The Puranas: Stories, Legends and Sacred Wisdom

What Are the Puranas?

The Puranas are a large and diverse body of Sanskrit literature. The word Purana is often understood to mean ancient. These texts preserve narratives about deities, creation and dissolution of the cosmos, genealogies of sages and royal lines, and descriptions of sacred places and observances.

Tradition commonly recognises eighteen Mahapuranas, along with many Upapuranas and regional works. Lists and classifications vary across traditions.

Traditional Subjects

Puranic literature is often described as addressing five subjects, known as the pancha lakshana: creation, secondary creation, genealogies, the ages of Manu, and the histories of dynasties. In practice, many Puranas contain much more, including devotional teachings, pilgrimage accounts and guidance on worship.

Well-Known Puranas

Examples include the Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Shiva Purana, Markandeya Purana, Padma Purana and Skanda Purana. The Devi Mahatmya, a revered text in Shakta tradition, forms part of the Markandeya Purana.

Reading the Puranas Today

The Puranas have shaped temple worship, festivals, art and storytelling across India. Readers can begin with a reliable translation of a single Purana and keep in mind that their stories are understood in devotional, symbolic and historical ways by different traditions.