Purana is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends and other traditional lore.The Puranas are known for the intricate layers of symbolism depicted within their stories. Composed originally in Sanskrit and in other Indian languages,several of these texts are named after major Hindu gods such as Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, and Adi Shakti.The Puranic genre of literature is found in both Hinduism and Jainism.
There are 18 Mukhya Puranas and 18 Upa Puranas ,with over 400,000 verses.The first versions of various Puranas were likely to have been composed between 3rd and 10th century CE.The Puranas do not enjoy the authority of a scripture in Hinduism,but are considered as Smritis.
