Brahmanda Purana
Also known as: Brahma Purāṇa, The Brahma Purana, Brahmapurana


A major Purana presenting cosmogony, genealogies, avatars of Viṣṇu, Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava theology, royal legends, and extensive pilgrimage guides. It blends mythic narratives with sacred geography and ritual instruction.
Description
The Brahma Purana is one of the eighteen Mahāpurāṇas, a layered Sanskrit compendium that interweaves creation cycles, dynastic lists, and the deeds of gods and avatar-heroes with praise-poems and guides to holy places. Its cosmology frames kalpas, manvantaras, and yugas, while genealogies link primordial sages and kings to later epic lineages. Narrative clusters recount the Daśāvatāra, Śaiva myths such as the Dakṣa sacrifice and the descent of Gaṅgā, and exemplary royal tales. Large mahatmya sections extol sacred sites and rituals, notably eastern coastal sanctuaries and related circuits, reflecting medieval devotional practice. The text circulates in multiple recensions, showing regional emphases and sectarian harmonization across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions.
Historiography
Preserved in several recensional families with notable medieval augmentations, especially the tirtha-mahātmyas that promote pilgrimage circuits. Philological studies note prose and metrical shifts indicating compilation across centuries. Sectarian harmonization and local temple traditions shaped later chapters. Printed editions derive from North and East Indian manuscripts; critical collation remains partial compared to better-edited Purāṇas.
Date Notes
Composite Sanskrit text with multiple redactional layers; sections on sacred sites show medieval accretions. The attribution to Vyasa is traditional, not historical.
Archetypes
Major Characters
- Brahma
- Vishnu
- Shiva
- Devi
- Narada
Myths
- Cosmic Egg and World-Cycles
- Dynastic Genealogies
- Pilgrimage and Sacred Geography
Facts
- Counted among the eighteen Mahapuranas.
- Structured as a composite of cosmogony, genealogies, narratives, and tirtha-mahatmyas.
- Extant recensions contain roughly 245 chapters and about ten thousand verses.
- Presents the Dashavatara sequence alongside major Shaiva myths.
- Pilgrimage sections promote eastern coastal sacred sites and rituals.
- Later tradition classifies it as a ‘rajas’ Purana in a sattva–rajas–tamas scheme.
- Redactional layers indicate compilation between late ancient and early medieval periods.
- Influenced temple-centered devotion and regional sacred geographies.
- Shares material types with Vishnu, Shiva, and Vayu Puranas but with distinct emphases.
- Survives in multiple manuscript scripts and regional textual families.