Part 3 - Numbers of Purāṇas

The Purāṇas are mainly divided into two classes (i) the Mahāpurāṇa and (ii) the Upapurāṇa. The number of the Purāṇas in both classes is stated to be eighteen in number. But it is mentioned in some Purāṇas that originally there was only one Purāṇa, called Purāṇa Saṃhitā. This Saṃhitā is written by Vyāsa.^[1] According to the Viṣṇupurāṇa, after compiling the Purāṇa Saṃhitā, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa imparted it to his disciple Sūta Romaharṣana or lomaharṣana who on his part taught this to his disciples^[2] finally we find the traditional number of the Purāṇas is the eighteen. The

Viṣṇupurāṇa states the list of the Purāṇas as—

1. Brahmā-purāṇa;
2. Padma-purāṇa;
3. Viṣṇu-purāṇa;
4. Śiva-purāṇa;
5. Bhāgavata-purāṇa;
6. Nāradīya-purāṇa;
7. Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa;
8. Agni-purāṇa;
9. Bhaviṣya-purāṇa;
10. Brahmavaivarta-purāṇa;
11. Liṅga-purāṇa;
12. Varāha-purāṇa;
13. Skanda-purāṇa;
14. Vāmana-purāṇa;
15. Kūrma-purāṇa;
16. Matsya-purāṇa;
17. Garuḍa-purāṇa; and
18. Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa;^[3].

The Bhāgavatapurāṇa also mentions the same eighteen Purāṇas with a different serial.^[4] In the Devibhhāgavatapurāṇa there is a verse which is composed by taking the first letter of the names of Purāṇas those are almost similar except one.

The verse implies, ma-dvayam = two Purāṇas beginning with the letter

ma-dvayam = Matsya and Mārkaṇḍeya;

bha-dvayam = Bhaviṣya and Bhāgavata;

bra-trayam = Brahma, Brahmāṇḍa and Brahmavaivarta;

va-catuṣṭayam =Varāha, Vāyu, Vāmana and Viṣṇu;

a-nā-pa-liṅ-ga-kū-skani = seven beginning respectively with a, nā, pa, liṅ, ga, kū and ska, viz., Agni, Nāradīya, Padma, Liṅga, Garuḍa, Kūrma and Skanda.^[5]

But the serial number of the Purāṇas is not seemed to be same in all Purāṇas. Though there is controversy regarding the serial numbers yet all the Purāṇas agree that the total number of the Purāṇas is not less or more than eighteen.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

purāṇamekamevāsīt sarveṣu kalpeṣu, Nāradīya-purāṇa , 1.12.22;

[2]:

romaharsaṇanāmānaṃ mahābuddhiṃ mahāmuniḥ/
sūtaṃ jagrāha śiṣyaṃ sa itihāsapurāṇayoḥ// Viṣṇu-purāṇa , 3.4.10

[3]:

brāhmaṃ pādmaṃ vaiṣṇavañca śaivaṃ ………tataḥ paraṃ/ Ibid., 3.6.20-23

[4]:

brāhmaṃ pādmaṃ vaiṣṇvaṃ ca śaivaṃ liṅgaṃ sagāruḍaṃ nāradīyaṃ bhāgavatamāgneyaṃ skāndasaṅjñitaṃ /
bhabiṣyaṃ brahmavaivartaṃ mārkaṇḍeyaṃ savāmanaṃ vārāhaṃ mātsyaṃ kaurmaṃ ca brahmāṇḍākhyamiti triṣat// Bhāgavata-purāṇa , 12.7.23-14

[5]:

madvayaṃ bhadvayaṃ caiva bratrayaṃ ba catuṣṭayaṃ anāpaliṅga kūskāni purāṇāni pracakṣate// DVP , 1.2. 3