Question

What did the Puranic stories consist of?

Answer 1

Hint: The word ‘Puranic’ refers to old or ancient. It covers a wide range of topics which includes legends and lores.

Complete answer: The Puranas are like the encyclopedia. It includes a diverse range of topics like cosmogony and cosmology, kings, heroes, demigods and many others. The Puranas are significant because of their symbolism which is depicted with the stories. The Puranas are written originally in Sanskrit but are also available in Tamil and other languages.1 Maha Puranas,17 Mukhya Puranas and 18 Upa Puranas constitute the Puranas. The Puranas constitute 4,000,000 verses. The first version of the Puranas is said to be written during the period between the 3rd and 10th century. The Puranas are not regarded as scriptures in Hinduism. They are regarded as Smritis. In Hinduism, the Puranas have inspired regional cultures and festivals. The Puranas include religious practices called Vaidika which agrees to the Vedic literature. Per tradition, Vyasa is said to be the compiler of the Puranas. The Puranas mainly contain the history of the creation and destruction of the universe. They also contain the genealogies of kings, sages, heroes and deities.

Note: The Puranas were transmitted orally before they were written down. They were modified during the 16th century and beyond. The All India Kashiraj Trust began serious work on the Puranas and published a journal too called the ‘Puranam’.The earliest written Puranas does not mention the date of the Puranas.