n.Name of the most celebrated and popular of the 18 purāṇa-s (especially dedicated to the glorification of viṣṇu-kṛṣṇa-, whose history is in the 10th book;and narrated by śuka-, son of vyāsa-, to king parī-kṣit-, grandson of arjuna-)
n.Name of one of the 18 purāṇa-s (the original of which is said to have been a revelation of future events by brahmā-;it is rather a manual of religious rites and observances )
n.Name of one of the 18 purāṇa-s (also called ādi-p-;it is supposed to have been revealed by brahmā- to dakṣa-, and its main object appears to be the promotion of the worship of kṛṣṇa-)
n.Name of one of the 18 purāṇa-s (in which śiva-, supposed to be present in the agniliṅga- or great fiery liṅga-, gives an account of the creation etc. as well as of his own incarnations in opposition to those of viṣṇu-).
n.Name of one of the 18 purāṇa-s (so called from its supposed author mārkaṇḍeya-;it expounds the nature of kṛṣṇa- and explains some of the incidents of the mahā-bhārata-;it differs from the other purāṇa-s in the form of its narrative rather than its sectarial character)
n. "fish- purāṇa-s", Name of one of the 18 purāṇa-s (so called as communicated by viṣṇu- in the form of a fish to the 7th manu-; seematsy/āvatāra-and ).
n.Name of a purāṇa- (consisting of several saṃhitā-s, each of which contains a number of khaṇḍa-s, the most celebrated being the kāśī-khaṇḍa-, chiefly intended to glorify kāśī- or, Benares and exalt the sanctity of its shrines)
n.Name of one of the 18 purāṇa-s (said to have been revealed to the Earth by viṣṇu- in his form of varāha-q.v;it contains an account of the creation, the various forms or incarnations of viṣṇu-, and a number of legends and directions relating to the vaiṣṇava- sect)
n.Name of one of the 18 purāṇa-s (prob. one of the oldest, and supposed to have been revealed by the god vāyu-;it treats of the creation of the world, the origin of the four classes, the worship of śiva- etc.).
n.Name of one of the most celebrated of the 18 purāṇa-s (it conforms more than any other to the definition pañca-lakṣaṇa-[q.v.];and consists of 6 books, the 1st treating of the creation of the universe from prakṛti-, and the peopling of the world by the prajā-pati-s;the 2nd giving a list of kings with many curious geographical and astronomical details;the 3rd treating of the veda-s and caste;the 4th continuing the chronicle of dynasties;the 5th giving the life of kṛṣṇa-;the 6th describing the dissolution of the world)
n.Name of one of the most celebrated of the 18 purāṇa-s (it conforms more than any other to the definition pañca-lakṣaṇa-[q.v.];and consists of 6 books, the 1st treating of the creation of the universe from prakṛti-, and the peopling of the world by the prajā-pati-s;the 2nd giving a list of kings with many curious geographical and astronomical details;the 3rd treating of the veda-s and caste;the 4th continuing the chronicle of dynasties;the 5th giving the life of kṛṣṇa-;the 6th describing the dissolution of the world)
पुराण a. (-णा, -णी f.) [पुरा नवम् Nir.] 1 Old, ancient, belonging to olden times; पुराणमित्येव न साधु सर्वं न चापि काव्यं नवमित्यवद्यम् M.1.2; पुराणपत्रापगमादनन्तरम् R.3.7 -2 Aged, primeval; गृध्रराजः पुराणो$सौ श्वशुरस्य सखा मम Rām.3.53.5; अजो नित्यः शाश्वतो$यं पुराणः Bg.2.2. -3 Decayed, worn out. -णम् 1 A past event or occurrence. -2 tale of the past, legend, ancient or legendary history. -3 N. of certain well-known sacred works; these are 18; these are supposed to have been composed by Vyāsa, and contain the whole body of Hindu mythology. A Purāṇa treats of five topics (or लक्षणानि), and is hence often called पञ्चलक्षण; सर्गश्च प्रतिसर्गश्च वंशो मन्वन्तराणि च । वंशानुचरितं चैव पुराणं पञ्चलक्षणम् ॥ For the names of the 18 Purāṇas see under अष्टादशन्. -णः A coin equal to 8 cowries; ते षोडश स्याद् धरणं पुराणश्चैव राजतः Ms.8.136. -Comp. -अन्तः an epithet of Yama. -उक्त a. enjoined by or laid down in the Purāṇas. -कल्पः = पुराकल्प q. v. -गः 1 an epithet of Brahman. -2 a reciter or reader of the Purāṇas. -पुरुषः 1 an epithet of Viṣṇu. -2 an old man; यद् वदन्ति चपलेत्यपवादं तन्न दूषणमहो चपलायाः । दोष एष जलधेः पितुरस्या यत् पुराणपुरुषाय ददौ ताम् Subhāṣ.; (where both senses are intended). -प्रोक्त a. proclaimed by ancient sages; P.IV.3.15. -विद्या, -वेदः knowledge of the past events.
a. (î) belonging to the olden time, primaeval, ancient, old; withered (leaf); n. things of the olden time; tale of past ages, ancient legend; Purâna, N. of eighteen legen dary works treating chiefly of cosmogony and divine genealogy; m. a coin of a certain weight (a measure of silver equal to eighty cowries).
Denoting a tale ‘of olden times,’ is often found in the combination Itihāsa-Purāna, which is probably a Dvandva compound meaning * Itihāsa and Purāna.’ It sometimes occurs as a separate word, but beside Itihāsa, no doubt with the same sense as in the Dvandva. Sāyana defines a Purāna as a tale which deals with the primitive condition of the universe and the creation of the world, but there is no ground for supposing that this view is correct, or for clearly distinguishing Itihāsa and Purāna. See Itihāsa.
noun (masculine) a Karsha or measure of silver (16 Paṇas of cowries) (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of a Ṛṣi (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of Śiva
the ancients (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
noun (neuter) a thing or event of the past (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
an ancient tale or legend (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of a class of sacred works (supposed to have been compiled by the poet Vyāsa and to treat of 5 topics) (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of a work (containing an index of the contents of a number of Padma and some other wks.) (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
old traditional history (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
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