Mahā- (Sanskrit 'great', 'mighty') and Upa- (Sanskrit 'lower', 'additional') Puranas are written in Sanskrit. Traditionally they are said to narrate five subjects, called Panca-laksana (Sanskrit 'five distinguishing marks'), which are:
- Sarga - The creation of the universe.
- Pratisarga - Secondary creations, mostly re-creations after dissolution.
- Vamśa - Genealogy of gods and sages.
- Manvañtara - The creation of the human race and the first human beings.
- Vamśānucaritam - Dynastic histories.
Most Mahapuranas and Upapuranas deal with these subject matters, although the bulk of their text consists of historical and religious narratives. Some scholars have suggested that these 'distinguishing marks' are shared by other traditional religious scriptures of the world (e.g. the Bible).
A Purana usually gives prominence to a certain deity -- (Shiva, Vishnu or Krishna, Durga) -- and depicts the other gods as subservient. Most use an abundance of religious and philosophical concepts in their narration, from Bhakti to Samkhya.
- Wikipedia, 2006