Purana

[poo-rah-nuh]

noun

any of 18 collections of Hindu legends and religious instructions.

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 of purana

"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.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 1
Various
The word "Purana" means "old," and in ancient Sanscrit writings it has the same meaning as our "cosmology."
The Worlds Greatest Books, Volume XIII.
Various

British Dictionary definitions for purana

Purana

noun

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

Derived FormsPuranic, adjective

Word Origin for Purana

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.