| No. | Purana Name | Primary Deity | Verses (Approx.) | Key Content | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | | Brahma | 10,000 | Creation, cosmic order, holy places in Orissa. | | 2 | Padma Purana | Vishnu | 55,000 | Cosmogony, geography, also contains the famous Bhagavata Mahatmya . | | 3 | Vishnu Purana | Vishnu | 23,000 | One of the oldest and most important; details of Vedic cosmology. | | 4 | Vayu Purana | Vayu (Wind God) | 24,000 | Cosmic vehicle, detailed accounts of epochs. | | 5 | Bhagavata Purana | Krishna (Vishnu) | 18,000 | Most popular; life of Krishna and bhakti (devotion). | | 6 | Narada Purana | Narada | 25,000 | Dialogue between sage Narada and Sanatkumara. | | 7 | Markandeya Purana | Vishnu/Devi | 9,000 | Includes the Devi Mahatmya (worship of the Goddess Durga). | | 8 | Agni Purana | Agni (Fire God) | 15,400 | Encyclopedia of rituals, weaponry, and even poetics. | | 9 | Bhavishya Purana | Brahma/Surya | 14,500 | "Future" Purana; includes prophecies. | | 10 | Brahmavaivarta Purana | Krishna | 18,000 | Describes the love sports of Krishna and Radha. | | 11 | Linga Purana | Shiva | 11,000 | The origin of the Linga (Shiva’s aniconic form). | | 12 | Varaha Purana | Vishnu (Varaha boar incarnation) | 24,000 | Salvation and devotion to Vishnu. | | 13 | Skanda Purana | Kartikeya (Skanda) | 81,000 | Largest Purana; extensive on pilgrimage (Tirthas). | | 14 | Vamana Purana | Vamana (Dwarf incarnation of Vishnu) | 10,000 | Story of King Bali and Vamana. | | 15 | Kurma Purana | Kurma (Tortoise incarnation) | 17,000 | Dialogue between Vishnu and the sage Narada. | | 16 | Matsya Purana | Matsya (Fish incarnation) | 14,000 | Flood myth and law codes. | | 17 | Garuda Purana | Vishnu (Garuda’s questions) | 19,000 | Death, afterlife, and reincarnation (read during funeral rites). | | 18 | Brahmanda Purana | Brahma | 12,000 | Contains the Lalita Sahasranama (thousand names of the Goddess). |
18 Mahapuranas (Great Puranas) are a vast collection of ancient Sanskrit texts attributed to the sage Veda Vyasa 18 puranas in sanskrit pdf
The (Sanskrit: पुराण, meaning "ancient" or "old") are a vast genre of Indian literature that cover a wide range of topics—from cosmology and genealogy to gods, goddesses, kings, heroes, sages, and pilgrimage sites. Alongside the Vedas, Upanishads, and Epics (Ramayana & Mahabharata), the Puranas form the backbone of Hindu religious and cultural tradition. | | 3 | Vishnu Purana | Vishnu
Vishnu, Naradiya, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma, and Varaha Puranas. | | 6 | Narada Purana | Narada
पुराणानि भारतीयसंस्कृतेः अमूल्यरत्नानि सन्ति । अध्यात्मविद्यायाः, इतिहासस्य, संस्कृतेः च प्राचीनतमः ग्रन्थसमूहः एते । ‘पुरा नवं भवतीति पुराणम्’ इति निरुक्तम् । अर्थात् प्राचीनकालस्य ज्ञानं नवीनं कुर्वन्ति इति पुराणानां महिमा । अष्टादश महापुराणानि सन्ति । एतेषां रचना महर्षिणा वेदव्यासेन कृता इति प्रसिद्धिः ।
18 Maha Puranas in 18 Minutes!- *In brief* (Free PDF inside)
: Discusses the relationship between Krishna and Radha.