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Purana

[poo-rah-nuh]
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noun
  1. any of 18 collections of Hindu legends and religious instructions.
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Origin of Purana

1690–1700; < Sanskrit: of old
Related formsPu·ra·nic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for purana

Historical Examples

  • "The light of the day takes refuge in their bosoms," as the Purana says of the ocean.

    Excursions and Poems

    Henry David Thoreau

  • The Linga Purana tells us that the linga was a pillar of fire in which Siva was present.

    Bible Studies

    Joseph M. Wheeler

  • But the author of the Purana denies that this was done in anger.

    Ten Great Religions

    James Freeman Clarke

  • Four bridges crossed the Musi, the most notable of which was the Purana Pul, of 23 arches, built in 1593.

  • The word "Purana" means "old," and in ancient Sanscrit writings it has the same meaning as our "cosmology."

British Dictionary definitions for purana

Purana

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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Derived FormsPuranic, adjective

Word Origin

C17: from Sanskrit: ancient, from purā formerly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for purana

Purana

ancient Sanskrit writings of a legendary character, 1690s, from Sanskrit puranah, literally "ancient, former," from pura "formerly, before," cognate with Greek paros "before," pro "before," Avestan paro "before," Old English fore, from PIE *pre-, from root *per- (1) "forward, through" (see per). Related: Puranic.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper