The Vishnu Purana

Summary: The English translation of the Vishnu Purana. This is a primary sacred text of the Vaishnava branch of Hinduism. It is one of the eighteen greater Puranas, a branch of sacred Vedic literature which was first committed to writing during the first millennium of the common era.

Like most of the other Puranas, this is a complete narrative from the creation of the current universe to its destruction.

This edition contains the full English translation of the Sanskrit original, including many additional footnotes by H.H. Wilson.

Other titles include: Viṣṇu-purāṇa (विष्णु-पुराण)

Contents of this online book ( + / – )

The full text of the The Vishnu Purana in English is available here and publically accesible (free to read online). Of course, I would always recommend buying the book so you get the latest edition. You can see all this book’s content by visiting the pages in the below index:

+ Preface

+ Book I

. Chapter I – Maitreya inquires of his teacher (Parashara)

. Chapter II – Prayer of Parashara to Vishnu

. Chapter III – Measure of time, Moments of Kashthas, etc.

. Chapter IV – Narayana appearance, in the beginning of the Kalpa, as the Varaha (boar)

. Chapter V – Vishnu as Brahma creates the world

. Chapter VI – Origin of the four castes

. Chapter VII – Production of the mind-born sons of Brahma

. Chapter VIII – Origin of Rudra: his becoming eight Rudras

. Sacrifice of Dakṣa (From the Vāyu Purāṇa)

. Chapter IX – Legend of Lakshmi

. Chapter X – The descendants of the daughters of Daksa married to the Rsis

. Chapter XI – Legend of Dhruva, the son of Uttanapada

. Chapter XII – Dhruva commences a course of religious austerities

. Chapter XIII – Posterity of Dhruva

. Chapter XIV – Descendants of Prithu

. Chapter XV – The world overrun with trees; they are destroyed by the Pracetasas

. Chapter XVI – Inquiries of Maitreya respecting the history of Prahlada

. Chapter XVII – Legend of Prahlada

. Chapter XVIII – Hiranyakasipu’s reiterated attempts to destroy his son

. Chapter XIX – Dialogue between Prahlada and his father

. Chapter XX – Visnu appears to Prahlada

. Chapter XXI – Families of the Daityas

. Chapter XXII – Dominion over different provinces of creation assigned to different beings

+ Book II

. Chapter I – Descendants of Priyavrata, the eldest son of Svayambhuva Manu

. Chapter II – Description of the earth (the seven Dvipas and seven seas)

. Chapter III – Description of Bharata-varsha

. Topographical Lists from the Mahābhārata

. Chapter IV – Account of kings, divisions, mountains, rivers, and inhabitants of the other Dvipas

. Chapter V – Account of the Seven religions of Patala, below the earth

. Chapter VI – Account of the different hells, or divisions of Naraka

. Chapter VII – Extent and situation of the seven spheres

. Chapter VIII – Description of the sun (his chariot; its two axles; his horses)

. Chapter IX – Planetary system, under the type of the Sisumara, or porpoise

. Chapter X – Names of the twelve Adityas

. Chapter XI – The sun distinct from, and supreme over, the attendants on his car

. Chapter XII – Description of the Moon (candra)

. Chapter XIII – Legend of Bharata: Bharata abdicates his throne and becomes an ascetic

. Chapter XIV – Bharata expounds the nature of existence

. Chapter XV – Bharata relates the story of Ribhu and Nidagha

. Chapter XVI – Ribhu returns to his disciple, and perfects him in divine knowledge

+ Book III

. Chapter I – An Account of the several Manus and Manvantaras

. Chapter II – Of the seven future Manus and Manvantaras

. Chapter III – Division of the Veda into four portion, by the Vyasa, in every Dwapara age

. Chapter IV – Division of the Veda, in the last Dvapara age by the Vyasa Krishna Dvaipayana

. Chapter V – Division of the Yajur-veda

. Chapter VI – Division of the Sama-veda

. Chapter VII – By what means men are exempted from the authority of Yama

. Chapter VIII – How Vishnu is to be worshipped

. Chapter IX – Duties of the religious student, householder, hermit, and mendicant

. Chapter X – Ceremonies to be observed at the birth and naming of a child

. Chapter XI – Of the Sadacaras, or perpetual obligations of a householder

. Chapter XII – Miscellaneous obliations purificatory, ceremonial, and moral

. Chapter XIII – Of Shraddhas, or rites in honour of ancestors

. Chapter XIV – Of occasional Shraddhas, or obsequial ceremonies

. Chapter XV – What Brahmans are to be entertained at Shraddhas

. Chapter XVI – Things proper to be offered as food to deceased ancestors

. Chapter XVII – Of heretics, or those who reject the authority of the Vedas

. Chapter XVIII – Buddha goes to the earth, and teaches the Daityas to contemn the Vedas

+ Book IV

. Canto I – Dynasties of the kings

. Chapter II – Birth of Ikshvaku and narration of Kakutstha

. Chapter III – Hymns of destroying the Nagas, origin of Sagara

. Chapter IV – Ashvamedha sacrifice of Sagara

. Chapter V – Sacrifice if Nimi, origin of Sita and story of Kushadhvaja’s race

. Chapter IV – Dynasty of the Moon, An account of Tara, origin of three Fires

. Chapter VII – Lineage of Puruvasas and Jahnu

. Legend of Paraśurāma

. Chapter VIII – Lineage of Ayu and origin of Dhanvantari

. Chapter IX – Battle of Raji and Daityas

. Chapter X – An account of Nahusha and Yayati

. Chapter XI – Race of Yadu, An account of Arjuna, the lord of a thousand arms

. Chapter XII – Lineage of Kroshtri, the son of Yadu

. Chapter XIII – An account of the sons of Satvata

. Chapter XIV – Dynasty of Anamitra and Andhaka

. Chapter XV – The story of the previous birth of Shishupala and the sons of Vasudeva

. Chapter XVI – Dynasty of Turvasu

. Chapter XVII – Druhyu

. Chapter XVIII – Lineage of Anu, the son of Yayati

. Chapter XIX – Dynasty of Puru

. Chapter XX – Dynasty of Kuru

. Chapter XXI – Narration of the kings of the future periods

. Chapter XXII – Future princes of the family of Ikshvaku

. Chapter XXIII – Descendants of the kings of Magadha

. Chapter XXIV – Dynasty of the kings of the Kali age

+ Book V

. Chapter I – Marriage of Vasudeva and Devaki

. Chapter II – Yogamaya enters into the womb of Yashoda and Hari into Devaki

. Chapter III – Origin of the lotus-eyed deity Acyuta

. Chapter IV – Freedom from imprisonment

. Chapter V – Killing of Putana

. Chapter VI – Breaking of Wagon, Namakarana ceremony of Krishna and Balarama

. Chapter VII – Chastisement of Kaliya

. Chapter VIII – Destruction of demon Dhenuka

. Chapter IX – Destruction of demon Pralamba

. Chapter X – Descriptions of the season of autumn

. Chapter XI – Anger of Indra and holding Govardhana mountain by Krishna

. Chapter XII – Indra comes to Krishna

. Chapter XIII – Herdsmen appraised Krishna

. Chapter XIV – Slaughter demon Arishta, disguished as a savage bull (Vrishabha)

. Chapter XV – Kansa sent Akrura to invite Krishna

. Chapter XVI – Slaughter demon Keshin

. Chapter XVII – Journey of Akrura to Gokula

. Chapter XVIII – Krishna depart for Mathura

. Chapter XIX – Slaughter of a washerman, the servant of Kansa

. Chapter XX – Grace upon Kubja

. Chapter XXI – Ugrasena’s coronation

. Chapter XXII – Defeat of Jarasandha

. Chapter XXIII – Burning of Yavana king, Kalayavana and praise of Mucukunda to Kansa

. Chapter XXIV – Mucukunda departed to Gandhamadana to perform penance

. Chapter XXV – Balabhadra went to the woods of Vraja

. Chapter XXVI – Krishna married Rukmini

. Chapter XXVII – Sambara killed by Pradyumna

. Chapter XXVIII – Slaughter of Rukmini

. Chapter XXIX – Slaughter of demon Naraka

. Chapter XXX – The story of the Parijata tree

. Chapter XXXI – Krishna arrived over Dvaraka

. Chapter XXXII – Description of Usha the daughter of Bana

. Chapter XXXIII – Battle of Krishna and demon Bana

. Chapter XXXIV – An account of the burning of Varanasi by Krishna and killing of Paundraka

. Chapter XXXV – Wedding of Samba, the son of Krishna

. Chapter XXXVI – Destruction of monkey Dvivida

. Chapter XXXVII – The curse of the sages and destruction of the Yadu race

. Chapter XXXVIII – Funeral ceremonies of Yadavas and coronation of Parikshit

+ Book VI

. Chapter I – Account of the nature of the Kali age

. Chapter II – An account of the Shudras and women in the Kali age

. Chapter III – Measure of Time

. Chapter IV – Nature of elemental dissolution (Prakrita-pralaya)

. Chapter V – Three kinds of worldly pain (inseparable, incidental and superhuman)

. Chapter VI – Explanation formerly given by Keshidhvaja to Khandikya

. Chapter VII – Descriptions of Brahma-yoga

. Chapter VIII – The greatness of the Vishnu-purana