Vishnu Purana
Also known as: Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Vishnupurana, The Vishnu Purana
A Vaishnava Mahapurana in six books that narrates creation cycles, genealogies of gods and kings, and the deeds of Vishnu and his avatars, from cosmic origins to the prophecy of Kalki.
Description
The Vishnu Purana is a foundational Vaishnava scripture presenting a cyclical cosmos governed by Vishnu. Framed as teachings from Parashara to Maitreya, it combines cosmogony, theogony, and mythic history with moral and ritual instruction. The text details kalpas and manvantaras, enumerates the avatara tradition, and summarizes major epics such as the Ramayana and Krishna’s life. It maps sacred geography—Jambudvipa, Meru, and the seven continents—tracing solar and lunar dynasties down to the Kali Yuga. Its devotional thread affirms Vishnu as the supreme reality, whose preservation of dharma unfolds through avatars like Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Rama, Krishna, and the future Kalki.
Historiography
Counted among the eighteen Mahapuranas, the Vishnu Purana is transmitted in multiple Sanskrit recensions with notable medieval copying and regional variations. Its prose-verse mixture and embedded lists suggest accretional composition. Medieval Vaishnava traditions cite it authoritatively; early modern scholars translated it into Persian and English, with H.H. Wilson’s 19th-century edition long standard. No single critical edition commands universal acceptance, but concordances align major narrative blocks across manuscripts.
Date Notes
Text exhibits layered redactions; present Sanskrit recensions likely stabilized between c. 7th–10th centuries CE.
Themes
Archetypes
Symbols
Major Characters
- Vishnu
- Lakshmi
- Garuda
- Brahma
- Shiva
Myths
- Creation and the Four Yugas
- The Ten Avatars of Viṣṇu
- The Churning of the Ocean
- Genealogies of Solar and Lunar Dynasties
Facts
- One of the eighteen Mahapuranas, centered on Vishnu as Supreme.
- Structured as teachings of Parashara to the sage Maitreya.
- Combines cosmogony, theogony, dynastic genealogies, and sacred geography.
- Enumerates and narrates key avatars of Vishnu, including Kalki’s prophecy.
- Classic division into six books (amsas) is standard across recensions.
- Describes kalpas, manvantaras, and the four yugas with cyclical time.
- Summarizes major Ramayana and Krishna narratives within a Purana frame.
- Maps Jambudvipa, Mount Meru, and seven concentric island-continents.
- Important source for Vaishnava theology and ritual praxis.
- Survives in multiple Sanskrit manuscript lineages with medieval redactions.