Puranas: the 18 Mahapuranas, places and stories

What to remember

• There are 18 Mahapuranas and a further set of Upapuranas. Tradition credits Vyasa with compiling them. They are told in the form of a talk by a sage (often Suta) to other sages.
• A Purana has five classic marks (pancha lakshana): sarga, pratisarga, vamsha, manvantara and vamshanucharita. In practice each Purana also has myths, pilgrim places (tirtha), vows (vrata), temples and rules of worship.
• Puranas are the main source of sthala puranas (temple legends). Many temple stories in Andhra Pradesh, such as those of Srisailam and Tirumala, come from the Puranic tradition.

Meaning and nature of the Puranas

• The word Purana means "ancient". The Puranas explain the Vedic ideas through stories, so that common people can understand them. This is why they are called the "fifth Veda" in some traditions, along with the Itihasas (Ramayana and Mahabharata).
• The five marks:
• Sarga: first creation of the universe.
• Pratisarga: re-creation after each dissolution (pralaya).
• Vamsha: lists of gods and sages and their lines.
• Manvantara: the periods ruled by the fourteen Manus.
• Vamshanucharita: history of the solar and lunar royal dynasties.
• Most Puranas are in Sanskrit verse (mainly anushtubh metre). Many were retold in Telugu and other languages.
• Itihasa and Purana are different. The Itihasas (Ramayana, Mahabharata) are long epics about heroes. The Puranas cover creation, gods, dynasties, geography of holy places and religious practice.
• The Puranas also record the Dashavatara (ten incarnations of Vishnu), the Samudra Manthana (churning of the ocean), Gajendra Moksha, Prahlada and many other widely told stories.

The eighteen Mahapuranas

The common list is: Brahma, Padma, Vishnu, Shiva (Vayu), Bhagavata, Narada, Markandeya, Agni, Bhavishya, Brahmavaivarta, Linga, Varaha, Skanda, Vamana, Kurma, Matsya, Garuda and Brahmanda.

Grouping and related ideas

• Guna grouping (found in the Padma Purana tradition):
• Sattvika, linked with Vishnu: Vishnu, Naradiya, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma, Varaha.
• Rajasa, linked with Brahma: Brahma, Brahmanda, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavishya, Vamana.
• Tamasa, linked with Shiva and Agni: Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Shiva, Skanda, Agni.
• Upapuranas: a second set of eighteen minor Puranas, such as the Narasimha, Devi Bhagavata (placement is debated) and Kalika Puranas. The names differ between lists.
• Narrators: Suta Lomaharshana (and his son Ugrashrava) tell many Puranas to Shaunaka and the sages in Naimisharanya. In the Bhagavata, Shuka tells Parikshit.
• Sthala Purana and Mahatmya: a local text that gives the legend of a temple or river. Many are taken out of a Mahapurana, for example the Srisaila Khanda of the Skanda Purana, which gives the story of Srisailam.
• Telugu connection: Pothana's Andhra Maha Bhagavatam is the best-known Telugu retelling of the Bhagavata Purana. The Markandeya Purana was rendered into Telugu in the Kakatiya age by the poet Marana.

Famous stories and where they come from

• Tirthas in the Puranas: Kashi, Prayag, Gaya, Kurukshetra, Pushkar, Dwaraka, Puri and Kanchi are praised in many Puranas. Srisailam, Tirumala (Venkatadri) and Kalahasti are among the holy places of Andhra Pradesh that have Puranic sthala stories.
• Vrata and dana: Puranas explain vows such as Ekadashi, Karthika masa worship, Satyanarayana vrata and Maha Shivaratri, and the merit of giving.

How to study a Purana for the exam

• First learn the list of eighteen names. Then attach one key fact to each: Bhagavata (Krishna, 12 Skandhas), Markandeya (Devi Mahatmya), Brahmanda (Lalita Sahasranama), Garuda (death rites), Matsya (flood and Manu), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Linga (Shiva as Linga), Skanda (largest).
• Learn the speaker and listener pairs. Parashara tells Maitreya in the Vishnu Purana. Shuka tells Parikshit in the Bhagavata. Agni tells Vasishtha in the Agni Purana. Suta tells the sages at Naimisharanya in many Puranas.
• Learn the idea of the avatars. The ten forms of Vishnu in the common list are Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (man-lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki (yet to come). In some lists Balarama takes the place of Buddha.
• The Puranas support temple life. They give the reason for festivals (utsava), vows (vrata) and the rules for visiting a holy place (tirtha yatra). A temple's sthala purana usually names a river, a hill or a tank as holy and gives a legend of the deity's arrival.

Puranas and the temple system

• Daily and festival worship in many temples recalls Puranic stories. For example, Maha Shivaratri recalls the story of Shiva as the pillar of light (Lingodbhava) found in the Shaiva Puranas. Vaikuntha Ekadashi is linked with Vishnu worship from the Vaishnava Puranas. Navaratri recalls the Devi Mahatmya.
• The Garuda Purana is recited in some homes during the days of mourning. The Bhagavata is read in a seven-day recital (Saptaha). Satyanarayana vrata is read from a Purana text.
• Puranic ideas of dana (gifts) such as anna dana (food gift) and go dana (gift of a cow) lie behind many temple charities, such as free meals.
• For an Executive Officer, the Puranas are important because many legal documents and customs of a temple (such as its tirthas and its festival days) refer back to the temple's sthala purana.

Exam traps

• Mahapuranas are 18; Upapuranas are another separate set. Do not mix the counts.
• Bhagavata has 12 Skandhas; Krishna's life is in the 10th Skandha, not the first.
• The Devi Mahatmya is in the Markandeya Purana, not the Devi Bhagavata or the Shiva Purana.
• Lalita Sahasranama is in the Brahmanda Purana, not the Skanda Purana.
• Skanda Purana is the largest; do not give this to the Bhagavata or Padma.
• Matsya Purana is about the Fish avatar; Kurma Purana is about the Tortoise avatar; Varaha is the Boar. Do not swap them.
• Garuda Purana is linked with rites for the dead; it is not about the bird Garuda's birth alone.
• Itihasa (Ramayana, Mahabharata) is not Purana, and Puranas are not Vedas.
• Vyasa compiled the Puranas; Valmiki wrote the Ramayana; Pothana wrote the Telugu Bhagavatam.

One-liners

• 1. The word Purana means "ancient".
• 2. There are 18 Mahapuranas.
• 3. The five classic marks of a Purana are sarga, pratisarga, vamsha, manvantara and vamshanucharita.
• 4. Vyasa is traditionally the compiler of the Puranas.
• 5. Suta tells many Puranas to the sages at Naimisharanya.
• 6. The Bhagavata Purana has 12 Skandhas.
• 7. The Devi Mahatmya belongs to the Markandeya Purana.
• 8. Skanda Purana is the largest Purana.
• 9. The Garuda Purana is read in connection with funeral rites.
• 10. The Vishnu Purana is told by Parashara to Maitreya.
• 11. The Linga Purana speaks of Shiva as the Linga.
• 12. Srisaila Khanda, on Srisailam, is part of the Skanda Purana tradition.

Practice questions

1. How many Mahapuranas are traditionally listed?

   1. 18
   2. 16
   3. 12
   4. 20
   Answer

   A. 18

   The standard list has eighteen Mahapuranas.

2. Which sage is traditionally credited with compiling the Puranas?

   1. Valmiki
   2. Parashara
   3. Narada
   4. Vyasa
   Answer

   D. Vyasa

   Vyasa is the traditional compiler of the Puranas.

3. Which of the following is NOT one of the five classic marks of a Purana?

   1. Sarga
   2. Manvantara
   3. Tirthayatra
   4. Vamshanucharita
   Answer

   C. Tirthayatra

   The five marks are sarga, pratisarga, vamsha, manvantara and vamshanucharita.

4. The Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati) is part of which Purana?

   1. Garuda Purana
   2. Markandeya Purana
   3. Brahma Purana
   4. Linga Purana
   Answer

   B. Markandeya Purana

   The Devi Mahatmya is a section of the Markandeya Purana.

5. Lalita Sahasranama is found in which Purana?

   1. Agni Purana
   2. Skanda Purana
   3. Vamana Purana
   4. Brahmanda Purana
   Answer

   D. Brahmanda Purana

   Lalita Sahasranama is part of the Brahmanda Purana.

6. Which Purana is regarded as the largest of the eighteen?

   1. Skanda Purana
   2. Vishnu Purana
   3. Kurma Purana
   4. Garuda Purana
   Answer

   A. Skanda Purana

   The Skanda Purana is the largest.

7. In the Vishnu Purana, who narrates the teaching to Maitreya?

   1. Parashara
   2. Suta
   3. Vyasa
   4. Shuka
   Answer

   A. Parashara

   Parashara tells the Vishnu Purana to Maitreya.

8. The Bhagavata Purana has how many Skandhas (cantos)?

   1. 14
   2. 18
   3. 12
   4. 10
   Answer

   C. 12

   The Bhagavata is divided into 12 Skandhas.

9. The life of Krishna is told mainly in which Skandha of the Bhagavata?

   1. The fifth
   2. The first
   3. The twelfth
   4. The tenth
   Answer

   D. The tenth

   The tenth Skandha is the Krishna story.

10. The Garuda Purana is most closely linked with

    1. the rules of grammar
    2. rites for the dead and the afterlife
    3. coronation of kings
    4. the building of ships
    Answer

    B. rites for the dead and the afterlife

    It deals with funeral rites and the afterlife and is recited during mourning in many homes.

11. The flood story with Manu and the Fish avatar is told in the

    1. Kurma Purana
    2. Matsya Purana
    3. Vamana Purana
    4. Varaha Purana
    Answer

    B. Matsya Purana

    The Matsya Purana tells of the Fish avatar and Manu.

12. In the Agni Purana, who is the listener when Agni speaks?

    1. Janaka
    2. Parikshit
    3. Vasishtha
    4. Narada
    Answer

    C. Vasishtha

    Agni tells the Purana to sage Vasishtha.

13. The Linga Purana is mainly about

    1. Shiva and the Linga
    2. Vishnu as the Tortoise
    3. Surya worship only
    4. the story of Rama
    Answer

    A. Shiva and the Linga

    It praises Shiva as the Linga.

14. Who wrote the Andhra Maha Bhagavatam in Telugu?

    1. Nannaya
    2. Tikkana
    3. Srinatha
    4. Pothana
    Answer

    D. Pothana

    Bammera Pothana wrote the Telugu Bhagavatam.

15. Which poet rendered the Markandeya Purana into Telugu in the Kakatiya age?

    1. Errana
    2. Pothana
    3. Marana
    4. Annamayya
    Answer

    C. Marana

    Marana wrote the Telugu Markandeya Puranamu.

16. The Srisaila Khanda, on Srisailam, belongs to the tradition of the

    1. Vishnu Purana
    2. Garuda Purana
    3. Linga Purana
    4. Skanda Purana
    Answer

    D. Skanda Purana

    Srisaila Khanda is a part of the Skanda Purana tradition.

17. Which sage narrates many Puranas to Shaunaka and others at Naimisharanya?

    1. Narada
    2. Suta
    3. Parashara
    4. Shuka
    Answer

    B. Suta

    Suta (Lomaharshana or Ugrashrava) tells the sages at Naimisharanya.

18. A sthala purana is best described as

    1. a book of grammar rules
    2. a list of royal dynasties only
    3. a code of civil law
    4. a legend text of a particular temple or holy place
    Answer

    D. a legend text of a particular temple or holy place

    It gives the sacred story of a place or temple.

19. The story of Gajendra Moksha is told in the

    1. Bhagavata Purana
    2. Brahmanda Purana
    3. Linga Purana
    4. Markandeya Purana
    Answer

    A. Bhagavata Purana

    Gajendra Moksha is a famous Bhagavata story.

20. In the Vamana avatar, Vishnu asked three steps of land from

    1. Bali
    2. Hiranyakashipu
    3. Prahlada
    4. Ravana
    Answer

    A. Bali

    Vamana asked Bali for three steps of land.

21. In the Padma Purana grouping by quality, which Purana is called Sattvika (linked with Vishnu)?

    1. Linga
    2. Matsya
    3. Bhagavata
    4. Skanda
    Answer

    C. Bhagavata

    Vishnu, Naradiya, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma and Varaha are in the Sattvika group.

22. Which Purana would a family most likely read during the days of mourning?

    1. Bhavishya Purana
    2. Garuda Purana
    3. Linga Purana
    4. Vamana Purana
    Answer

    B. Garuda Purana

    The Garuda Purana is read in connection with death rites.

23. The story of Shiva as Neelakantha (blue-throated) arises from the

    1. killing of Mahishasura
    2. burning of Kama only
    3. churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthana)
    4. flood of Manu
    Answer

    C. churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthana)

    Shiva drank the Halahala poison that came up in the churning.

24. Prahlada, the devotee of Vishnu, was the son of

    1. Kamsa
    2. Ravana
    3. Bali
    4. Hiranyakashipu
    Answer

    D. Hiranyakashipu

    Prahlada was the son of Hiranyakashipu, killed by Narasimha.

25. Which pair is correctly matched?

    1. Varaha - Tortoise
    2. Matsya - Fish avatar
    3. Kurma - Boar
    4. Vamana - Man-lion
    Answer

    B. Matsya - Fish avatar

    Matsya is the Fish, Kurma the Tortoise, Varaha the Boar and Narasimha the Man-lion.

26. In which Purana does the churning of the ocean get a Tortoise (Kurma) to support Mount Mandara?

    1. Garuda Purana only
    2. Agni Purana only
    3. Brahma Purana only
    4. Vishnu and Bhagavata Puranas
    Answer

    D. Vishnu and Bhagavata Puranas

    The Kurma avatar supports the mountain in the Vishnu and Bhagavata versions.

27. The word pratisarga in a Purana refers to

    1. re-creation after dissolution
    2. the first creation
    3. the lists of kings
    4. the praise of holy places
    Answer

    A. re-creation after dissolution

    Sarga is first creation; pratisarga is re-creation after pralaya.

28. Manvantara in a Purana means

    1. the periods ruled by the Manus
    2. the list of holy rivers
    3. the line of solar kings
    4. the rules of worship
    Answer

    A. the periods ruled by the Manus

    Manvantara is the age of a Manu.

29. Which Purana gives teaching on varied subjects such as ritual, medicine and archery, narrated by Agni?

    1. Garuda Purana
    2. Matsya Purana
    3. Agni Purana
    4. Linga Purana
    Answer

    C. Agni Purana

    The Agni Purana is encyclopedic.

30. Which Purana is usually named first in the common list of eighteen?

    1. Garuda Purana
    2. Brahma Purana
    3. Vishnu Purana
    4. Skanda Purana
    Answer

    B. Brahma Purana

    The Brahma Purana heads the usual list.

31. Which Purana is closely tied to Vishnu as the Boar (Varaha)?

    1. Varaha Purana
    2. Matsya Purana
    3. Kurma Purana
    4. Vamana Purana
    Answer

    A. Varaha Purana

    Varaha Purana is named for the Boar avatar.

32. A seven-day recital (Saptaha) is most associated with which Purana?

    1. Vamana Purana
    2. Bhagavata Purana
    3. Agni Purana
    4. Linga Purana
    Answer

    B. Bhagavata Purana

    The Bhagavata was told to Parikshit over seven days.

33. The child devotee who became the fixed pole star in Puranic tradition is

    1. Markandeya
    2. Prahlada
    3. Nachiketa
    4. Dhruva
    Answer

    D. Dhruva

    Dhruva's penance to Vishnu is told in the Vishnu and Bhagavata Puranas.

34. Which describes the relation of Puranas to the Vedas?

    1. They are the four Vedas themselves
    2. They reject the Vedas
    3. They are only rules of grammar
    4. They explain Vedic ideas through stories
    Answer

    D. They explain Vedic ideas through stories

    Puranas present Vedic ideas through stories for common readers.

35. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Bhagavata Purana has 12 Skandhas. 2. Its tenth Skandha tells of the life of Krishna.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

36. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Itihasas (Ramayana and Mahabharata) are counted among the 18 Mahapuranas. 2. Vyasa is the traditional compiler of the Puranas.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Itihasas are a separate class; statement 2 is correct.

37. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Garuda Purana is linked with rites for the dead. 2. Lalita Sahasranama is in the Brahmanda Purana.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

38. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Devi Mahatmya is in the Skanda Purana. 2. The Skanda Purana is the largest Purana.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Devi Mahatmya is in the Markandeya Purana.

39. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Shuka tells the Vishnu Purana to Parikshit. 2. Shuka tells the Bhagavata Purana to Parikshit.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    The Bhagavata is the one told to Parikshit.

40. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Pothana wrote the Telugu Bhagavatam. 2. Pothana wrote the first part of the Telugu Mahabharata.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Nannaya began the Telugu Mahabharata.

41. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Sarga means re-creation after dissolution. 2. Skanda Purana is the smallest Purana.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    Sarga is the first creation; Skanda is the largest.

42. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Linga Purana presents Shiva as the Linga. 2. The Varaha Purana is about the Man-lion avatar.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Varaha is the Boar avatar.

43. Vishnu as the Tortoise is the subject of the

    1. Matsya Purana
    2. Vamana Purana
    3. Kurma Purana
    4. Varaha Purana
    Answer

    C. Kurma Purana

    The Kurma Purana is named for the Tortoise avatar.

44. In the usual Dashavatara list, which incarnation is yet to come?

    1. Kalki
    2. Vamana
    3. Narasimha
    4. Parashurama
    Answer

    A. Kalki

    Kalki is the future avatar.

45. The Brahmavaivarta Purana gives special place to

    1. Shiva and Parvati
    2. Rama and Sita
    3. Krishna and Radha
    4. Narasimha and Lakshmi
    Answer

    C. Krishna and Radha

    It centres on Krishna, Radha and Prakriti.