Vishnu Purana is a Hindu epic that tells the story of Lord
Vishnu and his One of the eighteen traditional puranas, which comprised an
important genre of smrti texts and housed much of traditional Indian mythology.
The smrtis, or "remembered" texts, were considered
less authoritative than the shrutis, or "heard" texts, despite being
considered important.
In a nutshell, the shrutis referred to the Vedas, the oldest
and most authoritative Hindu religious texts, whereas the smrtis referred to
the Mahabharata and Ramayana, as well as dharma literature, the Bhagavad Gita,
and the puranas.
The puranas contain a wide range of sacred lore, ranging
from mythic tales to ritual instruction to the exaltation of various sacred
sites (tirthas) and actions.
The majority of the puranas are sectarian, and this one is
focused on Vishnu's warship, as its name implies.
It includes instructions for how, where, and when Vishnu
should be worshiped, as well as an exhaustive list of Vishnu's mythic
deeds—many of which have become the common mythic currency for many traditional
Hindus.
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