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Understanding the Puranas (from _Visistadvaita_, by ASR Aghavan)
"These Puraanas are classified under three heads as Saatvika Puraana,
Raajasa puraana and taamasa puraana. Sri Vishnu Puraana and Srii Bhaagavata
puraana (S'riimad Bhaagavatam), for instance, are said to be Saatvika
Puraanas and they are accepted as authoritative in toto, whereas the
Puraanas that come under the other two heads are not accepted like that. In
the Saankhya and Yoga systems propounded by Kapila and Hiranyagarbha, only
such parts as are in consonance with the Vedic thoughts are taken as valid
and the other part, which differs from the Vedas, is rejected as being
unauthoritative.
But how to determine which of these Puraanas is Saatvika and which Raajasa
and so on? Our Ancients who abide by the teachings of the Vedas, have made a
thorough and dispassionate study of all the Puraanas and have laid down
rules with the help of which we can find out the nature of a Puraana and
accept it if it is Saatvika, and reject it if it is no. Srii Sudarsana
Suuri, the Author of the famous work, Srutaprakaasikaa, a commentary on Srii
Bhaashya has discussed this point in great detail in his work, and given his
conclusions which are indisputable. We shall give below in brief what he has
said in regard to the authoritativeness of Vishnu Puraana which was the
topic under discussion there.
Firstly the Puraanas themselves give us a clue about the nature of a
Puraana, if it is Saattvika, Raajasa or Taamasa. Matsya Puraana [note:
Matsya Puraana is in the taamasic category], for instance, says:
Agn`eh. s'ivasya maahaatmyam taamaseshu prakiirtyate
Raajaseshu ca maahaatmyam adhikam brahman.o viduh.
Saatvikeshvatha kalpeshu maahaatmyam adhikam hareh.
Teshveva yogasamsiddhaah gamishyanti paraam gatim
Yasmin kalpe tu yat proktam puraan.am Brahman.aa puraa
Tasya tasya tu maahaatmyam Tat svaruupen.a varn.yate
"In the Taamasa kapas (ord days of Brahmaa), the greatness of Agni or Siva
is narrated, in the Raajasa kalpas, the greatness of Brahmaa is delineated
as high. But in the Saattvika kalpas, the greatness of Hari is portrayed as
being very high. It is only in those Kalpas that people acquire perfection
in Yoga and attain the Supreme Goal (of Salvation)."
"Thus according to the nature of the Kalpa in which a particular Puraana was
expounded by Brahmaa, the greatness of that particular deity (having as
predominant one or other of th tree qualities of Sattva, Rajas or Tamas) is
described."
Another Puraana declares:
Saatvikeshu ca sarveshu vishn.or-maahaatmyam ishyate
"The greatness of Vishnu is described in all the Saatvika Puraanas (without
exception)."
The second and the never-failing test by which the nature of a Puraana can
be determined is the way in which the Puraana begins. In a Saatvika puraana,
the disciple, who ha a thirst for knowledge, goes to a master (aacaarya) who
is steeped in learning and the practice of religious rites and who as has
also realized God. He pays his obeisance to the Master and respectfully
expresses his desire to know the Ultimate Truth. He puts questions to the
master which are of a general nature-- questions like the following: 'Which
is the highest Truth? What is the greatest Means? And which is the Supreme
Goal?' The teacher, who is interested only in the good of his disciple and
has no desire for fame, lucre or honour, imparts to the deserving pupil the
knowledge about the Ultimate Truth. The reply will be specific so that there
will be no room for any doubt or misconception in the mind of S'ishya. For
instance, Naaraayana is the Supreme God, Meditation on Him is the means and
so on. Thus in a Saatvika puraana the question is in a general way and the
reply is specific. It can be seen that the opening scene in all Saattvika
puraanas is set in this manner.
By way of illustration we shall give the opening set-up in two or three works.
58. An example of a Saatvika puraana
Now let us apply it to Vishnu puraana and see how it satisfies the test.
Other Puraanas also accept the validity of Vishnu Puraana. For instance,
Linga puraana says firstly that Vishnu puraana teaches the means for the
attainment of all the Purushaarthas or the goals of human endeavour.
Secondly it speaks in glowing terms about sage Paraasara, the author of
Vishnu puraana. It says while referring to his birth that it was really an
incarnation (avataara). It again declares that Sage Paraasara was in
possession of that knowledge of the reality of the Highest Divinity which he
had obtained from Vasishtha and Uplastya as a boon bestowed upon him. Linga
puraana also confirms the fundamental doctrines taught by Vishnu puraana.
The more important and the crucial test to determine that Vishnu puraana is
a Saatvika puraana is the mode of its opening. Let us see how it beings. It
is early morning. Sage Praasara has just finished his daily morning
ablutions and rites, and is in his hermitage absorbed in meditation.
Maitreya, another sage, comes to him with a thirst for knowledge. He
prostrates before Praasara and submits in all humility that he has come in
quest of right knowledge. Being encouraged by the kind disposition of the
great Sage, Maitreya proceeds to put some questions so that the master may
know his requirements. Maitreya says: "I wish to hear from you, O Thou, the
knower of Religion and Duty, how this world came into existence and what
will become of it again. What does this world consist of? Revered One,
whence did come all this movable and immovable creation? How and where was
it hidden and into what will it be absorbed?" In short Maitreya wants to
know by means of these questions and others aobut the Highest Reality which
is the cause of the Universe and how It is to be worshipped and realized,
and also about the nature of the world which is the object of creation,
preservation and destruction.
On hearing these questions, the all-knowing Sage Paraasara first bows to the
Divine Lord Vishnu who is the Supreme Deity and the Ruler of all. Then he
proceeds to say in reply: "The World came into existence form the Will of
Vishnu and it is altogether existent therein. Vishnu is the casue of the
prservation and destruction of the Universe. The world is Vishnu Himself,
because all creation, movable and immovable is pervaded by Him. All this has
Vishnu for its soul and nothing can exist without Him. Hence as being the
Aatmaa of all, Vishnu is the only Reality and all other things exist as His
body. Vishnu again is the Supreme Goal of attainment, and the means for it
is exclusive meditation on Him." All this is quite in accordance with the
teachings of the Vedas the amplification and confirmation of which is the
object of a Puraana. Therefore Vishnu puraana can be accepted as
authoritative and can be deemed a Saattvika puraana.
It will be seen that all the questions of Maitreya are in a general way.
They show that he is in search of the Ultimate Truth and not interested in
any particular deity or object. It will also be seen that the reply of
Paraasara is of a specific nature since he declares Vishnu is the Supreme
Deity and the Supreme Cause. Such is the scheme of opening of a Saatvika
puraana- the question in a general nature thus-- 'which is the cause?'; and
the answer is in regard to a specific deity thus--'Vishnu is the Supreme Deity.'
This can be contrasted with the opening chapters of Puraanas of another
variety. By way of illustration we shall take up Linga puraana. The sages in
Naimisaaranya go to Suuta Pauraanika and request him to narrate to them a
Puraana which will describe the greatness of Linga. Though the Suuta
Pauraanika knows all the Puraanas and knows that Vishnu is the Supreme Deity
and the Ultimate Reality, he does not speak about Him. He proceeds to
describe how Linga also has its own greatness and how it has got to be
worshipped for the realization of desires; since the sages are interested in
the worship of Linga and want to know only about it. This is their request
to the Suta:
tasmaat bhavantam pricchaamaha
suuta! pauraan.ika! adya tu
puraan.am samhitaam pan.yaam
lin`gamaahaatmyasamyutaam
Here the question is not in a general way, but in regard to a particular
object, namely Linga, and naturally the answer also is in the same manner
about the particular object--Linga. There is not the spirit of enquiry about
the Ultimate Truth and the Supreme Godhead in the sages then which is the
criterion in the case of a Saatvika puraana; and the Teacher Suuta also
restricts himself to a narration of the greatness of the object they are
eager to know. This is quite in accordance with the maxim that a Teacher
should not begin to teach all he knows, but should limit himself to the
topic about which the students want to know and which will be suited to
their equipment.
Again, there are passages in the Linga puraana which are mutually
contradictory. For instance, in one place Rudra delcares that Brahmaa was
born out of the right part of his body and Vishnu from the left. In another
place it is stated that Siva takes his birth from the anger of Vishnu and is
enveloped by the quality of Tamas and that Brahmaa who is covered by
Rajoguna is born out of the favour of Vishnu. Though the two statements are
mutually contradictory, the former is at variance with the teachings of the
Vedans and so not valid, whereas the latter is in consonance with the Vedas
which declare that Vishnu is the Supreme Deity and all beings including
Brahmaa and Rudra are created by Him....
Thus a Puraana like the Srii Vishnu puraana is Saatvika because of its
unprejudiced and non-sectarian approach to the subject, and also because of
the treatment which is quite in consonance with Vedas. Hence its
authoritativeness."
(from _Visistadvata_ by ASR Aghavan)
