What Are PURANs (पुराण)?

Vedas and the Fourteen Seats of Knowledge

The Fourteen Seats of Knowledge (Chaturdasha Vidyasthāna) Purāṇas hold a unique and honored place

In the ancient Vedic tradition, all branches of sacred learning were organized into fourteen streams of knowledge known as the Chaturdasha Vidyasthāna — the Fourteen Seats of Wisdom.
Among these, the Purāṇas hold a unique and honored place, for they preserve the essence of Vedic truths in the form of divine narratives, history, and moral teachings.
Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda — these are the 4 four Vedas.
For correct recitation, interpretation, and application of the Vedas, 6 six Vedāṅgas (limbs of the Vedas) are described — Śhikshā, Kalpa, Vyākaraṇa, Nirukta, Chhanda, and Jyotiṣha.
In addition to these, there are 4 four Upāṅgas — Purāṇa, Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, and Dharmaśāstra.

4 Vedas, 6 Vedāṅgas, and 4 Upāṅgas together constitute Chaturdasha Vidyasthāna

“Purāṇanyāyamīmāṃsādharmaśāstrāṅgamiśritāḥ।
Vedāḥ sthānāni vidyānāṃ dharmasya ca caturdaśa॥“ (Yājñavalkya Smṛti 1.3)

“The Vedas, together with the Vedāṅgas, the Purāṇas, Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, and Dharmaśāstra, constitute the fourteen seats of knowledge — the sources of all learning and of Dharma.”

“Aṅgāni vedāścatvāro mīmāṃsā nyāyavistaraḥ।
Dharmaśāstraṃ purāṇaṃ ca vidyā hyetāś caturdaśa॥“Mahābhārata – Āśvamedhika Parva 92)

In this way, the four Vedas, six Vedāṅgas, and four Upāṅgas together constitute the Chaturdasha Vidyasthāna — the fourteen foundations of sacred wisdom that form the spiritual and intellectual basis of Sanātana Dharma.

The Purāṇas describe the entire universe — the Devas (divine beings), human existence, and the eternal principles of Dharma. Thus, they stand as one of the most comprehensive and spiritually significant branches of Vedic knowledge.

What Are the Puranas?

“That scripture which describes the creation and dissolution of the universe, the genealogies of dynasties, the stories of the Manus (cosmic epochs), and the histories of royal lineages — is called a Purana.”
The Puranas are the practical expression of the Vedas — they simplify the profound Vedic wisdom for common people through narratives, stories, and illustrations.
Sage Shri Krishna Dwaipayana Vedavyasa an avatar of Shri Vishnu composed eighteen (18) Mahapuranas, eighteen (18) Upapuranas, and eighteen (18) Aupapuranas.
These scriptures are not limited to the tales of gods or sages, but encompass knowledge of every aspect of life —
food, clothing, shelter, education, health, defense, marriage, agriculture, commerce, cow protection, yajnas, ethics, dharma, artha, kama, and moksha — all elaborately discussed.
That is why the Puranas are regarded as a treasury of all knowledge and an eternal encyclopedia of wisdom.

In Heavens (Devaloka), Puranas exist in their vast form 1 billion Shlokas (Verses)

In the divine realms (Devaloka), the Puranas exist in their vast form — consisting of one billion (100 crore) verses.

At the beginning of a cosmic cycle (Kalpa), when Lord Brahma performed penance (Tap), the Vedas manifested from the power of that penance.
The Matsya Purana mentions that when Brahma meditated at the dawn of the Mahakalpa, the six Vedangas — Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Jyotisha, and Chhandas — emerged from his contemplation, and along with them appeared the four Vedopangas — Purana, Nyaya, Mimamsa, and

“Purāṇam sarva-shāstrāṇām prathamam Brahmaṇā smṛtam,
Nityam śabdamayam puṇyam śatakoti-pravistaram.”
(Matsya Purana 3.2–4, 53.3)

The Puranas were first remembered by Brahma before all other scriptures. It is eternal, shabda, sacred, and vast — extending to a 100 crore verses. Even today, in the celestial realms, that immense form of the Purana exists with 100 Crore Shlokas

On Earth —Puranas exist in 4 Lakh Verses as Essence

During the Dvapara Yuga, when Lord Vedavyasa realized that in the coming Kali Yuga, human beings would have very limited memory, lifespan, strength, and intellect — he divided the Vedas into four parts so that mankind could still benefit from Vedic wisdom and instruction.
He divided one Veda into four — Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda.
Then he composed the Puranas — to explain the profound truths of the Vedas through stories, parables, and life-related examples in a simple manner.
The Vedas are extremely profound and complex — their study requires a capable Guru, proper initiation (Deeksha), and intense discipline. But in Kali-Yuga, people neither have such a long life nor that level of concentration.
Lord Vedavyasa is a incarnation (Avtar) of Lord Vishnu, who descends in every Dvapara Yuga to reorganize and compile the Vedas and Puranas anew.
Therefore, it is rightly said —

“For the people of Kali Yuga, the Puranas are the Vedas.”

Purpose of the Puranas

The Puranas are not merely religious stories, they are a confluence of science, history, society, and spirituality. Their chief purpose is –

“To seek Truth, to uphold Dharma, and to guide life upon the righteous path.”

Atra sargo visargaś ca sthānaṁ poṣaṇam ūtayaḥ,
Manvantareśānukathā nirodho muktir āśrayaḥ.
Daśamasya viśuddhyartham navānām iha lakṣaṇam.
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.10.1–2)

The Puranas have ten distinguishing features: Creation (Sarga), Secondary Creation (Visarga), Place (Position/Sthāna), Sustenance (Poṣhaṇa), Impetus (Ūti), Epochs (Manvantara), Divine Narratives (Īśānukathā), Dissolution (Nirodha), Liberation (Mukti), and Refuge (Āśraya).
Through these, they reveal the mysteries of creation, dharma, and liberation.

The sequence of the Puranas also holds a mystery.

The sequence of the Puranas is based on an scientific curiosity to understand the process of creation. To understand this mystery, one should meditate upon the image of Lord Vishnu reclining on Shesha in the Milk Ocean (Kshīr Sāgara). This sequence answers each question in the subsequent Purana:

The Origin of Creation: The first curiosity arises: Who is the creator of this universe? The Brahma Purana answers this – Brahma (All-Mighty God, Shri Vishnu)Himself is the creator in the form of Brahma.
The Basis of the Creator: The second question arises: From where did Brahma manifest? The answer is the Padma Purana – Brahma originated from the navel-lotus (‘Padma’) of Brahma.
The Basis of the Basis: The third question: From where did that lotus emerge? The Vishnu Purana resolves this – that lotus emerged from the navel of Lord Vishnu.
The Support of Vishnu: The fourth question: Upon what does Vishnu rest? The profound answer is the Vayu/Shiva Purana – He rests on the Shesha-Shayya (Shesha symbolizes the Vāyu element).
The Ultimate Physical Basis: The fifth question: What is the basis of Shesha? The answer is the Bhāgavata Purana – the basis of Shesha is the Milk Ocean.
The Nāradīya Purana reveals the secret that Vīṇādhāri Nārada Ji is always present near the Shesha-Shayya in the Milk Ocean. These six Puranas indicate a journey from gross elements to subtle elements. Following this, the next curiosity arises: What is the root element (Mul Tatv ) of all these?
The Mārkaṇḍeya Purana states that Prakriti is the root element(Mul Tatv).
The Agni Purana states that Agni is the basis (Mul).
The Bhavishya Purana states that Sūrya is the principal element.
Finally, the Brahmavaivarta Purana concludes that this all is merely a Vivarta (transformation) of Brahma, and Brahma Himself is the root element.
After detailing the full evolution of creation, the curiosity arises: How can that root element Brahma be known, and what kind of worship (Upāsanā) should be performed? The Linga Purana and
The Vārāha Purana and
The Skanda Purana (Instructions of Lord Shankara). In this sequence, the Vāmana, Kūrma, and Matsya Puranas detail the four Avatāras of Lord Vishnu , who are given special prominence in the creation process—the naming of these Puranas is also based on the sequence of their utility in the creation process.
Vāmana Purana
Kūrma Purana
Matsya Purana
The Garuḍa Purana describes the various destinies (Gati) of the soul (Jīva).
And the Brahmāṇḍa Purana describes the boundary of the created world and the basis of all destinies.

Thus, this sequence is completed with Brahmāṇḍa Purana, according to the principle that there is nothing more to be known beyond Brahma (‘Puruṣānna paraṁ kiñcitsā kāṣṭā sā parā gatiḥ’)

Apart From 18 Mahapuranas, how many other Puranas are there?

In the Sanātana Dharma tradition, a total of 54 Puranas are recognized: 18 Maha puranas, 18 Upa-Puranas, and 18 Aupa-Puranas.

(The mention of 108 Puranas is found in some texts, but they are due to differences in branches and sectional variations.)

18 Upa-Puranas : ( basis for names:- The account of Nṛsiṁha’s incarnation found in the Padma Purana is called the Narasiṁha Purana. The one in which Svāmi Kārtikeya describes the greatness of Nandī is called the Nandī Purana. The one that elaborates the episode of Sāmba along with discussions of the future through a narrative is called the Sāmba Purana. Due to its description of Sūrya’s glory, it is also called the Āditya Purana. The Khilaparva (appendix) of the Mahābhārata is called the Harivaṁśa Purana.)

No. Of Chapters and Shlokas in 18 Maha-Purans

In Part 1, we covered the essential foundational knowledge regarding the Puranas:

The Mystery behind the sequence and order of the Puranas.
The number and names of the Mahapuranas, Upa-Puranas, and Aupa-Puranas.
The total number of chapters and verses (Shlokas) contained within the Mahapuranas.

In Part 2, we will uncover even more profound secrets of the Puranas!

The Puranas are an infinite and boundless treasury of knowledge. There is no sphere of creation—be it Knowledge (Jnana), Science (Vijnana), or History (Itihasa)—that has not been described and detailed extensively within the Puranas !

References:

Sārvabhaum Sanātan Siddhānt: Rachayitā – Pūjyapād Goyanḍkājī – Purī Pīṭhādīśvar – Shrīmad Jagadguru Shaṅkarāchārya – Pūjyanīy Sthān Akhilānand Sarasvatī Jī.
Sanatan Dharm-Prashnottar-Malika: Rachiyata- Pūjyapād Goyanḍkājī – Purī Pīṭhādīśvar – Shrīmad Jagadguru Shaṅkarāchārya – Pūjyanīy Nishchalanand Sarasvatī Jī.
Brahm Puran; Translated by Shri Tarinish Jha, Publishers-Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag.

What Are PURANs (पुराण)? Part-1