The 18 Mahapuranas

    Explore the ancient wisdom of the Puranas — sacred texts that form the backbone of Hindu mythology, philosophy, and devotion.

    18

    Puranas

    4,00,000+

    Total Verses

    3

    Categories

    Showing 18 of 18 Puranas

    🕉️Brahma

    Brahma Purana

    ब्रह्म पुराण

    The earliest of all Puranas, also known as Adi Purana, it narrates the creation of the universe and glorifies Lord Brahma, Surya, and the holy city of Puri.

    ~10,000 verses245 chapters
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    🪷Vaishnava

    Padma Purana

    पद्म पुराण

    One of the largest Puranas with over 55,000 verses, it describes the world as emerging from a lotus (padma) and glorifies Lord Vishnu through stories, rituals, and devotion.

    ~55,000 verses640 chapters
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    🔱Vaishnava

    Vishnu Purana

    विष्णु पुराण

    A foundational Vaishnava text describing the six parts of Puranic knowledge, centered on Lord Vishnu as the supreme being and preserver of the cosmos.

    ~23,000 verses126 chapters
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    🔱Shaiva

    Shiva Purana

    शिव पुराण

    Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this Purana describes his forms, legends, philosophy, and worship, including the significance of the Shiva Lingam and Jyotirlingas.

    ~24,000 verses457 chapters
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    🦚Vaishnava

    Bhagavata Purana

    भागवत पुराण

    The most popular of all Puranas, it beautifully narrates the life and leelas of Lord Krishna and promotes Bhakti (devotion) as the supreme path to God.

    ~18,000 verses335 chapters
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    🎵Vaishnava

    Narada Purana

    नारद पुराण

    Narrated by the divine sage Narada, it describes Vaishnava festivals, vratas, worship methods, and the importance of bhakti and dharma.

    ~25,000 verses320 chapters
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    ⚔️Brahma

    Markandeya Purana

    मार्कण्डेय पुराण

    Contains the famous Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati) glorifying Goddess Durga, along with stories narrated by the immortal sage Markandeya.

    ~9,000 verses137 chapters
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    🔥Brahma

    Agni Purana

    अग्नि पुराण

    An encyclopedic text narrated by Agni (fire god) covering rituals, medicine, grammar, astrology, warfare, law, and virtually every branch of traditional knowledge.

    ~15,000 verses383 chapters
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    ☀️Brahma

    Bhavishya Purana

    भविष्य पुराण

    A prophetic text that predicts future events, describes Surya (Sun) worship, and covers dharma, vratas, and social customs for different yugas.

    ~14,500 verses211 chapters
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    💛Vaishnava

    Brahmavaivarta Purana

    ब्रह्मवैवर्त पुराण

    Glorifies Krishna as the supreme deity and extensively describes the divine love between Radha and Krishna, along with creation myths involving Prakriti.

    ~18,000 verses218 chapters
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    🪔Shaiva

    Linga Purana

    लिंग पुराण

    Dedicated to the worship of the Shiva Lingam, it explains the origin, symbolism, and rituals associated with the Lingam as the supreme representation of Lord Shiva.

    ~11,000 verses163 chapters
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    🐗Vaishnava

    Varaha Purana

    वराह पुराण

    Named after Vishnu's boar avatar (Varaha), it describes the rescue of Earth from the cosmic ocean and covers dharma, vratas, and Goddess worship.

    ~24,000 verses218 chapters
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    ⛰️Shaiva

    Skanda Purana

    स्कन्द पुराण

    The largest of all Puranas with 81,000+ verses, named after Kartikeya (Skanda), it extensively describes sacred pilgrimages and temple legends across India.

    ~81,100 verses810 chapters
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    👣Vaishnava

    Vamana Purana

    वामन पुराण

    Named after Vishnu's dwarf avatar (Vamana), it narrates the story of Vamana subduing King Bali and covers Shaiva-Vaishnava legends.

    ~10,000 verses95 chapters
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    🐢Vaishnava

    Kurma Purana

    कूर्म पुराण

    Named after Vishnu's tortoise avatar (Kurma), it describes the churning of the ocean and contains the Ishvara Gita teaching the unity of Vishnu and Shiva.

    ~17,000 verses99 chapters
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    🐟Vaishnava

    Matsya Purana

    मत्स्य पुराण

    Named after Vishnu's fish avatar (Matsya), it narrates the great deluge story and covers temple architecture, iconography, and governance.

    ~14,000 verses291 chapters
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    🦅Vaishnava

    Garuda Purana

    गरुड़ पुराण

    Narrated by Vishnu to Garuda, it is famous for its detailed descriptions of life after death, karma, funeral rites, and the journey of the soul.

    ~19,000 verses279 chapters
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    🌌Brahma

    Brahmanda Purana

    ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण

    Describes the cosmic egg (Brahmanda) from which the universe was born, and contains the revered Lalita Sahasranama — the thousand names of Goddess Lalita.

    ~12,000 verses156 chapters
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    The 18 Mahapuranas — Complete Guide

    The Puranas are among the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism. These 18 Mahapuranas contain approximately 4,00,000 verses narrating the creation of the universe, stories of gods and sages, philosophy, dharma, and the path to moksha (liberation).

    Three Categories

    • Vaishnava Puranas: Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his avatars — Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Narada Purana, Varaha Purana.
    • Shaiva Puranas: Devoted to Lord Shiva — Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana, Vayu Purana, Matsya Purana.
    • Brahma Puranas: Focused on Brahma and creation — Brahma Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Brahmavaivarta Purana, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana.

    What You Can Do Here

    Browse all 18 Mahapuranas with search and category filters. Read AI-generated chapter summaries for each Purana in Hindi or English. Ask AI questions specific to any Purana and get instant, contextual answers. Explore verse counts, chapter indices, and detailed descriptions.

    Why Read the Puranas?

    The Puranas are not just mythology — they are a guide to living. They teach the law of karma, the path of devotion (bhakti), the science of yoga, and the way to liberation. By translating the complex wisdom of the Vedas into accessible narratives, the Puranas have shaped Hindu culture, festivals, temple traditions, and spiritual practice for thousands of years.

    AI-Powered Exploration

    Our platform uses AI to generate detailed chapter summaries on demand, so you can explore the vast content of each Purana without needing to read all 4,00,000 verses. The AI chat feature lets you ask specific questions — "What does the Bhagavata Purana say about dharma?" or "Who are the main characters in the Shiva Purana?" — and receive accurate, scripture-based answers instantly.