Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 9
Paramparā of the Atharva Veda and Purāṇas; Definition of a Purāṇa
Daśa-lakṣaṇam
सर्गोऽस्याथ विसर्गश्च वृत्तिरक्षान्तराणि च । वंशो वंशानुचरितं संस्था हेतुरपाश्रय: ॥ ९ ॥ दशभिर्लक्षणैर्युक्तं पुराणं तद्विदो विदु: । केचित् पञ्चविधं ब्रह्मन् महदल्पव्यवस्थया ॥ १० ॥
sargo ’syātha visargaś ca vṛtti-rakṣāntarāṇi ca vaṁśo vaṁśānucaritaṁ saṁsthā hetur apāśrayaḥ
O brāhmaṇa, the knowers declare that a Purāṇa is marked by ten sacred themes: primary creation (sarga), secondary creation (visarga), the sustenance of beings (vṛtti), protection, the reigns of the Manus, royal dynasties, the deeds of those kings, dissolution (pralaya), motivation (hetu), and the supreme shelter (apāśraya). Some say the great Purāṇas teach all ten, while lesser ones teach five.
The ten subjects of a great Purāṇa are also described in the Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.10.1) :
FAQs
This verse lists key Purāṇic subjects: creation (sarga, visarga), sustenance and protection, Manvantara periods, dynasties and their histories, dissolution, the supreme cause, and the ultimate shelter (apāśraya—Bhagavān).
Apāśraya refers to the final refuge and foundation of all topics—the Absolute Truth, ultimately understood as Bhagavān, upon whom creation, maintenance, and dissolution depend.
They train a devotee to see life within a divine framework—recognizing God’s protection, the temporary nature of worldly cycles, and taking shelter of Bhagavān as life’s stable goal.