पद्म पुराण

The Padma Purana takes its name from the lotus that tradition says grew from Vishnu's navel and carried Brahma at the start of creation. It is counted among the sattvic Puranas in the grouping that favours Vishnu, and it is traditionally reckoned at about fifty-five thousand verses, making it one of the larger works in the set. Its six divisions are the Srishti, Bhumi, Svarga, Brahma, Patala and Uttara khandas.

Few Puranas match its coverage of tirthas, and many pilgrims and scholars use it as a guide to the sacred geography of India. It also carries a wide stock of vrata stories, among them the Ekadashi cycle, the account of Tulasi's origin, and a retelling of Rama's exile. The Bhagavad Gita Mahatmya, a praise of the Gita, is also attached to it in tradition.

Households that keep Vaishnava fasts often meet the Padma Purana indirectly, because the katha read on an Ekadashi frequently comes from it. Students approach it in Sanskrit editions or translations, and it is usually studied beside the Vishnu and Bhagavata Puranas.