The Upanishads contain philosophical discussions, and while they are primarily dialogues and expositions of spiritual knowledge, some contain allegorical narratives and illustrative stories that function similarly to parables in conveying complex ideas. However, the Puranas, which are later compilations, are distinct in their genre and content, often containing extensive narratives, genealogies, and cosmologies. Chronologically, the Upanishads represent the culmination of Vedic thought and were composed well before the Puranas, which emerged in their more developed form during the Gupta period and later.