One of a class of sacred Hindoo poetical works in the Sanskrit language which treat of the creation, destruction, and renovation of worlds, the genealogy and achievements of gods and heroes, the reigns of the Manus, and the transactions of their descendants. The principal Puranas are eighteen in number, and there are the same number of supplementary books called Upa Puranas.
(Skt) "Ancient" stories; collections of Hindu allegories and myths on cosmic and human life-cycles.
late texts (about 12 th to 14 th century) narrating legends and mythologies of gods
The puranas are the mythological holy scriptures. Purana means ancient. See nine modes of bhakti page.
Ancient. Part of the Smriti scriptures. Contains many of the well-known Hindu stories. No entries
legend and apologue; the Puranas: [a class of sacred writings written in an easy form of Sanskrit (more modem than that of the Veda and Vedanta) composed of legends, apologues, etc.].
a body of 18 works written between the first and 11th centuries and incorporating legends and speculative histories of the universe and myths and customary observances
historical supplement to the Vedas.
history told in story form
eighteen ancient books consisting of legends and mythological narrations dealing with creation, recreation and the genealogies of sages and rulers
("Ancient [History]"): a type of popular encyclopedia dealing with royal genealogy, cosmology, philosophy, and ritual; there are eighteen major and many more minor works of this nature
