Introducing Mahapuranas

Of the many texts designated 'Puranas' the most important are the
Mahāpurāṇas or the major Puranas. These are said to be 18 in number,
divided into three groups of six, though they are not always counted in the
same way.
1. Agni Purana: 15,400 verses. Contains encyclopedic information.
Includes geography of Mithila (Bihar and neighboring states), cultural
history, politics, education system, iconography, taxation theories,
organization of army, theories on proper causes for war, diplomacy, local
laws, building public projects, water distribution methods, trees and
plants, medicine, Vastu Shastra (architecture), gemology, grammar,
metrics, poetry, food, rituals and numerous other topics.
2. Bhagavata Purana: 18,000 verses. The most studied and popular of the
Puranas, telling of Vishnu's Avatars, and of Vaishnavism. It contains a
controversial genealogical details of various dynasties. Numerous
inconsistent versions of this text and historical manuscripts exist, in many
Indian languages. Influential and elaborated during Bhakti movement.
3. Brahma Purana: 10,000 verses. Sometimes also called Adi Purana,
because many Maha Puranas lists put it first of 18. The text has 245
Chapters, shares many passages with Vishnu, Vayu, and Markendeya
Puranas, and with the Mahabharata. Includes mythology, theory of war,
art work in temples, and other cultural topics. Describes holy places in
Odisha, and weaves themes of Vishnu and Shiva, but hardly any mention
of deity Brahma despite the title.
4. Brahmanda Purana: 12,000 verses. One of the earliest composed
Puranas, it contains a controversial genealogical details of various
dynasties. Includes Lalita Sahasranamam, law codes, system of
governance, administration, diplomacy, trade, ethics. Old manuscripts of
Brahmanda Purana have been found in the Hindu literature collections
of Bali, Indonesia.
5. Brahmavaivarta Purana: 17,000 verses. Discusses Shiva, Parvati,
Ganesha, Devis, Vishnu, Krishna and Radha. Primarily mythology, love
and seduction stories of gods and goddesses. Mentions geography and
rivers such as Ganga to Kaveri.
6. Garuda Purana: 19,000 verses. An encyclopedia of diverse topics.
Primarily about Vishnu, but praises all gods. Describes how Vishnu, Shiva
and Brahma collaborate. Many Chapters are a dialogue between Vishnu
and the bird-vehicle Garuda. Describes cosmology, relationship between
gods. Discusses ethics, what are crimes, good verses evil, various schools of
Hindu philosophies, the theory of Yoga, the theory of "heaven and hell"
with "karma and rebirth", includes Upanishadic discussion of self-
knowledge as a means of moksha. Includes Chapters on rivers, geography
of Bharat (India) and other nations on earth, types of minerals and stones,
testing methods for stones for their quality, various diseases and their
symptoms, various medicines, aphrodisiacs, prophylactics, Hindu
calendar and its basis, astronomy, moon, planets, astrology, architecture,
building home, essential features of a temple, rites of passage, virtues such
as compassion, charity and gift making, economy, thrift, duties of a king,
politics, state officials and their roles and how to appointment them, genre
of literature, rules of grammar, and other topics. The final Chapters
discuss how to practice Yoga (Samkhya and Advaita types), personal
development and the benefits of self-knowledge.
7. Kurma Purana: 17,000 verses. Describes the second of ten major
avatars of Lord Vishnu.
8. Linga Purana: 11,000 verses. Discusses Lingam, symbol of Shiva, and
origin of the universe. It also contains many stories of Lingam, one of
which entails how Agni Lingam solved a dispute between Vishnu and
Brahma.
9. Markandeya Purana: 9,000 verses. Describes Vindhya Range and
western India. Probably composed in the valleys of Narmada and Tapti
rivers, in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Named after sage Markandeya, a
student of Brahma. Contains Chapters on dharma and on Hindu epic
Mahabharata. The Purana includes Devi Mahatmyam of Shaktism.
10. Matsya Purana: 14,000 verses. An encyclopedia of diverse topics.
Narrates the story of Matsya, the first of ten major Avatars of Vishnu.
Likely composed in west India, by people aware of geographical details of
the Narmada river. Includes legends about Brahma and Saraswati. It also
contains a controversial genealogical details of various dynasties.
11. Narada Purana: 25,000 verses. Also called Naradiya Purana.
Discusses the four Vedas and the six Vedangas. Dedicates one Chapter
each, from Chapters 92 to 109, to summarize the other 17 Maha Puranas
and itself. Lists major rivers of India and places of pilgrimage, and a short
tour guide for each. Includes discussion of various philosophies,
soteriology, planets, astronomy, myths and characteristics of major deities
including Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Krishna, Rama, Lakshmi and others.
12. Padma Purana: 55,000 verses. A large compilation of diverse
topics. The north Indian manuscripts of Padma Purana are very different
than south Indian versions, and the various recensions in both groups in
different languages (Devanagari and Bengali, for example) show major
inconsistencies. Describes cosmology, the world and nature of life from the
perspective of Vishnu. Discusses festivals, numerous legends, geography of
rivers and regions from northwest India to Bengal to the kingdom of
Tripura, major sages of India, various Avatars of Vishnu and his
cooperation with Shiva, the story of Rama-Sita that is different than the
Hindu epic Ramayana. Like Skanda Purana, it is a detailed treatise on
travel and pilgrimage centers in India.
13. Shiva Purana: 24,000 verses. Discusses Shiva, and stories about
him.
14. Skanda Purana: 81,100 verses. Describes the birth of Skanda (or
Karthikeya), son of Shiva. Being 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. Many untraced quotes are attributed to this text.
15. Vamana Purana: 10,000 verses. Describes North India,
particularly Himalayan foothills region.
16. Varaha Purana: 24,000 verses. Primarily Vishnu-related worship
manual, with large Mahatmya sections or travel guide to Mathura and
Nepal. Presentation focuses on Varaha as incarnation of Narayana alias
Vishnu, but rarely uses the terms Krishna or Vasudeva (the other avatar
of Vishnu). Many illustrations also involve Shiva and Durga.
17. Vayu Purana: 24,000 verses. Possibly the oldest of all Maha
Puranas. Some medieval Indian texts call it Vayaviya Purana. Mentioned
and studied by Al Biruni, the 11th century Persian visitor to India. Praises
Shiva. Discusses rituals, family life, and life stages of a human being. The
content in Vayu Purana is also found in Markandeya Purana. Describes
south India, particularly modern Telangana and Andhra Pradesh regions.
It contains a controversial genealogical details of various dynasties.
18. Vishnu Purana: 23,000 verses. One of the most studied and
circulated Puranas, it also contains a controversial genealogical details of
various dynasties. Better preserved after the 17th century, but exists in
inconsistent versions, more ancient pre-15th century versions are very
different from modern versions, with some versions discussing Buddhism
and Jainism. Some chapters likely composed in Kashmir and Punjab
region of South Asia. A Vaishnavism text, focused on Vishnu.
Classification of Mahapuranas
The Maha Puranas have also been classified based on a specific deity,
although the texts are mixed and revere all gods and goddesses:
1. Brāhma: Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Surya Purana, Brahma
Vaivarta Purana Agni Purana
2. Śaiva: Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Varaha Purana,
Vāmana Purana, Kūrma Purana, Matsya Purana, Mārkandeya Purana,
Bhavishya Purana, Brahmānda Purana
3. Vaiṣṇava: Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Nāradeya Purana,
Garuda Purana, Vayu Purana, Varaha Purana
The Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (236.18-21),[52] itself a Vaishnava
Purana, classifies the Puranas in accordance with the three gunas or qualities;
truth, passion, and ignorance:
1. Sattva ("truth"): Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Naradeya
Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana
2. Rajas ("passion"): Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana,
Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Brahma
Purana
3. Tamas ("ignorance"): Matsya Purana, Kurma purana, Linga Purana,
Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana
Characteristics of Puranas
Several Puranas, such as the Matysa Purana, list "five characteristics" or
"five signs" of a Purana. These are called the Pancha Lakshana
(Pañcalakṣaṇa), and are topics covered by a Purana:
1. Sarga: cosmogony
2. Pratisarga: cosmogony and cosmology
3. Vamśa: genealogy of the gods, sages and kings
4. Manvañtara: cosmic cycles, history of the world during the time of one
patriarch
5. Vamśānucaritam: legends during the times of various kings.
A few Puranas, such as the most popular Bhagavata Purana, add five more
characteristics to expand this list to ten:
1. Utaya: karmic links between the deities, sages, kings and the various
living beings
2. Ishanukatha: tales about a god
3. Nirodha: finale, cessation
4. Mukti: moksha, spiritual liberation
5. Ashraya: refuge
These five or ten sections weave in biographies, myths, geography, medicine,
astronomy, Hindu temples, pilgrimage to distant real places, rites of passage,
charity, ethics, duties, rights, dharma, divine intervention in cosmic and
human affairs, love stories, festivals, theosophy and philosophy. The Puranas
link gods to men, both generally and in religious Bhakti context. Here the
Puranic literature follows a general pattern. It starts with introduction, a
future devotee is described as ignorant about the god yet curious, the devotee
learns about the god and this begins the spiritual realization, the text then
describes instances of god's grace which begins to persuade and convert the
devotee, the devotee then shows devotion which is rewarded by the god, the
reward is appreciated by the devotee and in return performs actions to
express further devotion.