The stories of Vishnu, drawn from the Gita Press edition of the Vishnu Purana and told as story. As more kathas are added, this collection will keep growing.
Book One: Creation, Time, and the Avatars
Creation, Time, and the Glory of VishnuWhen Maitreya asks, Parashara reveals where this world came from and what time itself truly is.
The Varaha Avatar and the Rescue of the EarthThe Earth has sunk into the cosmic depths, and the Lord as Varaha lifts her back up on his tusks.
Creation, the Prajapatis, and Svayambhuva ManuBrahma's mind-born sons, the coming of the Prajapatis, and the world spreading outward from Manu and Shatarupa.
Lakshmi and the Churning of the OceanStripped of fortune by Durvasa's curse, the gods churn the ocean of milk, and Lakshmi rises from it.
King Vena and the Deeds of PrithuAfter the lawless Vena comes Prithu, who milks the Earth to feed and sustain his people.
The Prachetas and the Birth of DakshaThe Prachetas at tapas for thousands of years beneath the sea, and the beginning of the line of Daksha Prajapati.
The Birth of the Maruts and the Majesty of VishnuIndra splits open Diti's womb, and forty-nine Maruts rise from it; then Vishnu's ordering of the world.
Book Two: Cosmography and Knowledge
Cosmography: The Seven Continents, the Underworlds, and the HellsA map of the cosmos, from Jambudvipa down through the seven underworlds and the many hells.
The Upper Worlds and the Wheel of StarsThe upper worlds from Bhu to Satyaloka, the chariot of the Sun, and the planets and stars bound to the Shishumara wheel.
The Story of Bharata and Jada BharataKing Bharata, snared by his love for a deer, is reborn; and the sage who plays the fool teaches the king of Sauvira.
Ribhu's Teaching of Nonduality to NidaghaThe guru Ribhu returns again and again to teach his student Nidagha to erase the difference between 'you' and 'I'.
Book Three: The Manvantaras, the Vedas, and Dharma
The Fourteen Manvantaras, Vyasa, and the Eighteen PuranasThe Manus and Indras that change with each kalpa, a different Vyasa for every age, and the dividing of the Vedas into their branches.
The YamagitaYama, lord of death, warns his messengers never to dare lay a hand on a devotee of Vishnu.
Mayamoha and King ShatadhanuAt the gods' request the Lord conjures Mayamoha, and the faith of his wife Shaivya wins Shatadhanu his deliverance.
Book Four: The Royal Dynasties and the Future
The Solar Dynasty: Saubhari, Trishanku, and SagaraThe line of Ikshvaku, the fall of Saubhari from his tapas in the water, Trishanku's heaven, and the conquests of Sagara.
The Descent of the Ganga, Rama, and NimiThe Ganga descending to deliver the sons of Sagara, a brief life of Rama, and the story of Nimi and Janaka.
Pururava and UrvashiThe beginning of the Lunar Dynasty, and Pururava's love for the apsara Urvashi and their parting.
The Story of YayatiAged by a curse, Yayati borrows youth from his son Puru, then learns how empty the pursuit of pleasure is.
The Story of the Syamantaka JewelA jewel gifted by the Sun, a false charge of theft, and the truth Krishna uncovers in the cave of Jambavan.
The Kings of the Future and the Coming of the Kali AgeParashara foretells which kings are yet to come, the dynasty of Magadha, and the signs of the Kali age.
Book Five: The Play of Krishna
Book Six: The Kali Age, Dissolution, and the Yoga of Brahman
The Dharma of the Kali AgeParashara explains how even a little devotion bears great fruit in the Kali age, and how women and shudras attain their welfare with ease.
The Four Kinds of DissolutionNaimittika, prakrita, atyantika, and nitya: the forms in which creation is drawn back into itself.
Keshidhvaja, Khandikya, and the Yoga of BrahmanThe meeting of two rival kings, where an enemy becomes the guru who points the way to moksha; and the closing of the text.