Mahapurana #13 of 18 · tamasic · Shiva
स्कन्द पुराण
Skanda Purana
Skanda Purāṇa
Verses: 81,100 · Best known for: Kashi Khanda + tirtha encyclopedia
Central theme
The largest Purana — encyclopedia of Shaiva mahatmyas, tirthas, vratas across all of Bharat
Summary
The largest text in Sanskrit literature (~81,000 verses). Seven khandas (Maheshvara, Vaishnava, Brahma, Kashi, Avantya, Nagara, Prabhasa), each containing dozens of mahatmyas — the source for thousands of local temple traditions across India.
Notable stories + sections
- ●Kashi Khanda (Varanasi mahatmya)
- ●Setu Mahatmya (Rameshwaram)
- ●Kumarika Khanda (Kanyakumari)
- ●Avanti Khanda (Ujjain)
- ●Skanda’s slaying of Tarakasura
Why read it
If a temple in India has a sthala-purana, it likely came from the Skanda.