What are The Hindu Puranas?
Puranas are the largest literature of India and yet many scholars ignore or discredit them. Honoring the Puranas is an essential part of India’s civilizational awakening.
There are 18 Mukhya (Major) Puranas and 18 Upa (Minor) Puranas, with over 400,000 verses.
Sage Ved Vyasa sat under a tree in Badrinath and underwent deep meditation. Finally, he attained the peak of enlightenment and was inspired to compose the Mahabharata, the Vedas, and the Puranas. There are 18 Puranas in total, each with their respective significance and value.
What Is The Importance Of The Hindu Puranas?
They are full of lessons, teachings, and principles that can only improve the lives of the people if implemented. The 18 Puranas act as a savior in this case because each Purana conveys the same message as the Vedas but in the form of stories and conversations between people. However, they can be further grouped into 3 categories.
- The first category is known as Sattva or Truth which includes the virtues of Lord Vishnu.
- The next category is popularly called Tamas or Ignorance which conveys the virtues of Lord Shiva.
- And, finally, the third category is Rajas or Passion. It not only offers the virtues of the God of Shakti but also of other 18 Puranas Names in Hinduism.
Some of the more important Puranas —
Padma Purana
The Padma Purana features five chapters but 55,000 shlokas. It tells us the story of how Lord Brahma was born and a detailed description of the inception of the universe. This Purana falls under the Sattva and also mentions why months are significant in the Hindu religion.
Vayu Purana
In Hinduism has several gods and goddesses. The Vayu Purana makes you familiar with a few of them. Moreover, it also acquaints you with notable sages and demons. You will also find stories about Surya, and ancient kings that once ruled the earth.
Narada Purana
He was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu. Thus, the Narada Purana is filled with Vishnu Bhakti and various teachings of Lord Vishnu. This Purana is believed to be the first one written and, therefore, is the oldest. It only has two chapters with 25,000 shlokas.
Agni Purana
This is another form of Lord Vishnu and the Agni Purana consists of praises for Agni. It spans over 383 chapters in 15,000 shlokas and mentions details about Lakshana Shastra which is figures of speech in English.
Brahma Vaivarta Purana
Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu and, thus, this Purana is a part of Sattva. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana weaves tales about Krishna and Radha. As you read through 218 chapters and 18,000 shlokas, you will also find the mention of Brahma, Saraswati & Tulsi.
Varaha (Boar) Purana
The Varaha Purana is divided into 217 chapters and 10,000 shlokas. It tells us different stories of the Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu. Thus, this Purana also falls under Sattva and conveys the virtues of Lord Vishnu.
Vamana Purana
Vishnu was once reincarnated as a vaman (dwarf). This Purana talks about his experiences as a vama while also providing a detailed account of human development. It stretches for 95 chapters through 10,000 shlokas and also conveys the Vedas & Upanishads in a simplified form
Matsya Purana
This Purana an overview of all Puranas. It falls under Tamas and features 290 chapters relayed in 14,000 shlokas. It is quite an interesting study for every researcher because it can be interpreted into many life lessons.
Brahmanda Purana
This Purana reveals the secrets of the universe. It tells us the story of the origin of the Brahmanda (Total Universe) and how the Navagrahas (9 celestial bodies) were created. The origin story of every other celestial body is also included in this Purana which belongs to the Rajas category.
Garuda Purana
This Purana extends for 279 chapters in 18,000 shlokas. Throughout this Purana, you will find conversations between Lord Vishnu and his vahana (carrier/vehicle), Garuda. These conversations are mostly found to be around good and evil, Truth, and Death.
Kurma (Tortoise) Purana
In this Vishnu is the narrator himself. It records his experiences during the Samudra Manthan when he assumed the avatar of a tortoise The conflict between the Devas and the Asuras during this period has several lessons that can benefit mankind.
Skanda Purana
Is divided into 7 chapters: Maheswara (Shiv ji), Vishnu, Brahma, Kasi (The city), Avanti, Nagara, and Prabhasa, and 81,000 shlokas. On reading the shlokas, you will find clear mentions of the Himalayan regions. This Purana is mostly concerned with the history and geography of India.
Linga Purana
This Purana falls under the Tamas Guna and conveys the teachings of Lord Shiva. You will find several conversations and stories about the heavenly cow, Nandi, and a devout disciple of Lord Shiva, Dhruva. This spans 163 chapters in 11,000 shlokas.
Bhavishya (Future) Purana
As the name suggests, the Bhavishya Purana features stories and events from the future. You will also find the teachings and virtues of Lord Surya mentioned in the words of Lord Brahma. There are 129 chapters in this Purana with 28,000 shlokas.
Markandeya Purana
This Purana features several stories which convey valuable life lessons. For example, the first one features four birds that teach us how to distinguish between right and wrong. It belongs to the Rajas Guna and goes on for 137 chapters with 9000 shlokas.
Bhagvata Purana
You will find all the teachings virtues of the 18 Puranas in the Bhagvata Purana. It emphasizes the importance of spirituality with the help of 12 chapters and 18,000 shlokas. It establishes the superiority of the divine power with the help of stories from. Here one hears, learns about Sri Krishna and his birth, Leelas and life.
Shiva Purana
Glory of Lord Shiva Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Shiva Purana celebrates his divine attributes and chronicles the tales of his manifestations. It also presents the philosophical concepts of Advaita (non-dualism) and Shiva’s role as the ultimate reality.
Vishnu Purana
There are several stories surrounding Vishnu, including his incarnations, which are found in this Vishnu Purana. The narrator in this Purana is Sage Parashara who imparts valuable knowledge and teachings through his conversations with his student, Rishi Maitreya
Brahma Purana
The Padma Purana consists of 138 chapters and each one relays a vivid description of mythology, cosmology, and Dharma, the Universal Law which binds every living creature and celestial body. This Purana falls under Sattva and has an ample amount of information about the holy rivers and cities which are relevant to Hinduism.
Citation:
- All of the above was copied from Priyamvada ji’s tweet at https://x.com/Priyamvada227s/status/1905070820172689803.
- Certain changes I have made are
- Remove the word mythological (unnecessary to fit our reality into western thought) and
- In certain places provided English meaning to certain words like Mukhya (Major), Upa (Minor), Bhavishya (Future), Maheswara (Shiv ji), Kurma (Tortoise), vahana (carrier/vehicle) etc.
- Minor edits for better presentation
