Purana - Ancient Indian Literature, Truth and Myth - 3rd Part.

Purana Manuscript.

7. - Agni Purana –  

It has 15,400 verses. This Purana contains encyclopaedic information. 

It has also geography of ancient Mithila state and its neighboring states.

Army system and it’s Orginasation, Taxation law.

Cultural history, Politics, Education system, Iconography.   

Theories on proper causes for war, Diplomacy, Local laws. 

Building Public projects, Water distribution methods, Trees and Plants, Medicine.

Vastu Sastra (Architecture), Gemmology, Grammar, Metrics, Poetry, Foods, Rituals and many other topics and subjects.

8. – Brahma Purana –

This Purana has 10,000 verses.

This Purana is also known as Adi Purana too because many scholars think or say that, this is the First Purana.  

Many Mahapuranas lists put Brahma Purana as first of 18 Purana. 

This Purana has 245 chapters. Brahma Purana shares many passages with Vishnu Purana, Vayu Purana, Markendeya Puranas, and with Mahabhart. 

   

These passages include Mythology, Theory of war, Art work in temples, and other cultural topics. 

This Purana describes holy places in Odisha, and weaves themes of Vishnu and Shiva but surprisingly there is hardly any mention of God Brahma despite the title.

9. –  Brahmavaivarta Purana - 

There are 17,000 verses in this Purana. 

The topics or subjects described in this Purana are Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, Devis, Vishnu, Krishna and Radha. 

Mythological, love and seduction stories of gods and goddesses are also the topic of this Purana. 

Geography with Rivers from North to South such as Ganga to Kaveri are also mentioned in this Purana.

10. - Garuda Purana – 

In it there are 19,000 verses. 

This Purana is an encyclopaedia of diverse topics. 

Mainly about Lord Vishnu, but praises all gods. Describes how Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma collaborated. 

Most chapters of this Purana are a dialogue between Vishnu and his bird-vehicle Garud. 

It also described cosmology, relationship between gods.  

Garuda Purana also discusses ethics, what are crimes, good versus evil.

Various schools of Hindu philosophies, the theory of Yoga.

The theory of "heaven and hell" with "karma and rebirth", includes Upanishadic discussion of self-knowledge as a means of Moksha. 

Garuda Purana Includes chapters on rivers, geography of Bharat (India) and other nations on earth. 

Types of minerals and stones, quality testing methods for stones. 

Various diseases and their symptoms, various medicines. 

Aphrodisiacs, prophylactics, Hindu calendar and its basis, astronomy, moon, planets, astrology.

Architecture, building home, essential features of a temple. 

Rites of passage, virtues such as compassion.

Charity and gift making, economy, thrift.

Duties of a king, politics, state officials and their roles and how to appointment them, genre of literature, rules of grammar, and other topics.

The final chapters discuss how to practice Yoga (Samkhya and Advaita types), personal development and the benefits of self-knowledge.

11. – Kurma Purana – There are 17,000 verses in this Purana. 

Kurma is the second of ten major avatars of Lord Vishnu.

Purana - Ancient Indian Literature, Truth and Myth - 2nd part.

                                                     Purana hand written script.


Out of 18 Purana I have selected 6 oldest one. These are - 

1. - Markandaya Purana – 
 

It has 9,000 verses. This purana is named after its writer sage Markandaya, a great Sage. 

This Purana contains chapters on Dharma and on Hindu epic Mahabharata. 

The Purana includes ‘Devi Mahatyamaya ’, it is also known as ‘Durga Saptasati’ the book on ‘Shakti puja’, Prayer of energy, power (Nature Goddess in its 9 look or faces). 

The chapter of this Purana also describes Vindhya Range and western India. 

Probably composed in the Narmada valleys and Tapti River, in MP – Maharashtra border and Gujarat. 

2. – Brahmanda Purana – It has 12,000 verses. 

One of the earliest composed Purana; it contains controversial genealogical details of various dynasties. 

In it one can get law codes, system of governance, administration, diplomacy, trade, and ethics. 

Old manuscripts of Brahmanda Purana have been found in the Hindu literature collections of Bali, Indonesia.

3. – Vayu Purana – In this purana there are 24,000 verses. 

This Purana praises Shiva. 

It also discusses rituals, family life, and life stages of a human being. 

The content in Vayu Purana is also found in Markandaya Purana. 

It has described south India, particularly areas of today’s ‘Telangana and Andhra Pradesh’ regions. 

It also contains controversial genealogical details of various dynasties.

4. – Vishnu Purana - In it there are 23,000 verses. 

This is one of the most studied and circulated Purana. 

It also contains a controversial genealogical detail of various dynasties. 

Better preserved after the 17th century, but exists in inconsistent versions, more ancient pre-15th century versions are very different from modern versions, with some versions discussing Buddhism and Jainism. 

Some chapters likely composed in Kashmir and Punjab region. This purana is a text on Lord Vishnu.

5. – Bhagwat Purana – There are 18,000 verses in this purana.  

The most studied Purana. 

In it there is telling of Vishnu's Avatars (Incarnation, Appearance) and of Vaishnavism.

It contains a controversial genealogical detail of various dynasties.  

It Influenced and elaborated the Bhakti movement and the people of Medieval period when Sanatan or Hindu dharma was in real danger.

6. - Matasaya Purana – It has 14,000 verses.  

This purana is an encyclopaedia of diverse topics.  

It narrates the story of Matasaya, the first of ten major Avatars of Vishnu. 

 Possibly it is composed in west India, by people aware of geographical details of the river Narmada. 

In it there is story about Brahma and Saraswati. It also contains controversial genealogical details of various dynasties.

                                                         End.


Dear reader due to some friends request soon you will get all the 18 Puranas, means rest 12 will be presented before you soon. With thanks and regard.