Upa Purāṇās
Upa Purāṇa, “the secondary Purāṇas”
Alongside the eighteen Mahā Purāṇas, tradition counts eighteen Upa Purāṇas. Upa means “secondary” or “supplementary.”
The Upa Purāṇas follow the same pattern as the Mahā Purāṇas. They tell of creation, the lineages of kings and ṛshis, and the deeds of the devas. Many of them focus on one deity, one sacred place or one tradition. The lists of which texts count as Upa Purāṇas differ from one source to another.
Texts often counted as Upa Purāṇas
Because the lists differ, more than eighteen texts are named as Upa Purāṇas across the sources. Those named most often include the Sanatkumāra, Narasiṃha, Kapila, Kālikā, Sāmba, Saura and Vishṇudharmottara Purāṇas. The Gaṇeśa Purāṇa and the Mudgala Purāṇa, both devoted to Gaṇeśa, are also counted among them.
How they relate to the Mahā Purāṇas
Tradition holds that the Upa Purāṇas were taught by ṛshis who had first learned the eighteen Mahā Purāṇas. They are shorter on the whole, and each one usually serves the worship of one deity or the glory of one sacred place. Many vratas, festivals and local traditions that are followed today are explained in them.
On this website
This section includes the Gaṇeśa Purāṇa and the Hari Vaṃśa. The Gaṇeśa Purāṇa has two parts: the Upāsanā Khaṇḍa, on the worship of Gaṇeśa, and the Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, on his līlās. The Hari Vaṃśa tells the life of Śrī Kṛshṇa and the history of his family. Tradition also treats it as a supplement (khila) to the Mahābhārata.
The Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa, told by Veda Vyāsa to King Janamejaya, honours Śrī Devī as Para-brahman, the cause of creation, preservation and dissolution.
Gaṇeśa PurāṇaThe Gaṇeśa Purāṇa is an Upapurāṇa that honours Bhagavān Gaṇeśa as the supreme Parabrahman and tells of his avatāras in the four yugas.
Hari Vaṃśa PurāṇaThe Hari Vaṃśa, composed by Veda Vyāsa as a supplement to the Mahābhārata, tells the lineage of Śrī Hari and the life of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa.
Kalki PurāṇaThe Kalki Purāṇa, an Upapurāṇa of three parts, tells the life of Bhagavān Kalki, the tenth avatāra of Bhagavān Vishṇu, who ends the Kali Yuga.
Narasiṃha PurāṇaThe Narasiṃha Purāṇa, in 68 chapters, centres on Bhagavān Narasiṃha and covers creation, the ten avatāras, dharma, pūjā and tīrthas.
Sāmba PurāṇaThe Bhavishya Purāṇa says that one who offers the Sāmba Purāṇa to Bhagavān Sūrya gains the fruit of the rājasūya and aśvamedha and reaches Sūryaloka.
Saura PurāṇaIn the Śarkarā Saptamī vrata of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, after the pūjā of Sūrya, one does japa of the Saurasūkta or listens to the Saura Purāṇa.
Vaishṇavī SaṃhitāThe Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells that Vishṇusvāmī told the Vaishṇavī Saṃhitā at the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
VishṇudharmaVishṇudharma is a body of dharma teaching that the Brahma Parva counts within the Jaya, with the Purāṇas and the Mahābhārata.
Vishṇu Dharmottara PurāṇaThe Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa is a Vaishṇava Purāṇa in which Mārkaṇḍeya teaches Vajra, Kṛshṇa's grandson, on dharma, cosmology, rājadharma and the sciences.