[Advaita-l] Do 'Tamasa' Puranas enjoin practice of Adharma?

[V Subrahmanian]

Dear Raghave ji,

I have not seen any explanation for these alleged verses.

 If even if leave out the sectarian angle we can give a thought the
following:

The Brahma Sutra begins with the declaration of the requirement of the four
fold qualifications viz Viveka, vairagya, etc. We find in the Tamasa
Puranas these aspects laid out clearly. Unless someone is able to
establish  the Tamasa Puranas do not teach these for taking up the enquiry
into Bramhan for liberation, the alleged statement of the Padma purana that
the Tamasa Puranas teach wrong knowledge and result in hell remains
invalid.

It is also to be noted that Brahma sutras do not state either Vishnu or
Shiva as the Parabrahman.

Also, interestingly, if it is said that the Tamasa puranas also contain
sattva portions, on the same lines, the Sattva puranas also, since it is
admitted that they contain tamasa portions, should be admitted to lead to
naraka.  But what those 'portions' are can never be determined to the
agreement of all.  It is like the question: Which interpretation of the
Prasthana traya is agreeable to all. In any case it is this classification
of Puranas that is crucial, the very life line for the very existence of
the Vaishnava sects.  Advaita alone is not in such a pitiable position as
to depend for its existence on this classification.

For, the classification is patently shruti viruddha. There are many Vedic
portions and Upanishads that are clearly depicting Shiva/Rudra as the Para
Brahman, JagatkAraNam, Mokshaprada.  Since the Purana classification
contradicts this, as taught by Anandagiri (while explaining
Sureshwaracharya's Vartika on Brihadaranyaka Antaryami Brahmanam Bhashya
saying 'that Antaryami is known by the names Hari, Brahma and Pinaki'),
since the Puranas (that seem to distinguish between the Trimurtis) are
subservient to Veda and wherever they differ/contradict the Veda they cease
to be pramana.

On this shaastraic logic it is quite alright for Advaitins to consider the
classification of puranas as a-prAmANika for Vedantins.  For sectarians,
that is theistic schools, these are prAmANika since this classification
alone sustains their siddhanta.


warm regards

subbu

On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 7:23 AM Raghav Kumar Dwivedula via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste Subbu ji
> The verse here remains problematic if it indeed is taken to refer to Shiva
> purANa etc.
>
> Is there any other explanation for this Padma purANa verse. Or could it be
> shown to be an interpolation with there being editions in which this verse
> does not figure?
>
>
>  The Padma purana says:
> >
>
> >
> > सात्विका मोक्षदाः प्रोक्ताः राजसा सर्वदा अशुभाः ।
> >
> > तथैव तामसा देवि निरयप्राप्तिहेतवः ।।
> >
> >   प.पु. उत्तर 236.21
> >
> >
> > Sattvika puranas lead to mukti, liberation, Rajasika puranas,
> > inauspiciousness and Tamasa puranas lead to hell.
> >
> >
> > The question that arises is: Do the Tamasa puranas enjoin one to perform
> > sinful deeds, that is, adharma? Is there evidence for such an enjoining
> > like 'engage in stealing, killing brahmanas, drink alcohol, etc.'
> >
> >
> > The following is a sample of Dharma being taught in a Tamasa Purana,
> Shiva
> > Purana:
> > Here the teaching is:  Since Dharma leads to punya and happiness and
> > adharma leads to papa and misery, one should take to the practice of
> > Dharma.
> > शिवपुराणम्/संहिता १ (विश्वेश्वरसंहिता)/अध्यायः १३
> > https://sa.wikisource.org/s/sqg
> >
> > यादृशं पुण्यं पापं वा तादृशं फलमेव हि ।
> > द्रव्यदेहांगभेदेन न्यूनवृद्धिक्षयादिकम् ५६ ।
> > अधर्मो हिंसिकारूपो धर्मस्तु सुखरूपकः ।
> > अधर्माद्दुःखमाप्नोति धर्माद्वै सुखमेधते ५७ ।
> > विद्यादुर्वृत्तितो दुःखं सुखं विद्यात्सुवृत्तितः ।
> > धर्मार्जनमतः कुर्याद्भोगमोक्षप्रसिद्धये ५८ ।
> > ज्ञानसिद्ध्या मोक्षसिद्धिः सर्वेषां गुर्वनुग्रहात् ।
> > मोक्षात्स्वरूपसिद्धिः स्यात्परानन्दं समश्नुते ६६ ।
> > सत्संगात्सर्वमेतद्वै नराणां जायते द्विजाः ।
> > धनधान्यादिकं सर्वं देयं वै गृहमेधिना ६७ ।
> > यद्यत्काले वस्तुजातं फलं वा धान्यमेव च ।
> > तत्तत्सर्वं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो देयं वै हितमिच्छता ६८ ।
> >
> > शिवपुराणम्/संहिता ७ (वायवीयसंहिता)/पूर्व भागः/अध्यायः ३२
> > https://sa.wikisource.org/s/hz7
> >
> > वायुरुवाच
> > शैवो हि परमो धर्मः श्रेष्ठानुष्ठानशब्दितः ॥ ७.१,३२.२
> > यत्रापरोक्षो लक्ष्येत साक्षान्मोक्षप्रदः शिवः ॥ ७.१,३२.२
> > स तु पञ्चविधो ज्ञेयः पञ्चभिः पर्वभिः क्रमात् ॥ ७.१,३२.३
> > क्रियातपोजपध्यानज्ञानात्मभिरनुत्तरैः ॥ ७.१,३२.३
> > तैरेव सोत्तरैस्सिद्धो धर्मस्तु परमो मतः ॥ ७.१,३२.४
> > परोक्षमपरोक्षं च ज्ञानं यत्र च मोक्षदम् ॥ ७.१,३२.४
> > परमोऽपरमश्चोभौ धर्मौ हि श्रुतिचोदितौ ॥ ७.१,३२.५
> > धर्मशब्दाभिधेयेर्थे प्रमाणं श्रुतिरेव नः ॥ ७.१,३२.५
> > परमो योगपर्यन्तो धर्मः श्रुतिशिरोगतः ॥ ७.१,३२.६
> > धर्मस्त्वपरमस्तद्वदधः श्रुतिमुखोत्थितः ॥ ७.१,३२.६
> > अपश्वात्माधिकारत्वाद्यो धरमः परमो मतः ॥ ७.१,३२.७
> > साधारणस्ततोऽन्यस्तु सर्वेषामधिकारतः ॥ ७.१,३२.७
> > स चायं परमो धर्मः परधर्मस्य साधनम् ॥ ७.१,३२.८
> > धर्मशास्त्रादिभिस्सम्यक्सांग एवोपबृंहितः ॥ ७.१,३२.८
> > शैवो यः परमो धर्मः श्रेष्ठानुष्ठानशब्दितः ॥ ७.१,३२.९
> >
> > If there are instances of Tamasa Puranas asking one to commit sins, the
> > exact verses may be cited.
> >
> > Om Tat Sat
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