The Puranas: what the eighteen Mahapuranas contain and where to begin

If the Vedas are the philosophy of the tradition and the epics its history, the Puranas are its living memory: the stories of creation and dissolution, the genealogies of gods, sages and kings, the lives of the avatars, and the vows, pilgrimages and rituals of everyday religion. Almost everything an Indian child knows about Krishna, Shiva or the Goddess comes from a Purana, usually by way of a grandmother. This guide explains how the Puranas are organised, what each of the eighteen contains, and which editions to read first. All of them are in the Puranas and Upanishads collection.

What makes a Purana

Purana means "ancient". The tradition attributes all eighteen Mahapuranas to Vyasa and defines a Purana by five subjects: sarga (creation), pratisarga (dissolution and re-creation), vamsha (the lineages of gods and sages), manvantara (the ages of the Manus) and vamshanucharita (the histories of the royal dynasties). In practice each Purana centres on a deity, and the eighteen are grouped by the three gunas: six sattvic Puranas for Vishnu, six rajasic for Brahma, six tamasic for Shiva. A family's choice of Purana usually follows its ishta devata.

The Vishnu Puranas

Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapuran

The most read and most beloved of all: twelve skandhas, of which the tenth is the life of Krishna, from his birth in Mathura through the lifting of Govardhan and the raas leela to his years in Dwarka, and the eleventh his final teaching to Uddhava. It is recited over seven days as the Bhagavat Saptah, the most common form of public katha in India. The illustrated Hindi edition comes in two parts (Part 2 here, or the complete set); the Part 1 edition is available in English, Gujarati, Telugu and Odia, with the English set for both parts. For a single volume prose retelling in large type, the Sudhasagar (Shuk Sagar) is the traditional choice, and the Chitramay Bhagavat tells it through paintings.

Vishnu, Narada, Padma, Garuda, Varaha

• Vishnu Purana: the most orderly of the Puranas, covering creation, the avatars and the life of Krishna in six books. Hindi, Gujarati and Nepali.
• Narada Purana: Narada's instruction on devotion, the vows of each month and the glory of the holy places.
• Padma Purana: the lotus from which Brahma was born; stories of Rama, the glories of Tulsi, the Ganga and Ekadashi, and the Gita Mahatmya read before the Gita.
• Garuda Purana: Vishnu's teaching to Garuda on death, the journey of the soul and the rites for the departed, which is why it is read during the thirteen days after a death. The Saroddhar is the short version used for that reading.
• Varaha Purana: told by Vishnu as the boar avatar to Bhumi Devi, on vows, tirthas and the worship of Vishnu.
• Narasimha Purana: an Upapurana on the man lion avatar and the devotee Prahlada, read for protection.

The Shiva Puranas

Shiva Purana

The origin of the linga, the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, the births of Ganesha and Kartikeya, the twelve Jyotirlingas and the rules of Shiva worship including Mahashivratri and the Shravan month. The abridged illustrated edition (Hindi and Gujarati) is the family copy; the Mool Matra gives the full Sanskrit text, and the two part Shiva Mahapurana with translation (Part 2 here) is the complete work. The Shivpuran Kathasar is a 160 page summary for a first reading.

Linga, Matsya, Kurma, Vamana, Agni

• Linga Purana: the meaning of the linga, the twenty eight avatars of Shiva and the practice of Shiva yoga.
• Matsya Purana: the fish avatar and the great flood, and long sections on temple building, iconography and vows. Hindi and Gujarati.
• Kurma Purana: the tortoise avatar and the churning of the ocean, with the Ishvara Gita spoken by Shiva.
• Vamana Purana: the dwarf avatar and King Bali, and the glories of Kurukshetra. Hindi and Gujarati.
• Agni Purana: the encyclopaedia among Puranas: ritual, astrology, medicine, grammar, poetics and law, told by Agni to Vasishtha.

The Brahma and Devi Puranas

• Brahma Purana: the first in the traditional list; creation, the glories of Odisha's holy places including Puri, and the life of Krishna. Stories from the Brahma Purana retells its best known episodes.
• Brahma Vaivarta Purana: the Purana of Radha and Krishna, and of Ganesha's birth and the origin of Tulsi.
• Markandeya Purana: notable above all because thirteen of its chapters are the Devi Mahatmya, better known as the Durga Saptashati, the seven hundred verses on the Goddess's victories over Mahishasura and Shumbha and Nishumbha, recited through Navratri. The illustrated Hindi edition adds colour plates and a recitation guide.
• Devi Bhagavat: the great Shakta Purana, the Goddess's own account of creation and her appearances, read through Navratri by devotees of the Devi; also the Mahabhagavata (Devi) Purana on the fifty one Shaktipeeths.
• Harivansh Purana: the supplement to the Mahabharata on Krishna's family and early life, counted with the Puranas.

Which Purana to read first

For most families the answer is the Bhagavat, because its stories are the ones everyone already half knows. Devotees of Shiva start with the abridged Shiva Purana; devotees of the Goddess with the Durga Saptashati and then the Devi Bhagavat. The Garuda Purana is read at a specific time, after a death, and is best bought in advance so it is on the shelf when it is needed. The abridged, illustrated "sankshipt" editions are meant for exactly this kind of reading: the full stories in a single volume, large type, colour plates. For the epics that the Puranas constantly refer back to, see our guide to the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Gita; for the philosophy underneath, the Vedas and Upanishads.

Frequently asked questions

How many Puranas are there?

Eighteen Mahapuranas and eighteen Upapuranas (minor Puranas), plus many Sthala Puranas attached to individual temples. The eighteen major ones are the ones listed here.

Are the Puranas history?

They are itihasa in the traditional sense, sacred history, and they preserve genuine dynastic lists and geography. They are read for their teaching and their stories rather than as chronicles.

What does "sankshipt" mean on an edition?

Abridged. The sankshipt editions keep every major story and teaching but leave out repetition and the long genealogies, which brings a Purana down to one readable volume.

Descriptions of traditional or spiritual use reflect Vedic belief and are shared for cultural context. They are not medical or professional advice.