Purana	11,000 verses	Magnificence of Lingam, symbol of Shiva and origin of the universe
12	Narada Purana	25,000 verses	Greatness of Vedas and Vedangas.
13	Skanda Purana	81,100 verses	Birth of Skanda or Karthikeya, son of Shiva. The longest Purana, it is an extraordinarily meticulous pilgrimage guide, containing geographical locations of pilgrimage centers in India, with related legends, parables, hymns and stories
14	Garuda Purana	19,000 verses	Describes death and its aftermaths.
15	Matsya Purana	14,000 verses	Narrates the story of Matsya, the first of ten major Avatars of Vishnu. It also contains genealogical details of various dynasties.^{[Narrates the story of Matsya, the first of ten major Avatars of Vishnu. It also contains}^{genealogical details of various dynasties.]}
16	Vayu Purana	24,000 verses	Another name of Shiva Purana
17	Bhavishya Purana	17,000 verses	Ways to worship Devis, Krishna and Ganesha.
18	Brahmanda Purana	12,000 verses	Includes Lalita Sahasranamam, a text some Hindus recite as prayer.