Puranas

 

The Puranas (Sansk. Purana, from ancient times) are old vedic texts and eulogies of various gods mixed with representations of Hindu heroes, philosophy, cosmology and the age (Yugas).

Several Jain scriptures and various Buddhist texts are also counted among the Puranas. Although Vyasa is often regarded as the originator of the Puranas, the earliest Hindu Puranas come from the Gupta period (about 320 to 550 AD).

== Pancha Lakshana ==

A Mahapurana must satisfy the 5 characteristics (pancha lakshana):

* Description of the original creation of the universe (sarga) (sarga)

* Description of the periodic process of creation and resurrection (pratisaryga)[3]

* Description of the different periods (manvantara),

* The stories of the solar dynasty (surya vamsha) and the lunar dynasty (chandra vamsha)

* The royal genealogies (vamshanucharita)

From the esoteric point of view the puranas are rather allegorical representations of sections of the Yogapath as in the Matsya-Purana, which secured the transmission of the inner doctrine.

== Mahapuranas ==

In Hinduism, there are 18 Maha-Puranas, which mainly refer to the gods of the Trimurti. They are mostly attributed to the sage Vyasa. The Devi Bhagavata divides them into three groups:

* Brahma (Brahma-Purana, Brahmanda-Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Markandeya-Purana, Bhavishya-Purana, Vamana-Purana)

* Vishnu (Vishnu-Purana, Bhagavata-Purana(Srimad Bhagavatam), Naradiya -Purana, Garuda-Purana, Padma-Purana, Varaha-Purana)

* Shiva (Shiva-Purana oder Vayupurana, Linga-Purana, Skanda-Purana, Agni- Purana, Matsya-Purana, Kurma-Purana)

The Puranas begin standardized with a Vishnu (Narayana, Saraswati) greeting : Narayanam namaskritya naranchaiva narottaman devim sarasvatinchaiva tato jayamudirayet.

* Vayu Purana

* Harivamsa Purana - Appendix of the Mahabharata

* Navagraha Purana

== Upa-Puranas ==

Besides there is after the Kurma-Purana (Purvabhaga, 1.17-20) and the Brihaddharma - Purana divisions in 18 Upa-Puranas[2] with different assignment as for example: Vishnudharmottara Purana, Sanathkumaryyem, Naarasimham, Nandiyam, Siva Rahsiyam, Daurvaasam von Durvasa Rishi, Naradeeyam, Kapilam des Sankhya - Systems, Manavam, Varunam, Devi Bhagavatham, Vasishtam von Vasishta, Kalki, Gaanapatah, Hamsam, Saambham, Sauram von Surya, Parasaram von Parasara and 18. Bhargathvam of Bhargava.

The Shaiva Upapuranas include Shiva Purana, Saura Purana, Shivadharma Purana, Shivadharmottara Purana, Shivarahasya Purana, Ekamra Purana, Parashara Upapurana, Vasishthalainga Upapurana and Vikhyada Purana.

== Jainism ==

In Jainism, a comprehensive text was compiled by Acharya Jinasena, which is referred to as Mahapurana. It consists of the Adi-Puran and the Uttarpurana, which, in addition to the cosmology, describe the Jain tradition.

==Buddhism==

In Buddhism is the nepalese Svayambhu Purana practiced in the Sakhya tradition, as well as the Swayambhu - Purana.

== Literature ==
== References==

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vayu_Purana

2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upapurana

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swayambhu_Purana Weblinks

== Weblinks ==

 


 

 

 

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