Puranas in Hindu Mythology | Types and Significance

What are Puranas in Hindu mythology and how many types are they? 

By Intimate Viewpoint 

The Puranas are a collection of Hindu sacred texts that contain Hindu mythological legends, myths, and other traditional lore. 

The word 'Purana' is a Sanskrit word which means ancient or old. Puranas play an important role in Indian history. It makes the new generation aware of ancient Hindu culture, tradition, and Civilizations. Puranas are considered a great medium to bring people close to the Gods and provide deep knowledge about Gods and goddess and their 'Avtaars'(incarnation) and the legends behind them. The Puranas have played an important role in providing deep knowledge about Sanatan Dharma and the Gods and goddesses associated with it even in the modern Era. They also have inspired many aspects of modern India such as Hindu practices, Hindu history, and subcontinent culture.

The Puranas were written by many authors. However, consideration is also spread regarding this, as the Puranas were written by Vedvyas (the author of Mahabharata). Although there is no precise indication of this consideration. 

Types of Puranas 

There are 18 Mukhya Puranas (Major Puranas) which are also known as Maha Puranas but there are several different lists of 18 Puranas which are known as Upa Puranas (minor Puranas).

Several of these Puranas are named after major Hindu Gods such as Brahma Puran, Vishnu Puran, & Shiv Puran. Apart from this Padma, Bhagwat, Narada, Markandeya, Agni, Bhavishya, Brahmanda, and Linga. Many of them are also named after the name of incarnations of Lord Vishnu such as Varaha, Skanda, Vamana, Kurma, Matsya, and Garuda.

When were the Puranas written?

The Puranas were written in between the 4th century and 10th century. The primary version of several Puranas was considered to be written in the middle of the third and 10 centuries. The Matsya Puran is the oldest Purana which was written in the third century. Although the exact time of their writing is not mentioned anywhere.

The Puranas were written traditionally on 5 subjects. 

* The primary creation of the universe. 

* The secondary creation after periodic annihilation. 

* The genealogy of Gods and Patriarchs. 

* The Reigns of the Manu (the first human on earth) and

* The history of the Solar and Lunar dynasties

The Language of Puranas

Although The Puranas can be found in several Indian languages they were originally written in Sanskrit.