Stories from the Puranas

Introduction

The Puranas are a genre of ancient Indian literature that consist of mythological narratives, historical legends, cosmology, philosophy, and religious instructions. These texts are considered a significant part of Hindu scripture and are written in Sanskrit. The term "Purana" means "ancient" or "old," and the Puranas aim to preserve and transmit traditional knowledge. There are 18 major Puranas and 18 minor Puranas.

Contents

The following are some stories from the Puranas, in no particular order.

1. The Curse of the Kumaras: Origin of Vishnu's Avatars (Bhagavata Purana)

2. Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada, and Narasimha (Bhagavata Purana)

3. Samudra Manthana (Vishnu Puran, Bhagavata Purana)

4. The Third Eye's Fury: How Shiva's Anger Birthed the Mighty Jalandhar (Shiva Purana)

5. The Births of Lord Krishna and Balarama (Bhagavata Purana)

6. Krishna and Sudama: A Story of Friendship and Divine Generosity (Bhagavata Purana)

7. Divine Destiny: The Story of Krishna's Son Pradyumna (Bhagavata Purana)

8. How Ganesha Got an Elephant's Head (Shiva Purana, Varaha Purana)

9. The Clash of Parashurama and Ganesha: The Tale of the Broken Tusk (Shiva Purana)

10. The Legend of Goddess Durga and Mahishasura (Markandeya Purana)

11. Goddess Kali: From Birth to Bloodthirst (Markandeya Purana, Kalika Purana)

12. Mohini's Dance: How Vishnu Outwitted Bhasmasura (Shiva Puran, Vishnu Puran)

13. Vamana's Three Steps: The Humbling of King Mahabali (Bhagavata Puran, Vishnu Purana)

Sources

1. Vishnu Puran (2000 TV series) by B.R. Chopra

2. Maa Shakti (2002 TV series) by B.R. Chopra

3. Om Namah Shivay (1997 TV series) by Dheeraj Kumar

4. 108 पौराणिक कथाएँ (book) by Maple Kids

5. प्रसिद्ध सचित्र पौराणिक कथाएँ (Kindle ebook) by Maple Kids

6. www.wisdomlib.org

7. 151 ರಾಮಾಯಣದ ಕಥೆಗಳು by Vasantha Prakashana