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Thread: Purana's

  1. #1

    Purana's

    Namaste - are all the Puranas based on examples? I mean, is it all imaginative and fictatious as means to convey the Vedic scriptures?
    Thank you.

    Prakash.

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    Re: Purana's

    Quote Originally Posted by Pra4ash View Post
    Namaste - are all the Puranas based on examples? I mean, is it all imaginative and fictitious as means to convey the Vedic scriptures?
    Thank you.

    Prakash.
    Welcome to the forum Pra4ash!
    I feel you can approach it like that. They certainly express profound philosophy, found in Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads which I have had the fortune to read.

    Similar to a fruit tree, take what is ripe and leave what you cannot digest. Each to their own

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    Re: Purana's

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    Some say the purāṇa-s are purāpi navam purāṇaṁ meaning,
    although they are ancient (purā), of olden times (purāṇaṁ) they overflow (pi) anew (navam)

    That is, they are relevant to the time. This is of key import, of relevant time... let me explain. I wrote the following on another post:
    • purāṇa - compiled by vyāsa-ji to address 5 topics (pañcalakṣaṇa)
      • purāṇa-s are 18 in number (the major ones, as there are minor ones also)
      • Gouped in 3 divisions
        • rājasa exalting brahmā
        • sāttvika exalting viṣṇu
        • tāmasa exalting śiva
    People have come to think then that the divisions listed above ( sāttvika, rājasa, tāmasa) are qualities of the Supreme as brahmā, viṣṇu, and śiva. This would be a major mis-undertanding and a blemish that would carry into one's talks and discussions.

    How can the Supreme have these qualities when It is beyond the 3 guna's ? This then cannot not be. What then is the alignment to the devatā ? Why would the wise group them in this method?

    It is our qualities the wise are suggesting , not the Supreme's. For those steeped in tāmasa then the groupings of śiva purāṇa are most aligned; if one is of sāttvika, then the viṣṇu purāṇa-s apply. Like that, this is the wisdom of the groupings.

    Now there is one more idea to this too. Based upon the age or yuga¹ it is said that a particular group of purāṇa-s are most effective. So as the tāmasic age ( kali) then there is an alignment to the śiva purāṇa-s that is most appropriate; in satya yuga then the viṣṇu purāṇa-s apply.

    praṇām

    words
    • fyi on different spellings that some times re confused with
      • puraṇa - is the ocean, the sea.
      • pūraṇa - filling , completing , satisfying causing , effecting
    • yuga-s
      • 1. kṛta or satya yuga
      • 2. tretā yuga
      • 3. dvāpara yuga
      • 4. kali yuga
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  4. #4

    Re: Purana's

    Namaste

    Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Channa avatar (hidden avatAr) came to the rescue of Kali Yugis with the special mercy , investing potency in the Holy Names of KrushNa.

    Even otherwise, Narad Muni's advice / instruction for Kali Yug

    harer nama harer nama

    harer namaiva kevalam

    kalau nasty eva nasty eva

    nasty eva gatir anyatha

    “‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’

    - BRuhad NAradIya PurAn 38.126


    As such, Shrimad BhAgvat MahAPurAN, the crown jewel of all SAttvic PurANs is shuddha-sattvic, or full of vishuddha sattva, is highly recommended, and includes history of manvantars (eras of Manus, prajapatis) as well as histories of VishNu avatArs. Yet, it so much for this Yug, because its main essence and purpose is to read KRSNa kathA - Canto 10 (KrushNas tu BhagavAn svayam), otherwise would we have BhAgvat kathAs at every corner ?


    praNAm

    om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ~
    Last edited by smaranam; 25 July 2011 at 02:54 PM.
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

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    Re: Purana's

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namast

    Quote Originally Posted by smaranam View Post
    Namaste YajvanJi and others

    Please. noooooo
    Not necessarily.
    You see, I am not saying this is the only way. I am informing the reader of the logic on how the purāṇa-s are outlined and the logic to their groupings.

    I respect your choice and your approach. If I read the śrīmad bhāgavata mahāpurāṇa the wise words are there. If I read the śiva purāṇa the wise words are there. They are there to uplift the individual to a higher level of Being.

    praṇām

    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  6. #6

    Re: Purana's

    Prescription for Kali Yug in Kali Santarana Upanishad #103 of KrushNa Yajur Ved :


    http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/library...antaranaUp.txt
    "At the end of Dvapara Yuga, Narada, after traveling the world,
    approached Lord Brahma and asked him: 'How may I overcome the (evil
    effects of) the Kali Yuga?'" - 1
    "Brahma said: 'You have asked me an excellent question. I shall reveal
    to you the secret of all Vedas, by which you will cross over the
    (ocean of) samsara filled with the bad effects of the Kali Yuga. This
    secret must be preserved and protected.'" - 2

    bhagavata AdipuruShasya nArAyaNasya nAmoccAraNamAtreNa nirdhRtakalir bhavati| nAradah punah papraccha tannAma kimiti | 3
    "'By merely uttering the names of the Primeval Purusha, who is
    Bhagavan Narayana, one is freed from the clutches of Kali.' Narada
    asked again: 'What are those names of Narayana?'"

    sa hovaca hiraNyagarbhah |
    hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare |
    hare kRShNa hare kRShNa kRShNa kRShNa hare hare |
    iti ShoDaSakam nAmnAm kalikalmaShanASanam |
    nAtah parataropAyah sarvavedeShu dRSyate | 4

    "Lord Brahma said: 'O Hari, O Rama, O Hari, O Rama, O Rama O Rama, O
    Hari, O Hari! O Hari, O Krishna, O Hari, O Krishna, O Krishna O
    Krishna, O Hari, O Hari! This collection of sixteen names (of
    Narayana) destroys the evils of the Kali Yuga. I don't see any other
    effective means (of liberation) in the Vedas.'"


    Note: Gaudiyas chant this mantra by reversing the order of the two
    halves, i.e. the Hare Krishna first and then the Hare Rama.

    "'(This mantra) destroys the sixteen kalas of the jiva, beginning with
    the prana, which constitute the veil of ignorance. Then the Supreme
    Brahman shines forth, just as the solar disc shines forth brilliantly
    when the clouds vanish.'"
    "Narada asked: 'O Bhagavan, what are the regulations or injunctions to
    be followed in chanting these names?' Brahma said: 'There are no
    regulations to be followed.'"


    "'By chanting these names always, whether in a clean or unclean state,
    a brahmana obtains the four kinds of liberation, sAlokya, sAmIpya,
    sArUpya and sAyujya.'"

    Notes:
    1) sAlokya - living in the abode of God
    2) sAmIpya - living in the proximity of God
    3) sArupya - living with a form identical with God
    4) sAyujya - merging with the body of God

    "'When a brahmana chants this mantra of sixteen names, for a total of
    one and one half crore times, he becomes free from the sin of killing
    a brahmaNa. He overcomes the sin of neglecting his domestic fire.'"
    "'He becomes free from the sin of stealing gold. He becomes free from
    the offenses committed against forefathers, Gods and human beings.'"
    "'He quickly becomes free from the sin of giving up all religious
    duties. He becomes liberated immediately; he becomes liberated
    immediately. Thus the Upanishad.'"


    hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare
    hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare

    praNAm
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

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    Re: Purana's

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~


    namast smaranam


    If we were in the vaiṣṇava folder of HDF then your view is 100% correct and would go uncontested. I leave you to your choices and do as you see fit.

    praṇām






    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  8. #8

    Re: Purana's

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post
    respect your choice and your approach. If I read the śrīmad bhāgavata mahāpurāṇa the wise words are there. If I read the śiva purāṇa the wise words are there. They are there to uplift the individual to a higher level of Being.
    Namaste, that is true, i agree

    Knowing you would perhaps be one of the last to emphasize on a way, the rest of my post was for the OP of course - as one solution to the nature of Kali Yug, and also to answer the original qn on puranas -
    that there is the manvantara (era) history - not necessarily in chronological order, but covering a major expanse of the cycles of creation. So mega-history and meta-history included with the stories.

    praNAm
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  9. #9

    Re: Purana's

    Quote Originally Posted by smaranam View Post
    sa hovaca hiraNyagarbhah |
    hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare |
    hare kRShNa hare kRShNa kRShNa kRShNa hare hare |
    iti ShoDaSakam nAmnAm kalikalmaShanASanam |
    nAtah parataropAyah sarvavedeShu dRSyate | 4

    "Lord Brahma said: 'O Hari, O Rama, O Hari, O Rama, O Rama O Rama, O
    Hari, O Hari! O Hari, O Krishna, O Hari, O Krishna, O Krishna O
    Krishna, O Hari, O Hari! This collection of sixteen names (of
    Narayana) destroys the evils of the Kali Yuga. I don't see any other
    effective means (of liberation) in the Vedas.'"
    Namaste

    This was given as ref. to prescribed methods of VishNu bhakti in Kali Yug, despite the tAmasic nature of this Yug, and can be understood in context of the ways Shri Hari was worshipped in other yugs:

    dvAparIyair janair viShNuh
    pancarAtraistu kevalaih
    kalau tu nAmamAtreNa
    pUjyate bhagavAn harih ||

    "In the Dvapara Yuga, people worshiped Vishnu according to the
    principles described in the Pancaratra. In the Kali Yuga, Bhagavan
    Hari is to be worshiped simply by chanting His names."

    - NArAyaN SamhitA


    Sorry i did not make it clear first. Apologies.

    praNAm
    Last edited by smaranam; 25 July 2011 at 03:39 PM. Reason: The latter quote is from narayan samhita, the first is from kali santarana up.
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

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    Re: Purana's

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    I wrote on another string... (also see post 3 above)

    The purāṇa-s are a puraṇa¹ (ocean) of knowledge. The purāṇa-s belong to ancient times; Purāṇa as a noun are a class of sacred works managed/organized by vyāsa.

    There are 18 main purāṇas ( some like to call these the mahāpurāṇa-s ) and are grouped in the following manner:
    · that of brahmā e.g. the brahma , brahmāṇḍa , brahmavaivarta , mārkaṇḍeya , bhaviṣya , & vāmana purāṇa-s
    · that of viṣṇu e.g. the viṣṇu , bhāgavata , nāradīya ,
    garuḍa , padma , & varāha purāṇa-s
    · that of śiva e.g. the śiva , liṅga , skanda , agni or in place of it the vāyu , matsya , & kūrma purāṇa-s
    We are informed that they too are called out in this manner:
    • rājasapurāṇa-s for the brahmapurāṇa-s
    • sāttvikapurāṇa-s for the viṣṇupurāṇa-s
    • tāmasapurāṇa-s for the of śivapurāṇa-s
    Now it seems that many see the tri-guna listing (rājas, sāttva, tāmas) and assign some mental value to these terms. It is quite easy to comprehend the notion of sāttva for the viṣṇupurāṇa-s, but when it comes to the rājasapurāṇa-s and (especially) the tāmasapurāṇa-s our understanding tends to fall short.

    So, with that let me ask the HDF reader regarding this matter. Many refer to the bhāgavad gītā to align their thinking regarding the values placed on rājas, sāttva, & tāmas – and from this point of view sāttva is the one that is most admirable. Yet how can brahma let alone śiva be aligned with any quality that would be considered less then uplifting and noble by nature ?

    Many read or hear (even on HDF) the notion of tāmasapurāṇa and then assume that śiva too must be of this tāmasic quality ( a negative view no less). So, can one explain this ? What insight is one missing regarding this notion ? Or perhaps you think there is none ?

    praṇām

    words
    · puraṇa - rooted (√) in pṝ the sea , ocean , not to be confused with purāṇa meaning ancient or old
    • the purāṇa-s typically discuss 5 topics (pañca-lakṣaṇa) - that is:
      • the creation of the universe - sarga or letting go , discharging i.e. creation
      • its destruction and renovation . This is called prati-sarga : prati or back , again , in return + sarga or letting go , discharging = additional creations, recreations
      • the genealogy of the devatā & sages i.e. lineage or families, and this is called vaṃśa
      • the reigns of the manu-s - the various epochs and rulers of these times - (if I am correct, manu+antara = manvañtara )
      • manu-antara = manu , father of the human race + antara is interval, term, period or duration.
      • the history ~lineage~ of the solar and lunar races ; genealogy of kings - vaṃśa-nucarita
    Last edited by yajvan; 17 October 2014 at 08:37 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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