Purana

American  

[poo-rah-nuh] / pʊˈrɑ nə /

noun

1. any of 18 collections of Hindu legends and religious instructions.

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Purana British  

/ pʊˈrɑːnə /

noun

1. any of a class of Sanskrit writings not included in the Vedas, characteristically recounting the birth and deeds of Hindu gods and the creation, destruction, or recreation of the universe

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Other Word Forms

• Puranic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Purana

1690–1700; < Sanskrit: of old

Example Sentences

Gandhi, center, visiting a camp for Muslim refugees at the Purana Qila in New Delhi.

From New York Times • Jan. 30, 2023

Within a week, more than 50,000 were crammed into the Purana Qila, a ruined fort.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2015

Ismay melodramatically compared the scene at the Purana Qila to “Belsen—without the gas chambers.”

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2015

An ancient Hindu holy book, the Vishnu Purana, he could recall, says that the life of man will run in four cycles.

From Time Magazine Archive

I could not say I lived on a doorstep off the Purana Bazaar.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan