Puranas

In the Sanskrit language, purana means story of ancient times. For Hindus, a purana is a scripture that tells what happened in ancient times. Puranas tell about history, ancient Indian traditions, and what Hindus believe. It is basically in Sanskrit and Tamil languages.

List of Puranas

Mahapuranas

Mahapurana means Great Story of Ancient Times in Sanskrit.

  1. Agni (15,400 verses)
  2. Bhagavata (18,000 verses)
  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. Devi Bhagavata (18,000 verses)
  8. Garuda (19,000 verses)
  9. Harivamsa (16,000 verses; more often considered itihāsa)
  10. Kurma (17,000 verses)
  11. Linga (11,000 verses)
  12. Markandeya (9,000 verses; includes Devi Mahatmyam, an important text for Shaktas)
  13. Matsya (14,000 verses)
  14. Narada (25,000 verses)
  15. Padma (55,000 verses)
  16. Shiva (24,000 verses)
  17. Skanda (81,100 verses)
  18. Vamana (10,000 verses)
  19. Varaha (10,000 verses)
  20. Vayu (24,000 verses)
  21. Vishnu (23,000 verses)