Question

How many Puranas are categorized as 'Va-karadi' (beginning with the letter 'Va')?

• A. Dve (Two)
• B. Trini (Three)
• C. Chatvari (Four)
• D. Pancha (Five)

Hint:

Learn the "Ma-dvayam, Bha-dvayam..." shloka. It is the master key to answering any question about the list of 18 Mahapuranas. "Va-chatushtayam" means 4 beginning with 'V'.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The eighteen Mahapuranas are traditionally categorized and remembered using mnemonic shlokas. One such famous verse identifies the number of Puranas starting with specific letters.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The mnemonic shloka is:
"madvayaṃ bhadvayaṃ caiva bratrayaṃ vācatuṣṭayam |
anāpaliṅgakūskāni purāṇāni pṛthak pṛthak ||"
Breakdown:
- Ma-dvayam (2 beginning with 'Ma'): Matsya, Markandeya.
- Bha-dvayam (2 beginning with 'Bha'): Bhagavata, Bhavishya.
- Bra-trayam (3 beginning with 'Bra'): Brahma, Brahmanda, Brahmavaivarta.
- Va-chatushtayam (4 beginning with 'Va'):
1. Vayu Purana
2. Vishnu Purana
3. Vamana Purana
4. Varaha Purana
- The others (A-na-pa-li-ga-ku-ska) are: Agni, Narada, Padma, Linga, Garuda, Kurma, Skanda.
The phrase "Va-chatushtayam" explicitly states that there are four (Chatvari) Puranas starting with the letter 'Va'.

Step 3: Final Answer:
There are Chatvari (four) Puranas that start with 'Va'.