पुराण [ purāṇa ] [ purāṇá ] m. f. n. belonging to ancient or olden times , ancient , old ( also = withered , worn out , opp. to [ nūtana ] , [ nava ] ) Lit. RV.

  [ purāṇa ] m. a Karsha or measure of silver (= 16 Paṇas of cowries) Lit. Mn. viii , 136 ( also n. Lit. L.)

  m. N. of a Ṛishi Lit. Kāṭh.

  m. pl. the ancients Lit. MW.

  n. a thing or event of the past , an ancient tale or legend , old traditional history. Lit. AV.

  N. of a class of sacred works (supposed to have been compiled by the poet Vyāsa and to treat of 5 topics ( cf. [ pañca-lakṣaṇa ] ) ; the chief Purāṇas are 18 , grouped in 3 divisions: viz. 1. Rājasa exalting Brahmā ( e.g. the Brahma , Brahmâṇḍa , Brahmavaivarta , Mārkaṇḍeya , Bhavishya , Vāmana ) ; 2. Sāttvika exalting Vishṇu ( e.g. the Vishṇu , Bhāgavata , Nāradīya , Garuḍa , Padma , Varāha ) ; 3. Tāmasa exalting Śiva ( e.g. the Śiva , Liṅga , Skanda , Agni or in place of it the Vāyu , Matsya , Kūrma ) ; by some the Padma are divided into 4 , and by others into 6 groups ; cf. Lit. IW. 509 )

  N. of wk. (containing an index of the contents of a number of Padma and some other works.)