Medieval Bhakti poets set the stage by rendering Puranic tales into the pulse of everyday life. Vaishnava saints in Tamil Nadu spun the Bhagavata Purana into Tamil vernacular, while Alvars and Nayanmars stitched local idioms and temple lore right into their hymns. In Andhra and Telangana, Potana’s 15th-century Telugu translation of the Bhagavata Purana still strikes a chord—so much so that it’s often quoted in wedding blessings and devotional gatherings.

Kannada literature saw Kumāra Vyāsa’s 15th-century reimagining of the Mahābhārata, but Purāṇic themes also flourished in folk theatre forms like Yakshagāna and shadow-play traditions. In Maharashtra, Eknāth and Nāmpālī penned Marathi versions of the Purāṇas, weaving cosmology and dharma into abhangas and ovis that remain popular at kirtans and local festivals.

Bengal’s medieval saints adapted Purāṇic narratives into songs and jātros (folk dramas). The Chaitanya Bhagavata and the later Chaitanya Charitāmṛta retell Krishna’s exploits through a Bengali lens, blending Sanskrit lore with rural sensibilities. Meanwhile, Odisha’s Jagannātha Dāsa gave Oriya speakers their own Bhagavata, and these days it’s common to hear passages recited during Rath Yātrā celebrations.

In Assam, Sankardev’s Kīrtana Ghoxa distilled Puranic episodes into call-and-response devotional songs, still echoing through satras (Vaishnava monasteries). Kerala’s Malayalam renditions—often accompanied by mural art or Kathakali performances—bring Skanda and Shiva legends to life, rain or shine.

The print era really turned up the heat: illustrated editions with local artwork, glossaries in regional scripts and affordable chapter-book formats made Puranas accessible to a wider audience. Digital platforms have taken it a step further. In 2024, a popular Telugu web portal launched a fully narrated audio-drama version of the Bhagavata Purana, complete with lyrics, translations, and Q&A forums—proof that these millennia-old stories can hit the ground running in the 21st century. No stone is left unturned when it comes to keeping Puranic wisdom alive, one language at a time.