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The '''Upapurana'''s ([[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]: ''{{IAST|Upapurāṇa}}'') are a genre of [[Hindu]] religious texts consisting of a large number of compilations differentiated from the [[Puranas|Mahapuranas]] by styling them as secondary [[Puranas]] using a disparaging prefix ''Upa'' (secondary). Though, only a few of these compilations originated earlier than most of the extant ''Mahapuranas'', some of these texts are extensive and important.<ref name=Hazra>Hazra, R.C. (1962, reprint 2003). ''The Upapuranas'' in S. Radhakrishnan (ed.) ''The Cultural Heritage of India'', Vol.II, Kolkata:The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, ISBN 81-85843-03-1, pp.271-286</ref>
==The extent==
Similar to the case of the ''Mahapurana''s, a claim has been made in a number of ''Purana''s and ''[[Smriti]]''s that the ''Upapurana''s are also eighteen in number, though while making such claims some of the texts like the ''[[Brihaddharma Purana]]'' give evidence of their knowledge of the existence of a larger number of the ''Upapurana''s. But, unlike the case of the ''Mahapurana''s, the different lists of eighteen ''Upapurana''s seldom agree with one another with regard to the names of these texts. Lists of eighteen ''Upapurana''s occur in a number of texts, which include the ''[[Kurma Purana]]'', the ''[[Garuda Purana]]'', the ''Brihaddharma Purana'', the ''[[Devi Bhagavata]]'', the ''[[Ekamra Purana]]'', [[Hemadri]]'s ''Caturvargacintamani'' and [[Ballal Sena]]'s ''Dana Sagara''. In spite of the mention of a particular ''Upapurana'' in different lists under different names, these lists provide us the names of much more than eighteen texts as the ''Upapurana''s. In fact, by examining all the [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]] texts which mention the names of these texts, the actual number of the ''Upapurana''s are found to be near a hundred, including those mentioned in the different lists. But, it can not be denied that a large number of these texts have been lost without leaving any trace.<ref name="Hazra"/>
===The Kurma Purana list===
The list found in the ''[[Kurma Purana]]'' (Purvabhaga, 1.17-20) provides the following names:<ref name="Hazra"/>
# ''Adya Purana'' (''Sanatkumara'')
# ''[[Narasimha Purana]]''
# ''Skanda Purana''
# ''Shivadharma Purana''
# ''Durvasa Purana''
# ''Naradiya Purana''
# ''[[Kapila Purana]]''
# ''Vamana Purana''
# ''Aushanasa Purana''
# ''Brahmanda Purana''
# ''Varuna Purana''
# ''[[Kalika Purana]]''
# ''Maheshvara Purana''
# ''[[Samba Purana]]''
# ''[[Saura Purana]]''
# ''[[Parashara Upapurana|Parashara Purana]]''
# ''Maricha Purana''
# ''Bhargava Purana''
===The Brihadddharma Purana list===
The ''[[Brihaddharma Purana]]'' provides a list of the following eighteen:<ref name="Hazra"/>
# ''Adi Purana''
# ''Aditya Purana''
# ''Brihannaradiya Purana''
# ''Naradiya Purana''
# ''Nandishvara Purana''
# ''Brihannandishavara Purana''
# ''[[Samba Purana]]''
# ''Kriyayogasara''
# ''[[Kalika Purana]]''
# ''Dharma Purana''
# ''[[Vishnudharmottara Purana]]''
# ''Shivadharma Purana''
# ''Vishnudharma Purana''
# ''Vamana Purana''
# ''Varuna Purana''
# ''[[Narasimha Purana]]''
# ''Bhargava Purana''
# ''[[Brihaddharma Purana]]''
==Sectarian divisions==
Unlike the ''Mahapurana''s, most of the ''Upapurana''s have been able to preserve their older materials along with their distinctive sectarian character. All extant ''Upapurana''s can be broadly divided into six groups according to the sectarian views found in these texts: ''Vaishnava'', ''Shakta'', ''Shaiva'', ''Saura'', ''Ganapatya'' and non-sectarian.<ref name="Hazra"/>
===The Vaishnava Upapuranas===
The most significant texts among the ''Vaishnava Upapurana''s are the ''[[Vishnudharma Purana]]'', the ''[[Vishnudharmottara Purana]]'', the ''[[Narasimha Purana]]'', the ''[[Brihannaradiya Purana]]'' and the ''[[Kriyayogasara]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
The extant ''Narasimha Purana'' comprises 68 chapters. The extant ''Vishnudharma Purana'' comprises 105 chapters.
===The Shakta Upapuranas===
Among the ''Shakta Upapurana''s, the most important extant texts are the ''[[Devi Purana]]'', the ''[[Kalika Purana]]'', the ''[[Mahabhagavata Purana]]'', the ''[[Devi Bhagavata]]'', the ''[[Bhagavati Purana]]'', the ''[[Candi Purana]]'' (or ''Candika Purana''), and the ''[[Sati Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
The extant ''Kalika Purana'' comprises 98 chapters.
===The Shaiva Upapuranas===
The notable ''[[Shaiva]] Upapurana''s are the ''[[Shiva Purana]]'', the ''[[Saura Purana]]'', the ''Shivadharma Purana'', the ''[[Shivadharmottara Purana]]'', the ''[[Shivarahasya Purana]]'', the ''[[Ekamra Purana]]'', the ''[[Parashara Upapurana]]'', the ''[[Vasishthalainga Upapurana]]'' and the ''[[Vikhyada Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
The extant ''Saura Purana'' comprises 69 chapters. The extant ''Parashara Upapurana'' consists 18 chapters. The extant ''Shivadharma Purana'' (not yet published) comprises 12 chapters and deals only with the religious rites and duties of the worshippers of [[Shiva]]. It mentions itself as a ''[[shastra]]'' or ''[[dharmashastra]].<ref name="Rocher1986a">{{cite book|last=Rocher|first=Ludo|editor=Jan Gonda (ed.)|title=A History of Indian Literature |volume=Vol.II, Epics and Sanskrit religious literature, Fasc.3|year=1986|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|location=Wiesbaden|isbn=3-447-02522-0|page=228|chapter=The Purāṇas}}</ref>
===The Saura Upapuranas===
The only extant text which can be called an exclusive ''Saura Upapurana'' is the ''[[Samba Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/> It comprises 84 chapters.
===The Ganapatya Upapuranas===
Only two extant Upapuranas profess the views of the ''Ganapatya'' sect. These are the ''[[Mudgala Purana]]'' and the ''[[Ganesha Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
===The non-sectarian Upapuranas===
The Upapuranic works, which do not profess any particular sectarian views are the ''[[Bhavishyottara Purana]]'',''[[Kapila Purana]]'' and the ''[[Brihaddharma Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Hindu texts]]
[[Category:Puranas]]
[[Category:Vedangas]]
==The extent==
Similar to the case of the ''Mahapurana''s, a claim has been made in a number of ''Purana''s and ''[[Smriti]]''s that the ''Upapurana''s are also eighteen in number, though while making such claims some of the texts like the ''[[Brihaddharma Purana]]'' give evidence of their knowledge of the existence of a larger number of the ''Upapurana''s. But, unlike the case of the ''Mahapurana''s, the different lists of eighteen ''Upapurana''s seldom agree with one another with regard to the names of these texts. Lists of eighteen ''Upapurana''s occur in a number of texts, which include the ''[[Kurma Purana]]'', the ''[[Garuda Purana]]'', the ''Brihaddharma Purana'', the ''[[Devi Bhagavata]]'', the ''[[Ekamra Purana]]'', [[Hemadri]]'s ''Caturvargacintamani'' and [[Ballal Sena]]'s ''Dana Sagara''. In spite of the mention of a particular ''Upapurana'' in different lists under different names, these lists provide us the names of much more than eighteen texts as the ''Upapurana''s. In fact, by examining all the [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]] texts which mention the names of these texts, the actual number of the ''Upapurana''s are found to be near a hundred, including those mentioned in the different lists. But, it can not be denied that a large number of these texts have been lost without leaving any trace.<ref name="Hazra"/>
===The Kurma Purana list===
The list found in the ''[[Kurma Purana]]'' (Purvabhaga, 1.17-20) provides the following names:<ref name="Hazra"/>
# ''Adya Purana'' (''Sanatkumara'')
# ''[[Narasimha Purana]]''
# ''Skanda Purana''
# ''Shivadharma Purana''
# ''Durvasa Purana''
# ''Naradiya Purana''
# ''[[Kapila Purana]]''
# ''Vamana Purana''
# ''Aushanasa Purana''
# ''Brahmanda Purana''
# ''Varuna Purana''
# ''[[Kalika Purana]]''
# ''Maheshvara Purana''
# ''[[Samba Purana]]''
# ''[[Saura Purana]]''
# ''[[Parashara Upapurana|Parashara Purana]]''
# ''Maricha Purana''
# ''Bhargava Purana''
===The Brihadddharma Purana list===
The ''[[Brihaddharma Purana]]'' provides a list of the following eighteen:<ref name="Hazra"/>
# ''Adi Purana''
# ''Aditya Purana''
# ''Brihannaradiya Purana''
# ''Naradiya Purana''
# ''Nandishvara Purana''
# ''Brihannandishavara Purana''
# ''[[Samba Purana]]''
# ''Kriyayogasara''
# ''[[Kalika Purana]]''
# ''Dharma Purana''
# ''[[Vishnudharmottara Purana]]''
# ''Shivadharma Purana''
# ''Vishnudharma Purana''
# ''Vamana Purana''
# ''Varuna Purana''
# ''[[Narasimha Purana]]''
# ''Bhargava Purana''
# ''[[Brihaddharma Purana]]''
==Sectarian divisions==
Unlike the ''Mahapurana''s, most of the ''Upapurana''s have been able to preserve their older materials along with their distinctive sectarian character. All extant ''Upapurana''s can be broadly divided into six groups according to the sectarian views found in these texts: ''Vaishnava'', ''Shakta'', ''Shaiva'', ''Saura'', ''Ganapatya'' and non-sectarian.<ref name="Hazra"/>
===The Vaishnava Upapuranas===
The most significant texts among the ''Vaishnava Upapurana''s are the ''[[Vishnudharma Purana]]'', the ''[[Vishnudharmottara Purana]]'', the ''[[Narasimha Purana]]'', the ''[[Brihannaradiya Purana]]'' and the ''[[Kriyayogasara]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
The extant ''Narasimha Purana'' comprises 68 chapters. The extant ''Vishnudharma Purana'' comprises 105 chapters.
===The Shakta Upapuranas===
Among the ''Shakta Upapurana''s, the most important extant texts are the ''[[Devi Purana]]'', the ''[[Kalika Purana]]'', the ''[[Mahabhagavata Purana]]'', the ''[[Devi Bhagavata]]'', the ''[[Bhagavati Purana]]'', the ''[[Candi Purana]]'' (or ''Candika Purana''), and the ''[[Sati Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
The extant ''Kalika Purana'' comprises 98 chapters.
===The Shaiva Upapuranas===
The notable ''[[Shaiva]] Upapurana''s are the ''[[Shiva Purana]]'', the ''[[Saura Purana]]'', the ''Shivadharma Purana'', the ''[[Shivadharmottara Purana]]'', the ''[[Shivarahasya Purana]]'', the ''[[Ekamra Purana]]'', the ''[[Parashara Upapurana]]'', the ''[[Vasishthalainga Upapurana]]'' and the ''[[Vikhyada Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
The extant ''Saura Purana'' comprises 69 chapters. The extant ''Parashara Upapurana'' consists 18 chapters. The extant ''Shivadharma Purana'' (not yet published) comprises 12 chapters and deals only with the religious rites and duties of the worshippers of [[Shiva]]. It mentions itself as a ''[[shastra]]'' or ''[[dharmashastra]].<ref name="Rocher1986a">{{cite book|last=Rocher|first=Ludo|editor=Jan Gonda (ed.)|title=A History of Indian Literature |volume=Vol.II, Epics and Sanskrit religious literature, Fasc.3|year=1986|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|location=Wiesbaden|isbn=3-447-02522-0|page=228|chapter=The Purāṇas}}</ref>
===The Saura Upapuranas===
The only extant text which can be called an exclusive ''Saura Upapurana'' is the ''[[Samba Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/> It comprises 84 chapters.
===The Ganapatya Upapuranas===
Only two extant Upapuranas profess the views of the ''Ganapatya'' sect. These are the ''[[Mudgala Purana]]'' and the ''[[Ganesha Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
===The non-sectarian Upapuranas===
The Upapuranic works, which do not profess any particular sectarian views are the ''[[Bhavishyottara Purana]]'',''[[Kapila Purana]]'' and the ''[[Brihaddharma Purana]]''.<ref name="Hazra"/>
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Hindu texts]]
[[Category:Puranas]]
[[Category:Vedangas]]