Another Classification in padma purANa - a better one

Pranams,

Vaishnava-s claim that not all purANa-s are acceptable and of equal authenticity. They cite a verse from padma purAnA in which it is said that tAmasIka puraNa-s are the ones which leads one to hell.

Lets have a look at these verses.

Controversial verses in padma purANa

There are some verses in Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, 236.18–21 which categorize each of 18 major purANa-s into sAttvika, rAjasika and tamasika. Lets analyse them.

Satvika Puranas:

वैष्णवं नारदीयं च तथा भागवतं शुभम् ।
गारुडं च तथा पाद्मं वाराहं शुभदर्शने ।
सात्विकानि पुराणानि विज्ञेयानि शुभानि वै ।।

Vishnu Purana, Naradiya Puran, Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Varaha Purana, Srimad Bhagavata Purana (236.18)

Rajasa Puranas:

ब्रह्माण्डं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं मार्कण्डेयं तथैव च ।
भविष्यं वामनं ब्राह्मं राजसानि निबोधत ।।

Brahmanda Purana, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana (236.19)

Tamasa Puranas :

मात्सयं कौर्मं तथा लैङ्गम् शैवं स्कान्दं तथैव च ।
आग्नेयं च षडेतानि तामसानि निबोधत ।।

Matsya Purana, Kurma Purana, Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana (236.20)

सात्विका मोक्षदाः प्रोक्ताः राजसा सर्वदा अशुभाः ।
तथैव तामसा देवि निरयप्राप्तिहेतवः ।।

प.पु. उत्तर 236.21

Among these puranas Satvika Puranas lead one to liberation, Rajasa do not cause good and tamasa puranas lead one to hell. (236.21)

The word devi ( देवि) means goddess pArvatI. Kindly note that the word is not devI (देवी) but devi ( देवि), which has only one meaning, 'goddess'. Here it means devi pArvatI

The word niraya ( निरय) is translated as 'Hell'. While this is one meaning of the word, there are other meanings like profitless, yielding no income, bring or get out.

The word hetu (हेतु) means 'intention'. hetavaH (हेतवः) is the plural form, which can be both subject (pratham vibhakti) or object (dvitiya vibhakti).

So the verse could mean, 

O Devi pArvatI,  by reading tAmasika purANa-s, one will not gain anything.

We will try to give some logical reasoning why we disagree with those verses. There is another classification in matsya purANa.

Matsya Purana 190.13-14 says,

“The glory of Hari is greater in sattvika scripture; the glory of Brahma is greater in rajasika scriptures; and that of Agni and Siva greater in tamasika scriptures. In mixed scriptures the glory of Sarasvati and the pitrs is said to be greater."

[needs to be clarified]

Note, I am not able to find this classification in todays version of matya purana. 

Another Classification in padma purANa - a better one

According to Maharshi Suta, all the Puranas are nothing but the mediums through which Sri Hari manifests himself

एकं पुराण रुप वै तत्र पाद्मं परं महत् । ब्रह्मं मूर्धा हरेरेव ह्रदयं पद्मसंज्ञकम्॥
वैष्णवं दक्षिणो बाहुः शैव वामो महेशितुः । उरु भागवतं प्रोक्तं नाभिः स्यान्नारदीयकम्॥
मार्कण्डेयं च दक्षांग्रिर्वामो ह्याग्रेयमुच्यते । भविष्यं दक्षिणो जानुर्विष्णोरेव महात्मन: ॥
ब्रह्मवैवर्तसंज्ञं तु वामज्जानुस्नदाहृतः । लैऽगैं तु गुल्फकं दर्क्ष वाराहं वामगुल्फकम् ॥
स्कान्दं पुराण लोमानित्वगस्य वामनं स्मृतम् । कौर्म पृष्ठं समाख्यातं मात्स्यं मेदः प्रकी्र्तितम् ॥
मज्जा तु गारुडं प्रोक्तं ब्रह्माण्डमस्थि गीयते । एवमेवाभवद्विष्णुः पुराणाव्यवो हरिः ॥

पद्म पुराण, स्वर्ग खण्ड (६२।२-७)

1. Brahma Purana is said to be the 'forehead' of Sri Hari,
2. Padma Purana is said to be the 'heart' of Sri Hari,
3. Vishnu Purana is said to be the 'right arm' of Sri Hari.
4. Shiva Purana is said to be the 'left arm' of Sri Hari.
5. Srimad Bhagawat is said to be his 'thigh',
6. Narada Purana is said to be his 'navel',
7. Markendeya Purana is said to be his 'right-foot'.
8. Agni Purana is said to be his 'left foot',
9. Bhavishya Purana is said to be his 'right-knee',
10. Brahma Vaivrata Purana is said to be his 'left-knee'.
11. Linga Purana is said to be his 'right ankle',
12. Varaha Purana is said to be his 'left ankle',
13. Skanda Purana is said to be the hair on the body of 'Sri Hari'.
14. Vamana Purana is said to be his 'skin'.
15. Kurma Purana is said to be his 'back'.
16. Matsya Purana is said to be his 'stomach'.
17. Garuda Purana is said to be his 'bone-marrow'.
18. Brahmanda Purana is said to be his 'bone'.

Padma Purana, svarga khaNDa (62.2-7)

Note: These versies are found on both version of padma purana - south Indian with 5 khanda-s and bengali with 7 khanda-s.

We can conclude that, all the Puranas being manifestation of different parts of Sri Hari's body are very sacred and capable of bestowing salvation.  

For a body to function properly, all parts are important.

Source: Padma Puarana, Swarga Khand, International Gita Society / sankshipta Padma Purana

According to Padma Purana, there was just one purana, which was split into 18 by Bhagavan Veda Vyasa.

Points in favour of the claim in simple words are:

1. Verses in padma purANa classification in padma purana are interpolated / fabricated by vested interest group.
2. Another classification exists in padma purANa, svarga khaNDa, wihch says that all the purANa-s being manifestation of different parts of Sri Hari's body are very sacred and capable of bestowing salvation.
3. None of advaita AcArya-s consider any purANa as sAttvika, rAjasik or tAmasik
4. No veda or upanishad or Mahabharata is classified as sAttvika, rAjasik or tAmasik.
5. No purana says that Siva is born. rudra, is an aspect of Siva.

The truth of these claims are left to esteemed readers

Detailed article