The
Vishnu Purana (Viṣṇu Purāṇa) is a religious
Hindu text and one of the eighteen Mahapuranas. It is considered one of the most important Puranas and has been given the name
Puranaratna (gem of Puranas). Vishnu Purana includes many stories well known in Vedic tradition, including the various avatars of God
Vishnu and the life of his complete incarnation,
Krishna. Presented as a dialogue between
Parashara and his disciple
Maitreya and divided into six parts, the major topics discussed include creation, stories of battles fought between
asuras and
devas, the
Avatars (divine descents) of Vishnu and genealogy and stories of legendary kings. Vishnu Purana ascribes its authorship to
Veda Vyasa. The
Padma Purana categorizes Vishnu Purana as a
Sattva Purana (Purana which represents goodness and purity).