The Puranas
Remembered Tradition · ~300-1500 CE
18 major texts that make complex philosophy accessible through stories.
If the Vedas and Upanishads are the textbooks of Hinduism, the Puranas are the storybooks. There are 18 major Puranas (Maha Puranas) and many smaller ones (Upa Puranas), and they are how the vast majority of Hindus actually learn about their religion. The Puranas take the abstract, difficult philosophy of the Vedas and turn it into vivid, memorable stories about gods, demons, kings, sages, and the creation of the universe. Each of the 18 major Puranas is dedicated primarily to one of the three great deities. Six focus on Vishnu (like the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana), six on Shiva (like the Shiva Purana and the Linga Purana), and six on Brahma (like the Brahma Purana). The Devi Bhagavata Purana and the Markandeya Purana focus on the Goddess. The Bhagavata Purana (also called the Srimad Bhagavatam) is the most popular of all. It contains the detailed stories of Krishna's childhood: stealing butter, playing with the gopis, lifting Govardhana mountain, and defeating demons. These stories are the ones that Telugu families tell their children, that artists paint, and that dancers perform in Kuchipudi recitals. The Puranas were composed in Sanskrit over a very long period, roughly from 300 CE to 1500 CE, and they were continually expanded and updated. They also contain detailed descriptions of the Yugas (cosmic ages), creation and destruction of the universe, genealogies of royal dynasties, and guides to pilgrimage sites. In Telugu households, Purana stories are everywhere. The Kartika Purana is read aloud every evening during Kartika Masam (the holy month of Kartika). Temple priests tell Purana stories during pravachanams (religious discourses). Telugu TV channels broadcast Purana-based serials year-round. When your grandmother tells you the story of Prahlada and Narasimha, or Gajendra (the elephant) calling out to Vishnu, she is telling you stories from the Puranas.