CLASSIFICATION OF PURANAS

CLASSIFICATION OF PURANAS

BACKGROUND AND REASON OF THIS ARTICLE 

Some People on Internet and Especially Some Organisation i.e. Cult with the ill-purpose and Malign Intention preaching that Except Few Puranas other Puranas are Useless and cannot Grant Salvation

Actually, Some Fanatic People interpolated some portion of Scripture to Satisfy and Preach their Teaching. Rather to IMPOSE their So called "Preaching" on general folks. So in this Article we will refute some Controversial Verses, which creates dis-harmony among general public. 

First of all, we should know that Mahabharata is essence of all 18 Maha-Purana and Hence Heart of all Maha-Purana.
There are some verses in Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, 236.18–21 which categorize each of 18 major purANa-s into sAttvika, rAjasika and tamasika. Lets analyse them.

Satvika Puranas:
“वैष्णवं नारदीयं च तथा भागवतं शुभम् ।
गारुडं च तथा पाद्मं वाराहं शुभदर्शने ।
सात्विकानि पुराणानि विज्ञेयानि शुभानि वै ।।
“Vishnu Purana, Naradiya Puran, Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Varaha Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam Purana (236.18)”

Rajasa Puranas:
ब्रह्माण्डं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं मार्कण्डेयं तथैव च ।
भविष्यं वामनं ब्राह्मं राजसानि निबोधत ।।
Brahmanda Purana, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana (236.19)

Tamasa Puranas :
मात्सयं कौर्मं तथा लैङ्गम् शैवं स्कान्दं तथैव च ।
आग्नेयं च षडेतानि तामसानि निबोधत ।।
“Matsya Purana, Kurma Purana, Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana (236.20)

And it further says
सात्विका मोक्षदाः प्रोक्ताः राजसा सर्वदा अशुभाः ।
तथैव तामसा देवि निरयप्राप्तिहेतवः ।। (प.पु. उत्तर 236.21)

Among these puranas Satvika Puranas lead one to liberation, Rajasa do not cause good and tamasa puranas lead one to hell. (236.21)

So here Shiva Purāna and all other (Shaiva) Purāna are Tamsik as per this Section. This is interpolation made by some Fantic People.
In Short this section of Padma Purana is Contradicting to Bhagvat Gita, Mahabharata and Vedas too.

Let's analyze it with reference to Bhagvat Gita.

In BHAGWAT GITA CH-17 Lord Mention descriptive information about RAJSIK-SATWIK-TAMSIK element of NATURE(PRAKRUTI) but he never says That Puranas can ever be Tamsik.Although it says that

First of all, we should know that Mahabharata is essence of all 18 Maha-Purana and Hence Heart of all Maha-Purana.
There are some verses in Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, 236.18–21 which categorize each of 18 major purANa-s into sAttvika, rAjasika and tamasika. Lets analyse them.
Satvika Puranas:
“वैष्णवं नारदीयं च तथा भागवतं शुभम् ।
गारुडं च तथा पाद्मं वाराहं शुभदर्शने ।
सात्विकानि पुराणानि विज्ञेयानि शुभानि वै ।।
“Vishnu Purana, Naradiya Puran, Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Varaha Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam Purana (236.18)”
Rajasa Puranas:
ब्रह्माण्डं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं मार्कण्डेयं तथैव च ।
भविष्यं वामनं ब्राह्मं राजसानि निबोधत ।।
Brahmanda Purana, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana (236.19)
Tamasa Puranas :
मात्सयं कौर्मं तथा लैङ्गम् शैवं स्कान्दं तथैव च ।
आग्नेयं च षडेतानि तामसानि निबोधत ।।
“Matsya Purana, Kurma Purana, Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana (236.20)
And it further says
सात्विका मोक्षदाः प्रोक्ताः राजसा सर्वदा अशुभाः ।
तथैव तामसा देवि निरयप्राप्तिहेतवः ।। (प.पु. उत्तर 236.21)
Among these puranas Satvika Puranas lead one to liberation, Rajasa do not cause good and tamasa puranas lead one to hell. (236.21)
So here Shiva Purāna and all other (Shaiva) Purāna are Tamsik as per this Section. This is interpolation made by some Fantic People.

In Short this section of Padma Purana is Contradicting to Bhagvat Gita, Mahabharata and Vedas too.
Let's analyze it with reference to Bhagvat Gita.
In BHAGWAT GITA CH-17 Lord Mention descriptive information about RAJSIK-SATWIK-TAMSIK element of NATURE(PRAKRUTI) but he never says That Puranas can ever be Tamsik.

But Lord never Says in BHAGWAT GITA CH-17(Infact, not even in Entire Gita) that any Puranas are Tamsik.

[Bhagwat Gita 14:5] 

“O mighty-armed Arjun, the material energy consists of three guṇas (modes)—sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance). These modes bind the eternal soul to the perishable body."

So here Lord of Gita Says that From Prakriti (Material Energ) all 3 gunas have been originated.Upanishad clearly says that

“ Prakriti is perishable. HARA(SHIVA), the Lord, is immortal and imperishable. The non-dual Supreme Self rules both prakriti and the individual soul. Through constant meditation on Him, by union with Him, by the knowledge of identity with Him, one attains, in the end, cessation of the illusion of phenomena”. [Svetaswatara Upanishad 1:10]

Further Vedas says that Lord Shiva is beyond all 3 gunas and is Nirgun Brahman

"Maheshwara (Great Lord) who is Black and yellow rules with Avidya, Maya or Mula-Prakriti is Red(rajas)-White (sattvam)-& black(tamas) & that is co-existed with him [Shandilya Upanishad 3:01]

But that section of Padma Purāna is not to be taken seriously because if All Shiva related Purāna are Tamsik then Compiler of all Purāna (Maha-Rishi Ved-Vyas) can be also consider as Tamsik which is Just Ignorance.
In Vedas Shiva is called Beyond 3 Gunas. How Purāna related to Shiva can be Tamsik

So it is Crystal Clear that Lord Shiva is Trigunatit. Then how his Scriptures can be called Tamsik.
If such classification is really true then it is even not mentioned in Mahabharata while Mahabharata itself is Summary of all Scriptures
Even Vyasa speaks the following about his composition to lord Brahma. He clearly states that in his Mahabharata he has compiled various ancient treatises including Puranas.

“uvāca sa mahātejā brahmāṇaṃ parameṣṭhinam॥ 67
kṛtaṃ mayedaṃ bhagavankāvyaṃ paramapūjitam।
brahmanvedarahasyaṃ ca yaccāpyabhihitaṃ mayā॥ 68
kṛtaṃ mayedaṃ bhagavankāvyaṃ paramapūjitam। brahmanvedarahasyaṃ ca yaccāpyabhihitaṃ mayā॥ 68sāṅgopaniṣadāṃ caiva vedānāṃ vistarakriyā। itihāsapurāṇānāmunmeṣaṃ nirmitaṃ ca yat॥ 69
bh bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ ca trividhaṃ kālasaṃjñitam। jarāmṛtyubhayavyādhibhāvābhāvaviniścayaḥ॥ 70
vividhasya ca dharmasya hy vividhasya ca dharmasya hyāśramāṇāṃ ca lakṣaṇam। cāturvarṇyavidhānaṃ ca purāṇānāṃ ca kṛtsnaśaḥ॥ 71″ (MBH 1:01:67-71) 

“Then the greatly glorious Vyasa, addressing Brahma Parameshthi, said, “O divine Brahma, by me a poem hath been composed which is greatly respected. The mystery of the Veda, and what other subjects have been explained by me; the various rituals of the Upanishads with the Angas; the compilation of the Puranas and history formed by me and named after the three divisions of time, past, present, and future; the determination of the nature of decay, fear, disease, existence, and non-existence, a description of creeds and of the various modes of life; rule for the four castes, and the import of all the Puranas”.

So Mahabharata itself is Summary of all Purāna.
All Purāna are dependent on Mahabharata as said by Ved-Vyasa.

“asyākhyānasya viṣaye purāṇaṃ vartate dvijāḥ | antarikṣasya viṣaye prajā iva caturvidhāḥ ||” (MBH 1:02:380) 

“O ye Brahmana, as the four kinds of creatures (viviparous, oviparous, born of hot moisture and vegetables) are dependent on space for their existence, so the Puranas depend upon this history(Mahabharata)”.

Thus all Purāna are dependent on Mahabharata.

“aṣṭādaśapurāṇānāṃ śravaṇād yat phalaṃ bhavet | tat phalaṃ samavāpnoti viṣṇoḥ nātra saṃśayaḥ ||” (MBH 18:06:97) 

“One devoted to Vishnu acquires (through reading this Mahabharata) that merit which is acquired by listening to the eighteen Puranas. There is no doubt in this”.

Here all 18 Maha- Purāna is given equally importance.
Moreover Mahabharata holds following Opinion about Lord Shiva.

“īdṛśaḥ sa mahādevo bhūyaś ca bhagavān ajaḥ |
na hi sarve may na hi sarve mayā śakyā vaktuṃ bhagavato guṇāḥ |” (Mahabharata 7:173:70)  

“Whatever is highly mysterious in the several branches of the Vedas, in the Upanishads, in the Puranas, and in those sciences that deal with the soul, is that God, viz., Maheswara, Mahadeva is even such. That God is, again, without birth. All the attributes of that God are not capable of being enumerated by me even if, O son of Pandu, I were to recite them continually for a thousand years”.

When Vyasa himself expressed his inability to narrate the attributes of Maheshwara even if he were to recite for thousand years; then how can anyone be able to narrate Mahadeva’s qualities?
Now Let’s Analyse 1 Verse for Padma-Purana with reference to Vedas. 
सात्विका मोक्षदाः प्रोक्ताः राजसा सर्वदा अशुभाः ।
तथैव तामसा देवि निरयप्राप्तिहेतवः ।। (प.पु. उत्तर 236.21)
Here it says Satvik Puranas Leads to Salvation. Now let’s analyse it with the help of Vedic Scriptures.

 (Yajurveda Sri Rudram – Anuvaka:8) 

“Salutations to Him who ferries men over the sins and evils of Samsara (the Illusions of the world), and who by the grant of knowledge ferries them over the Samsara altogether”.

 “vedaahametaM purushhaM mahaantamaadityavarNa.n tamasaH parastaat.h |tameva viditvaatimR^ityumeti naanyaH panthaa vidyate.ayanaaya ||” (Svetaswatara Upanishad 3:08) 

“I know that great  Purusha Rudra of sunlike lustre beyond the darkness (tamas). A man who knows him truly, passes over death; there is no other path to liberation”

“umaasahaayaM parameshvaraM prabhuM trilochanaM niilakaNThaM prashaantam.h |dhyaatvaa munirgachchhati bhuutayoniM samastasaakShiM tamasaH parastaat.h | (Kaivalya Upanishad 7)sa eva sarvaM yadbhuutaM yachcha bhavyaM sanaatanam.h |j~naatvaa taM mR^ityumatyeti naanyaH panthaa vimuktaye |” (Kaivalya Upanishad 9) 

“Meditating on the highest Lord, allied to Uma, powerful, three-eyed, blue-necked, and tranquil, the holy man reaches Him (Shiva) who is the source of all, the witness of all and is beyond darkness (i.e. Avidya). He alone is all that was, and all that will be, the Eternal; knowing Him, one transcends death; there is no other way to freedom”.

Now Vedas Clearly says that There is no other way to liberation or Salvation except Lord Shiva. So even if we consider that interpolated Verse of Padma-Purana then also there is no other way then to liberation rather then Shiva.

सात्विका मोक्षदाः प्रोक्ताः राजसा सर्वदा अशुभाः ।
तथैव तामसा देवि निरयप्राप्तिहेतवः ।। (प.पु. उत्तर 236.21)
So here it says by reading so called Satvik Purana or Vaishnav Purana One lead to Shiva(Salvation). But Vedas Clearly says that there is no Pathway for Salvation except Lord Shiva. 

Lets analyse this from Mahabharata and other scriptures that says all path Leads to Shiva
In Mahabharata Maharishi Veda-Vyasa  clearly says that

“īdṛśaḥ sa mahādevo bhūyaś ca bhagavān ajaḥ |na hi sarve mayā śakyā vaktuṃ bhagavato guṇāḥ |” (Mahabharata 7:173:70) 

“Whatever is highly mysterious in the several branches of the Vedas, in the Upanishads, in the Puranas, and in those sciences that deal with the soul, is that God, viz., Maheswara, Mahadeva is even such. That God is, again, without birth. All the attributes of that God are not capable of being enumerated by me even if, O son of Pandu, I were to recite them continually for a thousand years”.

In the above verse from Mahabharata Ved-Vyasa Clearly Recognize Glory of Mahadeva and he mentioned that mysterious in the “PURANAs” and thus he Clearly says that all Puranas sung Glory of Mahadeva in Mysterious ways.
 Above statement of Ved-Vyasa is accordance with Shruti. Same thing is Mentioned by our Shruti.

"This whole creation of Svarga, Martya and Patala Lokas is a big tree. Vishnu is the top portion (branches) of this tree. Brahma is the stem. The root is Lord Siva. The effect is Vishnu. The action is Brahma. The cause is Siva. For the benefit of the worlds. Rudra has taken these three forms."  (Rudra Hridayopanishat)

Same is mentioned by great Pushpadanta( King of Gandharva)

trayī sāṅkhyaṁ yogaḥ paśupatimataṁ vaiṣṇavamitiprabhinne prasthāne paramidamadaḥ pathyamiti ca |rucīnāṁ vaicitryādṛjukuṭila nānāpathajuṣāṁnṛṇāmeko gamyastvamasi payasāmarṇava iva || (Shiva Mahimna Stotram) 

Different  paths  (to  realization)  arc  enjoined  by  the  three  Vedas,  by Sankhya,  Yoga,  Pashupata  (Shaiva)  (doctrine  and  Vaishnava  Shastras. People  follow  different  paths,  straight  or  crooked,  according  to  their  temperament,  depending  on  which  they  consider  best,  or  most appropriate--and reach You (Shiva) alone just as rivers enter the ocean.

Thus Ved-Vyasa and Vedic Scriptures, even Gandharvaraj Pushpadanta knows this Vedic Secret. Clearly Recognise Lord Shiva as beyond capacity to elaborate, Vedas says that it is Rudra who manifest as Bramha-Vishnu-Mahesh.
SO now illustrious Ved-Vyasa Says that he is Not Capable to Describe Attributes of Lord Shiva. 

Pushpadant says that all pathways Leads to Shiva.

 Let’s Analyse how Bhisma-Pitamah also Express his Inability to Elaborate about Lord Shiva and Ask SRI KRISHNA for discussing 1000 Names(Thousand Atrributes) of Lord Maheshwar. 

“nāmadheyāni vedeṣu bahūny asya yathārthataḥ |
nirucyante mahattvāc ca vibhutvāt karmabhis tathā |
vede cāsya vidur viprāḥ śatarudrīyam uttamam |
vyāsād anantaraṃ yac cāpy upasthānaṃ mahātmanaḥ |” (MBH 13:146:22-23)nirucyante mahattvāc ca vibhutvāt karmabhis tathā |vede cāsya vidur viprāḥ śatarudrīyam uttamam |vyāsād anantaraṃ yac cāpy upasthānaṃ mahātmanaḥ |” (MBH 13:146:22-23) 

“Amongst the gods he has many names all of which are fraught with grave import. Verily, the meanings of those names are derived from either his greatness or vastness, or his feats, or his conduct. The Brahmanas always recite the excellent Sata-rudriya in his honour that occurs in the Vedas as also that which has been composed by Vyasa”

Lord Shiva is Ishwar of Satvik Guna. 

“dhavathe sathvanaam pathaye namo namah |” (Yajurveda Sri Rudram Anuvaka -2) 

“Salutations and salutations, to him who rushes to save his devotees, And to him who is the lord of people with Satva qualities”.

Thus Lord Shiva is the Lord of all Satvik Qualities is Verified by Vedas too. So how can His Purana can be in mode of Ignorance.

Conclusion:-

• Classification of Purāna is neither Mentioned in Gita(in which specially Ch-14 & Ch-17 is completely about classification on Basis of Gunas). So it Contradict Bhagvat Gita
• Lord Shiva is hail as Parambrahma in Vedas. So this sectionwhich says Shiva related Purāna are Tamsik goes against Vedas.
• Mahabharata never mentioned such things about Purāna when it is Summary of all Vedas-Upanishad-Purana. So it Contradict Mahabharata too.
• Purāna are always One, but Ved-Vyasji divides it into 18 Bundles to make easy for general Public to Study. So how can one Part is Satwik and other Tamsik.
• Mahabharata too Glorifies Lord Shiva at Many Instance does it means Mahabharata too is Tamsik?
• On the basis of Vedic Scriptures Lord Shiva is Only way to Salvation so if we analyse, even Vaishnav Puranas Leads to Mahadeva Alone.

||OM TAT SAT||