For other meanings, see Purana (disambiguation)

Purana (disambiguation)

Puran or Purana and similar word Purna can mean:* Puran or Purna mean 'complete' in Hindi and Sanskrit respectively, in words like Purna avatar, Purna Swaraj and Purna Yoga.*Purana, a type of Hindu Indian literature...

.

The Puranas (Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

: , "of ancient times") are a genre of important Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.

Puranas usually give prominence to a particular deity, employing an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts.