Puranic Traditions
The Puranas gathered the stories, genealogies, pilgrimage lore and devotion of Hindu India into eighteen great texts and many lesser ones.
What a Purana contains
Traditionally a Purana covers five subjects (pañca-lakṣaṇa): creation, re-creation, genealogies of gods and sages, the ages of the Manus, and the dynasties of kings. In practice they are vast libraries of story, philosophy, ritual and pilgrimage.
The eighteen Mahapuranas
- Brahma, Padma, Vishnu, Shiva (or Vayu), Bhagavata, Narada
- Markandeya, Agni, Bhavishya, Brahmavaivarta, Linga, Varaha
- Skanda, Vamana, Kurma, Matsya, Garuda, Brahmanda
The journey continues for members
- Pilgrimage and sacred geography