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Vedic Bytes

Puranas

This month we see what Puranas are and their categories.

Purana (Sanskrit: purāṇa, meaning "belonging to ancient times") is the name of a genre (or a group of related genres) of Hindu Sanskrit literature (as distinct from oral tradition). Its general themes are history, tradition and religion. It is usually written in the form of stories related by one person to another.

There are many texts designated as 'Purana.' The most important are:

• Mahāpurāṇas and Upapurāṇas, the main Puranic corpus

• Sthala Purāṇas, scriptures usually extolling the virtues of a certain Hindu temple. They narrate stories of the temple's creation and spiritual history.

• Kula Purāṇas - Scriptures that deal with the origin and legends of a particular caste.

According to tradition the Puranas were composed by Vyasa at the end of Dvapara Yuga.

Classification and scope

The Puranas are classified into a Mahā- ("great") and a Upa- ("lower, additional") corpus. Traditionally they are said to narrate five subjects, called pañcalakṣaṇa ("five distinguishing marks"), which are:

1. Sarga - The creation of the universe.

2. Pratisarga - Secondary creations, mostly re-creations after dissolution.

3. Vamśa - Genealogy of gods and sages.

4. Manvañtara - The creation of the human race and the first human beings.

5. Vamśānucaritam - Dynastic histories.

Most Mahapuranas and Upapuranas deal with these subject matters, although the bulk of their text consists of historical and religious narratives. A Purana usually gives prominence to a certain deity (Shiva, Vishnu or Krishna, Durga) and depicts the other gods as subservient. Most use an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts in their narration, from Bhakti to Samkhya. Their composition marks the emergence of Vaishnavism and Shaivism, the division that is still prevalent in contemporary Hinduism.

The Puranas are available in vernacular translations and are disseminated by scholars, who read from them and tell their stories, usually in Katha sessions (in which a travelling scholar settles for a few weeks in a temple and narrates parts of a Purana, usually with a Bhakti perspective).

Mahapuranas

Traditionally it is said that there are 18 Mahapuranas and 18 Upapuranas. Each Mahapurana lists eighteen canonical puranas, but the contents of each list vary reflecting differences in time and place. Combining the lists, Dimmitt and van Buitenen have collated twenty names:

1. Agni (15,400 verses)

2. Bhagavata (18,000 verses). The most celebrated and popular of the Puranas. It is concerned with Vishnu Bhakti, telling of the exploits and deeds of Vishnu's Avataras. Its tenth canto (the longest) narrates the deeds of Krishna and, probably for the first time in Sanskrit, tells of his exploits as a child, a theme later elaborated by many Bhakti movements.

3. Bhavishya (14,500 verses)

4. Brahma (24,000 verses)

5. Brahmanda (12,000 verses; includes Lalita Sahasranamam, a text some Hindus recite as prayer)

6. Brahmavaivarta (18,000 verses)

7. Garuda (19,000 verses)

8. Harivamsa (16,000 verses; more often considered itihāsa)

9. Kurma (17,000 verses)

10. Linga (11,000 verses)

11. Markandeya (9,000 verses; includes Devi Mahatmyam, an important text for Shaktas)

12. Matsya (14,000 verses)

13. Narada (25,000 verses)

14. Padma (55,000 verses)

15. Shiva (24,000 verses)

16. Skanda (81,100 verses), probably the longest of all, containing parables, legends and stories, with multiple versions. Many untraced quotes from a Purana are attributed to this Purana.

17. Vamana (10,000 verses)

18. Varaha (10,000 verses)

19. Vayu (24,000 verses)

20. Vishnu (23,000 verses)

To be continued…

References:

1. Vedic Samhitas and Brahmanas by Vishal Agarwal

2. http://www.answers.com/topic/puranas

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