Purana (Sanskrit पुराण, purāna, meaning "ancient" or "old") is the name of a genre (or a group of related genres) of Indian written literature (as distinct from oral literature). Its general themes are history, tradition and religion. It is usually written in the form of stories related by one person to another.
There are many texts designated as 'Purana.' The most important are:
Mahāpurānas and Upapurānas - Written in Sanskrit, by Brahmins. They usually adhere to the 'Panca-laksana' typology (see below). They tell of the creation of the universe and the human race, narrate the genealogies of kings and saints, and contain assorted narratives, stories, and philosophical and religious topics.
Included among the texts of distinctly lesser importance that also bear the name Puranas are
Sthala Purānas - Scriptures usually extolling the virtues of a certain Hindu temple. They narrate stories of the temple's creation and spiritual history.
Kula Purāṇas - Scriptures that deal with the origin and legends of a particular caste.
The designation 'Purana' implicitly confers on a text a kind of factual aura, somewhat similar to the designation 'History' in Western discourse.
Contents[hide]
1 Mahapuranas (महापुराण) and Upapuranas (उपपुराण)
1.1 Structure and content
1.2 Classification
1.3 Author and Disemmination
1.4 Notable Puranas
2 Sthala Puranas
3 Non Hindu Puranas
