Puranas

Hindu scriptures consisting of myths, legends, and historical events; also occasionally used by those in the New Age movement.

(See also: Puranas, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Purana: Literally "The Ancient." The Puranas are a number of scriptures attributed to the sage Vyasa that teach spiritual principles and practices through stories about sacred historical personages which often include their teachings given in conversations.

(See also: Purana, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Purana (Sanskrit) Ancient, old, an ancient tale or legend. The 18 Hindu scriptures known today as the Puranas are ancient legends of olden times, written in verse, partly in symbolical and allegorical and partly in quasi-historical language.

They are supposed originally to have been composed by Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata. A Purana is a work which has five distinguishing topics (pancha-lakshanas): 1) the creation of the universe; 2) its destruction and renovation; 3) the genealogy of gods and patriarchs; 4) the reigns of the manus, forming the periods called manvantaras; and 5) the history of the solar and lunar races of kings.

The invariable form of the Puranas is of a dialogue between an exponent or teacher and an inquirer or disciple, interspersed with the dialogues and observations of other individuals. In addition to the Puranas there are 18 subordinate Upa-puranas. The Puranas are popularly classified in India under three categories corresponding to the gunas sattva, rajas, and tamas. Those in which the quality of sattva (purity) prevails are: the Vishnu, Naradiya, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma, and Varaha Puranas, also called the Vaishnava-Puranas. Those in which rajas (passion) are said to prevail, relating chiefly to the god Brahma, are the Brahma, Brahmanda, Brahma-vaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavishya, and Vamana Puranas. Those in which tamas (inertia) is said to prevail, relating chiefly to the god Siva, are the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Siva, Skanda, and Agni Puranas.

The Puranas ingeniously interweave allegory with cosmic facts and far later human events. "Puranic astronomy, with all its deliberate concealment and confusion for the purpose of leading the profane off the real track, was shown even by Bentley to be a real science; and those who are versed in the mysteries of Hindu astronomical treatises, will prove that the modern theories of the progressive condensation of nebulae, nebulous stars and sun, with the most minute details about the cyclic progress of asterisms -- far more correct than Europeans have even now -- for chronological and other purposes, were known in India to perfection.

"If we turn to geology and zoology we find the same. What are all the myths and endless genealogies of the seven Prajapati and their sons, the seven Rishis or Manus, and of their wives, sons and progeny, but a vast detailed account of the progressive development and evolution of animal creation, one species after the other? . . ."

". . . the Puranic histories of all those men are those of our Monads, in their various and numberless incarnations on this and other spheres, events perceived by the 'Siva eye' of the ancient Seers, (the 'third eye' of our Stanzas and described allegorically. Later on, they were disfigured for Sectarian purposes; mutilated, but still left with a considerable ground-work of truth in them. Nor is the philosophy less profound in such allegories for being so thickly veiled by the overgrowth of fancy" (SD 2:253, 284).

(See also: Purana, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

sarva-vedānta-sāram hi śrī-bhāgavatam ishyate tad-rasāmrita-triptasya nānyatra syād ratih kvacit "Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is accepted as the essence of all Vedic literature and Vedantic philosophy. Whoever tastes the transcendental mellow of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is never attracted to any other literature." (SB 12.13.15) It is considered a natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutra and is used as a textual source for Vaishnava Theol ...

See also:

Bhagavata purana, Bhagavata purana - Significance, Bhagavata purana - History, Bhagavata purana - Translations

Read more here: » Bhagavata purana: Encyclopedia II - Bhagavata purana - Significance

Bhavishya-Purana Bhavisya-Purana (Sanskrit) (from bhavishya about to come to pass, future)

One of the 18 principal Puranas, extant copies containing 7,000 slokas. While the original of this work is said to have been a revelation of future events by Brahma, it in main part is a treatise on various religious rites and observances, although containing other matter closely recalling portions of the Laws of Manu. Its chief deity is Siva.

(See also: Bhavishya-Purana, Bhavisya-Purana, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Vishnu-Purana Visnu-Purana (Sanskrit) One of the most celebrated of the 18 principal Puranas, conforming more than any other to the definition of pancha-lakshana (five distinguishing marks) assigned as being the character of a complete Purana by Amara-Simha, an ancient Sanskrit lexicographer. It consists of six books: the first treats of the creation of the universe from cosmic prakriti, and the peopling of the world by the prajapatis or spiritual ancestors; the second book gives a list of kings with many geographical and astronomical details; the third treats of the Vedas and caste; the fourth continues the chronicle of dynasties; the fifth gives the life of Krishna; and the sixth book describes the dissolution of the world, and the future re-issuing of the world after pralaya.

(See also: Vishnu-Purana, Visnu-Purana, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Padma Purana: (Sanskrit) One of the six main Vishnu Puranas.

(See also: Padma Purana, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Linga Purana: (Sanskrit) One of the six principal Siva Puranas. This text explains the purusharthas (the four goals of life) and the significance of Sivalinga worship.

See: Purana.

(See also: Linga Purana, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhagavata Purana: n (Sanskrit) Also known as Srimad Bhagavatam, a work of 18,000 stanzas. A major Purana and primary Vaishnava scripture, from oral tradition, written down ca 800. It provides the stories of all incarnations of Vishnu, filled with the bhakti, inner current of devotion. See: Purana.

(See also: Bhagavata Purana, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhagavata Purana: Most famous of the 18 major Puranas of Bhakti Hinduism; focusing on Krishna/Vishnu, the work synthesizes various Hindu traditions and presents a theistic version of monistic Vedanta.

 (See also: Bhagavata Purana, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Purana Purusha:

Purana Purusha: The Primal Person. (BV-33)

(See also: Purana Purusha, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Siva Purana: (Sanskrit) "Ancient [lore] of Siva."

1)    A collection of six major scriptures sacred to Saivites.

2)    The name of the oldest of these six texts, though some consider it a version of the Vayu Purana.

(See also: Siva Purana, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Kurma Purana: (Sanskrit) "Tortoise story."

One of the six Siva Puranas, it glorifies the worship of Siva and Durga.

(See also: Kurma Purana, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhagavata Purana: n (Sanskrit) Also known as Srimad Bhagavatam, a work of 18,000 stanzas.

A major Purana and primary Vaishnava scripture, from oral tradition, written down ca 800. It provides the stories of all incarnations of Vishnu, filled with the bhakti, inner current of devotion.

See: Purana.

(See also: Bhagavata Purana, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Amala-purana

lit., “spotless Purana”; refers to Srimad-Bhagavatam.

(See also: Amala-purana, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Kathirgama Purana: (Sanskrit) A secondary scripture regarding the famous central Sri Lankan abode of Lord Murugan (Karttikeya).

(See also: Kathirgama Purana, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Matsya Purana (Sanskrit). The Scripture or Purana which treats of that incarnation.

(See also: Matsya Purana, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Purana Purusha: The Ancient Person; God.

(See also: Purana Purusha, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Maha-puranas

The eighteen major Puranas, six for people in each of the three modes of material nature.

(See also: Maha-puranas, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Garuda Purana:

Garuda Purana (Puurana). Seventeenth Purana.

(See also: Garuda Purana, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Upa-puranas:

Upa-puranas (-puraanas). Supplements to the Puranas.

(See also: Upa-puranas, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Vayu Purana {SD; BCW}

(See also: Vayu Purana, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)