| 1 |
ब्रह्म पुराण |
Creation, cosmology, and sacred geography including Puri and Konark |
| 2 |
पद्म पुराण |
Devotion to Viṣṇu, creation stories, and pilgrimage sites including Prayāga and Vārāṇasī |
| 3 |
विष्णु पुराण |
Viṣṇu’s ten avatāras, cosmic order, and the Daśāvatāra including Rāma and Kṛṣṇa |
| 4 |
शिव पुराण |
Glory of Śiva, symbolism of the liṅga, and Śaiva cosmology |
| 5 |
भागवत पुराण |
Life of Kṛṣṇa, bhakti teachings, and the soul’s journey toward liberation |
| 6 |
नारद पुराण |
Rituals, devotion, sacred calendars, and the duties of a devotee |
| 7 |
मार्कण्डेय पुराण |
Home of the Devī Māhātmya (Durgā Saptaśatī) — the glory of the goddess and dharma across cosmic cycles |
| 8 |
अग्नि पुराण |
An encyclopedia — temple architecture, iconography, statecraft, yoga, medicine, and ritual |
| 9 |
भविष्य पुराण |
Prophecies about future ages, coming kings, and the unfolding of Kali Yuga |
| 10 |
ब्रह्मवैवर्त पुराण |
Divine love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, cosmology, and the nature of Prakṛti |
| 11 |
लिङ्ग पुराण |
Origins of the Śiva liṅga, Śaiva cosmogony, and the destruction of Tripurāsura |
| 12 |
वाराह पुराण |
Viṣṇu’s Varāha (boar) avatāra, sacred tīrthas, and Vaiṣṇava devotional practice |
| 13 |
स्कन्द पुराण |
The largest Purāṇa — Kārttikeya’s birth and exploits, sacred geography, and pilgrimage |
| 14 |
वामन पुराण |
Viṣṇu’s Vāmana (dwarf) avatāra, dharma, and the defeat of King Bali |
| 15 |
कूर्म पुराण |
Viṣṇu’s Kūrma (tortoise) avatāra, the churning of the cosmic ocean, and Śaiva philosophy |
| 16 |
मत्स्य पुराण |
Viṣṇu’s Matsya (fish) avatāra, the great flood, lunar dynasties, and sacred sites Kāśī and Prayāga |
| 17 |
गरुड पुराण |
The soul’s journey after death, karma, the afterlife, ancestral rites, and gemology |
| 18 |
ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण |
Cosmic egg (brahmāṇḍa), genealogies, the Lalitā Sahasranāma, and Śākta teachings |