The Puranas

"Tales of Olden Days" These extremely popular tales of the origins and doings of the gods date from between 300 and 1,000 C.E.

The Puranas are of the same class as the Itihasas (History). They have five characteristics (Panch-Lakshana):

1. History
2. Cosmology ( with various symbolical illustrations of philosophical principles)
3. Secondary creation
4. Genealogy of kings
5. Manavantaras

All the Puranas belong to the class of Suhrit-Samhitas.

Rishi Ved Vyasa is the compiler of the Puranas from age to age; and for this age, he is Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, the son of Parsara.

The Puranas were written to popularize the religion of the Veda. They contain the essence of the Vedas. The aim of the Puranas is to impress on the minds of the masses the teachings of the Vedas and to generate in them devotion to God, through concrete examples, myths, stories, legends, lives of saints, kings and great men, allegories and chronicles of great historical events.  The main Puranas are:

1. Vishnu Purana,                                              
2. Naradiya Purana,                                           
3. Srimad Bhagavata Purana,                           
4. Garuda (Suparna) Purana,                
5. Padma Purana,                                              
6. Varah Purana,                                                
7. Brahma Purana,                                            
8. Brahmanda Purana,                                      
9. Brahma Vaivarta Purana,                              
10. Markandeya Purana,                                     
11. Bhavishya Purana,                                        
12. Vamana Purana,                                            
13. Matsya Purana,                                 
14. Kurma Purana,                                              
15. Linga Purana,                                                 
16. Siva Purana,                                                  
17. Skanda Purana                                              
18. Agni Purana.                                                  

Of these, six are Sattvic Puranas and glorify Vishnu; Six are Rajasic Puranas and glorify Brahma; six are Tamasic Puranas and glorify Siva.

The best among the Puranas are

• the Srimad Bhagavata and
• The Vishnu Purana.
• The most popular is the Srimad Bhagavata Purana. Next comes Vishnu Purana. A portion of the Markandeya Purana is well known to all Hindus as Chandi, or Devimahatmya. Worship of God as the Divine Mother is its theme. Chandi is read widely by the Hindus on sacred days and Navaratri (Durga Puja) days.