The classical compendium of Hindu mythology, theology, cosmology and ritual - composed by Veda Vyasa. Each Mahapurana foregrounds one of the Trimurti and is classified by predominating guna: 6 sattvika, 6 rajasika, 6 tamasika. Combined verse count across all 18: ~4,00,000 shlokas.
Considered the prototypical Mahapurana. Six amshas covering creation, Manvantaras, royal genealogies, dynasties of kings, Krishna lila, and the dissolution of the universe. Parashara teaches Maitreya.
Famous for: The first complete account of Krishna's childhood at Gokula + the Vishnu Sahasranama (in some recensions).
The most-loved Vaishnava Purana. Twelve skandas peak at the tenth (Krishna lila in Vraja). Suta narrates to the sages at Naimisharanya; Shuka teaches Parikshit before his death.
Famous for: Krishna in Vraja, Prahlada's devotion, Dhruva's tapas - the canonical bhakti-rasa scripture.
Narada's dialogue with Sanaka and the sages. Treats vrata-vidhi, tirtha-mahatmya, festival rules, and an extensive summary of every other Purana - the encyclopaedia among Puranas.
Famous for: The Rukmangada Charitra + the full Ekadashi vrata vidhi.
Vishnu teaches Garuda. Famous for the Preta-kanda - the journey of the soul after death, the 13-day shraddha procedure, and the geography of Yama-loka.
Famous for: The post-mortem rites read aloud at every Hindu funeral.
The largest extant Purana. Six khandas - Srishti, Bhumi, Svarga, Brahma, Patala, Uttara. The Bhagavad-Gita Mahatmya (chapter-by-chapter fruit of recitation) lives here.
Famous for: The Bhagavad-Gita Mahatmya + the Tulasi avirbhava (origin of Tulasi).
Vishnu in Varaha avatara teaches Bhumi devi after rescuing her from Hiranyaksha. Treats vows, charity, the Mahatmya of various Vaishnava tirthas (Mathura, Pushkar).
Famous for: The cosmography of the rasa-tala worlds + the Mathura mahatmya.
Considered the Adi-Purana ("first"). Treats the creation of the universe by Brahma, the dynasties descended from him, Surya worship, and the Mahatmya of Konark + the Godavari basin.
Famous for: The Konark Sun Temple mahatmya + Surya's 12 names.
Four khandas - Brahma, Prakriti, Ganapati, Krishna-janma. Beneath the "Brahma" framing it is intensely Krishna-bhakti; the Krishna-janma-khanda is a parallel infancy gospel to the Bhagavata's tenth skandha.
Famous for: The Radha-Krishna seva-vidhi + the Prakriti khanda celebrating Devi forms.
Markandeya answers Jaimini's four questions through bird-sages. The Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati) - 700 verses on Devi's three slayings (Madhu-Kaitabha, Mahisha, Shumbha-Nishumbha) - lives here.
Famous for: The Devi Mahatmya - recited during every Navaratri.
The "Future" Purana. Vrata-vidhi, charity, Surya worship, and (in later interpolations) descriptions of historical events post-dating Vyasa. Authoritative source for the Karva Chauth vrata.
Famous for: Karva Chauth vrata-katha + the Bhavishyottara collection of vows.
Pulastya narrates the Vamana avatara - Vishnu as the dwarf brahmin who tricked Bali into yielding the three worlds in three steps. Strong on tirtha-mahatmya of Kurukshetra and Saraswati basin.
Famous for: The Vamana-Bali tale + the Kurukshetra mahatmya.
Cosmology of the brahmanda (cosmic egg). Includes the Lalita Sahasranama, Lalita Trishati, and the entire Manidweepa Varnanam - three of the most-recited Shakta texts.
Famous for: The Lalita Sahasranama (1000 names of the supreme goddess).
Seven samhitas covering every aspect of Shiva - origin, marriage with Parvati, raising of Skanda and Ganesha, the burning of Tripura, the descent of Ganga, and the great Sambhu lilas.
Famous for: The Rudra-samhita marriage narrative + the 12 Jyotirlinga mahatmyas.
Authoritative account of linga worship - the original infinite pillar of light Brahma and Vishnu could not measure, and the iconography that derives from it. Covers Pashupata yoga and Shiva-bhakti.
Famous for: The origin of linga worship + the Pashupata yoga sutras.
The largest Purana by verse count. Eight khandas - Maheshvara, Vaishnava, Brahma, Kashi, Avantya, Nagara, Prabhasa, Reva. Goldmine of tirtha mahatmyas - Kashi, Ujjain, Prabhasa, Reva (Narmada), Nagara (Aanarta).
Famous for: The Kashi Khanda (Varanasi mahatmya) + Skanda's slaying of Tarakasura.
Agni teaches Vasishtha. Encyclopaedic - covers yantra, mantra, mudra; the dhanur-veda (martial arts); Ayurveda; Vastu-shastra; gem-grading; even royal coronation rites.
Famous for: The Vaastu-shastra foundations + temple-construction grammar.
Vishnu as Matsya teaches Manu before the deluge. The earliest extant Purana in surviving manuscript form. Covers the dynasties of Manu, the descriptions of Shiva's linga forms, and the original Sapta-Puri list.
Famous for: The Manu pralaya narrative + the Sapta-Puri (7 holy cities) list.
Vishnu as Kurma (tortoise) teaches at the churning of the ocean. The Ishvara Gita (a Shiva-philosophy parallel to the Bhagavad Gita) and the Vyasa Gita live here.
Famous for: The Ishvara Gita + the samudra-manthana cosmogony.
Secondary Puranas - composed later than the Mahapuranas, often regional in focus. Traditions differ on which eighteen belong; this is the list attested in Brahma Purana 245 and R.C. Hazra's survey. Read each one in depth.
