| Purana means stories or histories of ancient times. | | | | with the axe, the destroyer of the Kshatriya race), |
| There are several subject matters in the puranas and | | | | Ramachandra (the hero of the Ramayana who |
| they are classified into five sections. Their five sections | | | | destroyed Ravana), Sri Balarama (brother of Sri |
| are history, cosmology, secondary creation, genealogy | | | | Krishna), Buddha (the prince-ascetic, founder of |
| of kings, and of Manvantaras or Manus. The Puranas | | | | Buddhism), and Kalki (the hero riding on a white horse, |
| are part of the Itihasas. | | | | who is to come at the end of the Kali-Yuga). |
| The Puranas were written to popularize the religion of | | | | Matsya saved Vaivasvata Manu and the Vedas when |
| the Vedas. They contain the essence of the Vedas. | | | | the waters of destruction overflowed the universe. |
| The aim of the Puranas is to impress on the minds of | | | | Kurma used His shell as a pivot when the demigods |
| the masses the teachings of the Vedas and to | | | | and demons agreed to churn the ocean of milk to get |
| generate in them devotion to God, through concrete | | | | the nectar of immortality. Varaha saved the world |
| examples, myths, stories, legends, lives of saints, kings | | | | from the ocean below the universe by holding it on His |
| and great men, allegories, and chronicles of great | | | | tusk, when the world was thrown there by the demon |
| historical events. The sages made use of these things | | | | Hiranyaksha. Narasimha appeared to save His |
| to illustrate the eternal principles of religion. The | | | | devotee Prahlad from the oppression of his father, the |
| Puranas were meant, not for the scholars, but for the | | | | demon Hiranyakashipu. Vamana appeared to trick King |
| ordinary people who could not understand high | | | | Bali by asking him some charity. Bali conquered the |
| philosophy and who could not study the Vedas. | | | | universe and Vamana restored it to the possession of |
| Each purana gives prominence to a particular deity | | | | the demigods. |
| and therefore places all others on a subservient | | | | Parasurama appeared to rid the world of the irreligious |
| position. There are stories in the puranas to further | | | | kshatriya kings. Parasurama destroyed the kshatriya |
| explain the application of religion in life and to | | | | race twenty-one times. Rama destroyed Ravana, |
| emphasize the importance of injunctions. | | | | who kidnapped His chaste wife Sita. Sri Balarama |
| The Srimad Bhagavata Purana describes at length the | | | | appeared to help Sri Krishna and removed the burden |
| appearance and activities of the ten main incarnations | | | | of the world by killing Kamsa and many other demons |
| of Krishna. Other incarnations are also mentioned | | | | and kings. He also helped to re-establish religious |
| where necessary. The avatars appear to re-establish | | | | principles and assisted Krishna to deliver the message |
| religious principles, to destroy those promoting irreligious | | | | of the Bhagavad Gita. Buddha taught compassion, |
| life, and to enjoy pastimes with Their devotees. The | | | | vegetarianism and meditation to attain the Supreme |
| ten Avatars are: Matsya (The Fish), Kurma (The | | | | Truth. Kalki will appear at the end of this age to |
| Tortoise), Varaha (The Boar), Narasimha (The | | | | destroy the sinful populace and to start again the |
| Man-Lion), Vamana (The Dwarf), Parasurama (Rama | | | | golden age called Satya yuga. |