[Advaita-l] Status of Purana

[Venkata sriram P]

Dear Sunil,
 
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Yes the prakarana granthas are to be studied before going to the Vedantic  Prasthanatraya, which includes the Sruti and Smriti in it. In fact the study of Vedanta comes after the study of Veda. Now the Mahabharata says that the vedas should be read after reading the Puranas and the Itihasas (ie. the fifth-Veda). So one has raelly to start with the puranas and the Itihasas. May be for an absolute beginner a study of the Bhagavatam might do to start with if one does not have the time to study all the Puranas and the Itihasas before studying  the Prakarqana granthas and the Prasthanatraya.. 
 
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Some of the scholars have a negative opinion about the status of puranas 
who are of the notion that puranas are meant for dullards & less intelligent people.
 
See how they say:
 
pANDityahInAH kavayO bhavanti / kavitvahInA schapurANabhaTTAH
purANahInAH kriShimAshrayantE bhagnAH kriShErbhAgavatA bhavanti //
 
The translation :
 
Those devoid of intelligence, become poets; those who can't study poetry, 
study puranas; those who cannot study puranas, take to the occupation of 
agriculture and plough fields; those who can't plough fields, become 
haridAsa and beg for food

There is another derogatory sloka against the purana from Atri Smriti:
 
vEdEna hInashcha paThanti shAstraM shAstrEna hInascha purANapAThAH
purANahInAH kriShiNO bhavanti bhraShTAstatO bhAgavatA bhavanti //
 
The translation:
 
Those who can't study vedas, study the sastra; those who can't understand 
sastra, study puranas; those who can't understand puranas, take to agriculture;
those who can't do agriculture, take to bhAgavata dharma and do bhikshatana 
(begging).
 
Though, i don't agree with the above statements (thanks to my gurunatha), 
the above seems to be the paNDita abhiprAya as far as the status of purANAs 
are concerned.  
 
regs,
sriram