Sachi R: Srimad Bhagavatam XII. 07

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥

Srimad Bhagavatam - Skandha XII.07,Thursday, 17 August 2023 - Puranas, their structure and importance.

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सूत उवाच

अथर्ववित्सुमन्तुश्च शिष्यमध्यापयत् स्वकाम् । संहितां सोऽपि पथ्याय वेददर्शाय चोक्तवान् ॥

नक्षत्रकल्प: शान्तिश्च कश्यपाङ्गिरसादय: । एते आथर्वणाचार्या: श‍ृणु पौराणिकान् मुने ॥

T: The Suta narrated: Sumantu Rishi, the authority on the Atharva Veda, taught his Samhita (Vedic mantras) to his disciple Kabandha, who in turn spoke it to Pathya and Vedadarsha…

And many names are now listed among Acharyas of Atharva Veda.

Nakshatrakalpa, Shantikalpa, Kashyapa, Angirasa and others were also among the Acharyas of the Atharva Veda. Now, Oh sages, listen as I name the authorities on the Puranas.

Note: The Vedas are called Shrutis. This means they were heard by Brahma and his disciples who in turn taught through recitation and hearing the proper Mantras. The accuracy of pronunciation and intonations and pauses are most critical for Veda mantras. Wrongly chanted, or chanted by uninitiated people will in turn bring negative effects!

The other important pillar of Indian scriptures in Sanatana Dharma is the Puranas. Puranas like the Srimad Bhagavatam are narratives full of stories, holding within them the most essential nuggets of spiritual instructions and commentary on existence, but couched in timeless stories. Puranas are written down and heard in narratives in temples and Satsang gatherings. They are the mainstay of the propagation of Dharma. Note also that Ramayana and Mahabharata are NOT Puranas but are called Itihasasas or historical narratives.

त्रय्यारुणि: कश्यपश्च सावर्णिरकृतव्रण: । वैशम्पायनहारीतौ षड् वै पौराणिका इमे ॥

अधीयन्त व्यासशिष्यात् संहितां मत्पितुर्मुखात् । एकैकामहमेतेषां शिष्य: सर्वा: समध्यगाम् ॥

T: Trayyaruni, Kashyapa, Savarni, Akritavrana, Vaishampayana and Harita are the six masters of the Puranas. Each of them studied one of the six anthologies of the Puranas from my father, Romaharshana, who was a disciple of Bhagavan Veda Vyasa. I became the disciple of these six authorities and thoroughly learned all their presentations of Puranic lore.

What are the characteristics of a Purana? These have been defined by the most eminent learned Sages in conformity with Vedic wisdom.

सर्गोऽस्याथ विसर्गश्च वृत्तिरक्षान्तराणि च । वंशो वंशानुचरितं संस्था हेतुरपाश्रय: ॥

दशभिर्लक्षणैर्युक्तं पुराणं तद्विदो विदु: । केचित् पञ्चविधं ब्रह्मन् महदल्पव्यवस्थया ॥

The authorities on the matter understand a Purana to contain ten characteristic topics:

1. the creation of this universe,

2. the subsequent creation of worlds and beings,

3. the maintenance of all living beings,

4. their sustenance,

5. the rule of various Manus,

6. the dynasties of great kings,

7. the activities of such kings,

8. annihilation,

9. regulation of creation and

10. the ultimate shelter.

Other scholars state that the great Puranas deal with these ten topics, while lesser Puranas may deal with five.

There is a brief account of each of these characteristics.

अव्याकृतगुणक्षोभान्महतत्रिस्त्रवृतोऽहम: । भूतसूक्ष्मेन्द्रियार्थानां सम्भव: सर्ग उच्यते ॥

T: The unmanifest Prakriti within the Lord holds the Guna complex, which becomes Mahat-tattva through cosmic agitation by the will of the Lord. This Mahat gives rise to the elements, subtle bodies with their sense organs, and the objects of sensory perception. This is the first aspect – creation.

पुरुषानुगृहीतानामेतेषां वासनामय: । विसर्गोऽयं समाहारो बीजाद् बीजं चराचरम् ॥

T: The secondary creation of beings and the world, by the Lord’s will, creates desires and cravings. Just as a seed produces additional seeds, activities that promote material desires in the performer produce moving and non-moving life forms. (Note: Without the perceiver and enjoyer, there is no creation!)

वृत्तिर्भूतानि भूतानां चराणामचराणि च । कृता स्वेन नृणां तत्र कामाच्चोदनयापि वा ॥

T: Vritti or sustenance, by which the moving beings live upon the non-moving, includes man's eking out his livelihood by his own desires, or in the case of an enlightened soul, functioning as an instrument in accordance with the law of Bhagavan.

रक्षाच्युतावतारेहा विश्वस्यानु युगे युगे । तिर्यङ्‌मर्त्यर्षिदेवेषु हन्यन्ते यैस्त्रयीद्विष: ॥

T: In each age, the infallible Lord appears in this world among the animals, human beings, sages and gods. By his activities in these incarnations, the Lord protects the universe and kills the enemies of Vedic Dharma.

मन्वन्तरं मनुर्देवा मनुपुत्रा: सुरेश्वरा: । ऋषयोऽशांवताराश्च हरे: षड्‌विधमुच्यते ॥

T: In each reign of Manu, six types of personalities appear as manifestations of Lord Hari: the ruling Manu, the chief gods, the sons of Manu, Indra, the great sages and the partial incarnations of the Bhagavan.

राज्ञां ब्रह्मप्रसूतानां वंश त्रैकालिकोऽन्वय: । वंशानुचरितं तेषां वृत्तं वंशधराश्च ये ॥

T: Dynasties are lines of kings originating with Lord Brahma and extending continuously through past, present and future. The accounts of such dynasties, especially of their most prominent members, constitute the subject of dynastic history.

नैमित्तिक: प्राकृतिको नित्य आत्यन्तिको लय: । संस्थेति कविभि: प्रोक्तश्चतुर्धास्य स्वभावत: ॥

T: There are four types of cosmic annihilation — event-triggered, elemental dissolution, birth-decay-death effect of Time, and ultimate Moksha of a Jiva— all of which are effected by the inherent Maya of the Supreme Lord. Learned scholars have designated this topic as dissolution.

हेतुर्जीवोऽस्य सर्गादेरविद्याकर्मकारक: । यं चानुशायिनं प्राहुरव्याकृतमुतापरे ॥

T: Out of his own ignorance, the living being performs Karma (material, goal-seeking, activities) and thereby becomes in one sense the instrumental cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe through the Karma cycle! Some authorities call the living being the personality =Jiva doing Karma, underlying the material creation, while others say he is the unmanifest Atma transiting through all creation.

व्यतिरेकान्वयो यस्य जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिषु । मायामयेषु तद् ब्रह्म जीववृत्तिष्वपाश्रय: ॥

T: The Supreme Absolute Truth or Parabrahman is present throughout all the stages of awareness — waking consciousness, sleep and deep sleep — throughout all the phenomena manifested by Maya, the illusory energy, and within the functions of all Jivas, living entities, and he also exists separate from all these as Bhagavan/Ishwara! Thus situated in his own transcendence, he is the ultimate and unique shelter of all, without exception.

पदार्थेषु यथा द्रव्यं सन्मात्रं रूपनामसु । बीजादिपञ्चतान्तासु ह्यवस्थासु युतायुतम् ॥

T: Although a material object may assume various forms and names, its essential ingredient is always present as the basis of its existence. Similarly, both conjointly and separately, Parabrahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, is always present within the created material body throughout its phases of existence, beginning with conception and ending with death.

विरमेत यदा चित्तं हित्वा वृत्तित्रयं स्वयम् । योगेन वा तदात्मानं वेदेहाया निवर्तते ॥

T: Either automatically or because of one’s regulated spiritual practice, one’s mind may stop functioning on the material platform of waking consciousness, sleep and deep sleep. Then one understands the Paramatma and withdraws from material goal-seeking pursuits by becoming a pure witness.

एवंलक्षणलक्ष्याणि पुराणानि पुराविद: । मुनयोऽष्टादश प्राहु: क्षुल्लकानि महान्ति च ॥

T: Sages have declared that the Puranas, according to their various characteristics, can be divided into eighteen major Puranas and eighteen secondary Puranas.

ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च शैवं लैङ्गं सगारुडं । नारदीयं भागवतमाग्नेयं स्कान्दसंज्ञितम् ॥

भविष्यं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं मार्कण्डेयं सवामनम् । वाराहं मात्स्यं कौर्मं च ब्रह्माण्डाख्यमिति त्रिषट् ॥

T: The eighteen major Puranas are

1. Brahma Purana

2. Padma Purana

3. Vishnu Purana

4. Shiva Purana

5. Linga Purana

6. Garuda Purana

7. Narada Purana

8. Bhagavata Purana

9. Agni Purana