Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 236
Sourceपार्वत्युवाच- तामसानि च शास्त्राणि समाचक्ष्व ममानघ । संप्रोक्तानिच तैर्व्विप्रैर्भगवद्भक्तिवर्जितैः । तेषां नामानि क्रमशः समाचक्ष्व सुरेश्वर १। रुद्र उवाच- शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि तामसानि यथाक्रमम् २। तेषां स्मरणमात्रेण मोहः स्याज्ज्ञानिनामपि । प्रथमं हि मयैवोक्तं शैवं पाशुपतादिकम् ३। मच्छक्त्यावेशितैर्व्विप्रैः प्रोक्तानि च ततः शृणु । कणादेन तु संप्रोक्तं शास्त्रं वैशेषिकं महत् ४। गौतमेन तथा न्यायं सांख्यं तु कपिलेन वै । धिषणेन तथा प्रोक्तं चार्व्वाकमतिगर्हितम् ५। दैत्यानां नाशनार्थाय विष्णुना बुद्धरूपिणा । बौद्धशास्त्रमसत्प्रोक्तं नग्ननीलपटादिकम् ६। मायावादमसच्छास्त्रं प्रच्छन्नं बौद्ध उच्यते । मयैव कथितं देवि कलौ ब्राह्मणरूपिणा ७। अपार्थं श्रुतिवाक्यानां दर्शयन्लोकगर्हितम् । स्वकर्म्मरूपं त्याज्यत्वमत्रैव प्रतिपाद्यते ८। सर्वकर्म्मपरिभ्रष्टैर्वैधर्म्मत्वं तदुच्यते । परेशजीवपारैक्यं मया तु प्रतिपाद्यते ९। ब्रह्मणोस्य स्वयं रूपं निर्गुणं वक्ष्यते मया । सर्वस्य जगतोऽप्यत्र मोहनार्थं कलौ युगे १०। वेदार्थवन्महाशास्त्रं मायया यदवैदिकम् । मयैव कल्पितं देवि जगतां नाशकारणात् ११। मदाज्ञया जैमिनिना पूर्वं वेदमपार्थकम् । निरीश्वरेण वादेन कृतं शास्त्रं महत्तरम् १२। शास्त्राणि चैव गिरिजे तामसानि निबोध मे । पुराणानि च वक्ष्यामि तामसानि यथाक्रमात् १३। ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च शैवं भागवतं तथा । तथैव नारदीयं तु मार्कण्डेयन्तु सप्तमम् १४। आग्नेयमष्टमं प्रोक्तं भविष्यं नवमं तथा । दशमं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं लिङ्गमेकादशं स्मृतम् १५। द्वादशं च वराहं च वामनं च त्रयोदशम् । कौर्म्मं चतुर्दशं प्रोक्तं मात्स्यं पंचदशं स्मृतम् १६। षोडशं गारुडं प्रोक्तं स्कंदं सप्तदशं स्मृतम् । अष्टादशं तु ब्रह्मांडं पुराणानि यथाक्रमम् १७। मात्स्यं कौर्मं तथा लैड्गं शैवं स्कांदं तथैव च । आग्नेयं च षडेतानि तामसानि निबोध मे १८। वैष्णवं नारदीयं च तथा भागवतं शुभम् । गारुडं च तथा पाद्मं वाराहं शुभदर्शने १९। सात्विकानि पुराणानि विज्ञेयानि शुभानि वै । ब्रह्मांड ब्रह्मवैवर्त्तं मार्कंडेयं तथैव च २०। भविष्यं वामनं ब्राह्मं राजसानि निबोध मे । सात्विका मोक्षदाः प्रोक्ता राजसाः सर्वदा शुभाः २१। तथैव तामसा देवि निरयप्राप्तिहेतवः । तथैव स्मृतयः प्रोक्ता ऋषिभिस्त्रिगुणान्विताः २२। सात्विका राजसाश्चैव तामसा शुभदर्शने । वासिष्ठं चैव हारीतं व्यासं पाराशरं तथा २३। भारद्वाजं काश्यपं च सात्विका मुक्तिदाः शुभाः । याज्ञवल्क्यं तथात्रेयं तैत्तिरं दाक्षमेव च २४। कात्यायनं वैष्णवं च राजसां स्वर्गदाः शुभाः । गौतमं बार्हस्पत्यं च सांवर्त्तं च यमं स्मृतम् २५। साख्यं चौशनसं चेति तामसा निरयप्रदाः । किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन पुराणेषु स्मृतिष्वपि २६। तामसा नरकायैव वर्जयेत्तान्विचक्षणः । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं प्रसंगाच्छुभदर्शनम् । शेषां च प्रभवावस्थां हरेर्वक्ष्यामि ते शृणु २७। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे तामसशास्त्रकथनंनाम षट्त्रिंशदधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः २३६ ।
pārvatyuvāca- tāmasāni ca śāstrāṇi samācakṣva mamānagha | saṃproktānica tairvviprairbhagavadbhaktivarjitaiḥ | teṣāṃ nāmāni kramaśaḥ samācakṣva sureśvara 1| rudra uvāca- śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi tāmasāni yathākramam 2| teṣāṃ smaraṇamātreṇa mohaḥ syājjñānināmapi | prathamaṃ hi mayaivoktaṃ śaivaṃ pāśupatādikam 3| macchaktyāveśitairvvipraiḥ proktāni ca tataḥ śṛṇu | kaṇādena tu saṃproktaṃ śāstraṃ vaiśeṣikaṃ mahat 4| gautamena tathā nyāyaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ tu kapilena vai | dhiṣaṇena tathā proktaṃ cārvvākamatigarhitam 5| daityānāṃ nāśanārthāya viṣṇunā buddharūpiṇā | bauddhaśāstramasatproktaṃ nagnanīlapaṭādikam 6| māyāvādamasacchāstraṃ pracchannaṃ bauddha ucyate | mayaiva kathitaṃ devi kalau brāhmaṇarūpiṇā 7| apārthaṃ śrutivākyānāṃ darśayanlokagarhitam | svakarmmarūpaṃ tyājyatvamatraiva pratipādyate 8| sarvakarmmaparibhraṣṭairvaidharmmatvaṃ taducyate | pareśajīvapāraikyaṃ mayā tu pratipādyate 9| brahmaṇosya svayaṃ rūpaṃ nirguṇaṃ vakṣyate mayā | sarvasya jagato'pyatra mohanārthaṃ kalau yuge 10| vedārthavanmahāśāstraṃ māyayā yadavaidikam | mayaiva kalpitaṃ devi jagatāṃ nāśakāraṇāt 11| madājñayā jaimininā pūrvaṃ vedamapārthakam | nirīśvareṇa vādena kṛtaṃ śāstraṃ mahattaram 12| śāstrāṇi caiva girije tāmasāni nibodha me | purāṇāni ca vakṣyāmi tāmasāni yathākramāt 13| brāhmaṃ pādmaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ ca śaivaṃ bhāgavataṃ tathā | tathaiva nāradīyaṃ tu mārkaṇḍeyantu saptamam 14| āgneyamaṣṭamaṃ proktaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ navamaṃ tathā | daśamaṃ brahmavaivartaṃ liṅgamekādaśaṃ smṛtam 15| dvādaśaṃ ca varāhaṃ ca vāmanaṃ ca trayodaśam | kaurmmaṃ caturdaśaṃ proktaṃ mātsyaṃ paṃcadaśaṃ smṛtam 16| ṣoḍaśaṃ gāruḍaṃ proktaṃ skaṃdaṃ saptadaśaṃ smṛtam | aṣṭādaśaṃ tu brahmāṃḍaṃ purāṇāni yathākramam 17| mātsyaṃ kaurmaṃ tathā laiḍgaṃ śaivaṃ skāṃdaṃ tathaiva ca | āgneyaṃ ca ṣaḍetāni tāmasāni nibodha me 18| vaiṣṇavaṃ nāradīyaṃ ca tathā bhāgavataṃ śubham | gāruḍaṃ ca tathā pādmaṃ vārāhaṃ śubhadarśane 19| sātvikāni purāṇāni vijñeyāni śubhāni vai | brahmāṃḍa brahmavaivarttaṃ mārkaṃḍeyaṃ tathaiva ca 20| bhaviṣyaṃ vāmanaṃ brāhmaṃ rājasāni nibodha me | sātvikā mokṣadāḥ proktā rājasāḥ sarvadā śubhāḥ 21| tathaiva tāmasā devi nirayaprāptihetavaḥ | tathaiva smṛtayaḥ proktā ṛṣibhistriguṇānvitāḥ 22| sātvikā rājasāścaiva tāmasā śubhadarśane | vāsiṣṭhaṃ caiva hārītaṃ vyāsaṃ pārāśaraṃ tathā 23| bhāradvājaṃ kāśyapaṃ ca sātvikā muktidāḥ śubhāḥ | yājñavalkyaṃ tathātreyaṃ taittiraṃ dākṣameva ca 24| kātyāyanaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ ca rājasāṃ svargadāḥ śubhāḥ | gautamaṃ bārhaspatyaṃ ca sāṃvarttaṃ ca yamaṃ smṛtam 25| sākhyaṃ cauśanasaṃ ceti tāmasā nirayapradāḥ | kimatra bahunoktena purāṇeṣu smṛtiṣvapi 26| tāmasā narakāyaiva varjayettānvicakṣaṇaḥ | etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ prasaṃgācchubhadarśanam | śeṣāṃ ca prabhavāvasthāṃ harervakṣyāmi te śṛṇu 27| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe tāmasaśāstrakathanaṃnāma ṣaṭtriṃśadadhikadviśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 236 |
English translation
Summary : Characterization of Various Texts and Doctrines as Sāttvika , Rājasa and Tāmasa .
Pārvatī said :
1. O sinless one, tell me about the vicious texts which were composed by the brāhmaṇas bereft of devotion to the lord. O lord of gods, tell me their names in a sequence.
Rudra said :
2-4. O goddess, listen. I shall tell you about the vicious texts in a sequence. By merely remembering them even the wise ones would be deluded, First I myself proclaimed the Śaiva , Pāśupata (texts) etc. Hear about the ones which were proclaimed by the brāhmaṇas into whom my power had entered, after that: Kaṇāda proclaimed the great Vaiśeṣika text.
5-7. Similarly Gautama (proclaimed the doctrine of) Nyāya , and Kapila (proclaimed) Sāṃhkhya. Dhiṣaṇa ( Bṛhaspati ) in the same way (proclaimed) the much censured Cārvāka (doctrine); Viṣṇu of the form of Buddha proclaimed the false Buddhist doctrine and those of the naked and wearing dark blue garmentsfor the destruction of the demons. The doctrine of Māya (illusion) is a wicked doctrine and said to be pseudo-Buddhist. I myself, of the form of a brāhmaṇa , proclaimed it in Kali (age).
8-12. It shows the meaninglessness of the words of the holy texts and is condemned in the world. In this (doctrine) only the giving up of one’s own duties is expounded. And that is said to be religiousness by those who have fallen from all duties. I have propounded the identity of the Highest Lord and the (individual) soul. I stated this Brahman ’s nature to be qualityless. O goddess, I myself have conceived, for the destruction of the worlds, and for deluding the world in this Kali age, the great doctrine resembling the purport of the Vedas , (but) non-Vedic due to the principle of Māya (illusion) (present in it). By my order formerly Jaimini propounded the great doctrine of Pūrva Mīmāṃsā , stating godlessness and making the Veda meaningless.
13-17. O Girijā, know from me the vicious doctrines. I shall also narrate the names of the vicious Purānas [1] in succession: Brāhma , Pādma , Vaiṣṇava , Śaiva, so also Bhāgavata . So also Nāradīya and Mārkaṇḍeya as the seventh. Āgneya is said to be the eighth, and Bhaviṣya to be the ninth. Brahmavaivarta is said to be the tenth, and Liṅga to be eleventh. Vārāha is said to be the twelfth and Vāmana the thirteenth. Kaurma is said to be the fourteenth and Mātsya the fifteenth. Garuḍa is said to be the sixteenth, and Skānda to be the seventeenth. The eighteenth is Brahmāṇḍa . (These are) the Purāṇas in succession.
18-22a. Know from me that Mātsya, Kaurma, Laiṅga , Saiva , so also Skānda and Āgneya are tāmasa (vicious). O you of an auspicious appearance, the Purāṇas, viz. Vaiṣṇava, Nāradīya, so also the auspicious Bhagavata , similarly Gāruḍa , Pādma, Vārāha should be known to be sāttvika (or virtuous). Know from me that Brahmāṇḍa, Brahmavaivarta, Mārkaṇḍeya, Bhaviṣya, Vāmana and Brāhma are rājasa (endowed with the quality of passion). The sattvika ones are said to give salvation and are always auspicious. Similarly, O goddess, the tāmasa are said to be the cause of (i.e. lead one to) hell.
22b-27. Similarly Smṛtis endowed with the three qualities are proclaimed by the sages. O you of an auspicious appearance, they are sāttvika, rājasa and tāmasa. Vāsiṣṭha , Hārīta , Vyāsa , Pārāśara , Bhāradvāja and Kāśyapa are said to sāttvika, giving (i.e. leading to) salvation and auspicious. Yājñavalkya Ātreya , so also Taittira, Dākṣa and Kātyāyana and Vaiṣṇava are rājasa, giving (i.e. leading to) heaven, and auspicious. Gautama, Bārhaspatya , Sāṃvarta, Yama , Sāṃkhya and Auśanasa are said to be tāmasa, and giving (i.e. leading to) hell. What is the use of talking much in the case of the Purāṇas and the Smṛtis also? The tāmasa do lead to hell. A wise one should avoid them. As the occasion has come, I have told you all the auspicious doctrines. Listen. I shall tell you about the nature of the remaining birth (i.e. of the other incarnations) of Viṣṇu.
[1]: [1] : The immediately following list is not actually that of the vicious Purāṇas but of the Purāṇas in general, The vicious six Purāṇas follow this list of eighteen Purāṇas. The word ‘tāmasa’ in this verse is not appropriately used. (Ed.)
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 45058, revision 336654 (2022-04-26T00:51:58Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365820.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.