Hindu Article-Import of the scriptures

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Import of the scriptures

 

 

CHENNAI NOV.4. Valid questions that arise in the

modern mind when advised to peruse scriptural texts

like the Puranas and the epics are "What is the

benefit of studying these works?" and "How are they

relevant to the human situation today?" Such doubts

are due to certain misconceptions because colloquially

the word "Purana" has come to mean a rambling or an

elaborate manner of handling a topic, whereas, its

real meaning in tradition is different. When the

subject matter of a text is expressed in a certain

format it is known as Purana. It must have five

distinct characteristics.

 

The first among them is the discussion of the creation

of the cosmos and then it describes how the universe

expands eon after eon giving rise to this manifold

existence. The third feature of a Purana is the

description of the lineage of living creatures

beginning with the offspring of the creator, Brahma.

Next is the topic of the ages of the 14 Manus, the

forefathers of mankind, spread over the thousand

cyclic periods of time, each cycle containing the four

ages. Finally, a Purana gives the genealogy of the

rulers of the various regions of the world like the

lunar and the solar dynasties.

 

In his introductory discourse on the Puranas, Sri Goda

Venketeswara Sastri said "Purana" could also be

interpreted as that which offered fresh insight into

the subject matter of the Ultimate Reality, which it

expounds, in spite of it being ancient. When these

texts are said to be very old one then becomes curious

to know their date. In Indian religious tradition

dates were not given much importance because the

contents of a work were of more concern than the

author who composed it. The Puranas are also

considered to be eternal like the Vedas and their

antiquity can be seen in the references to them in

Vedic texts like the Gautama Dharmasastra. The

Chandogya Upanishad mentions both Puranas and epics.

 

Sage Veda Vyasa who codified the Vedas also composed

the 18 Puranas for the benefit of humanity. The Vedic

dictums are cryptic and hence all may not be able to

take recourse to them for guidance. The subject matter

of the Vedas has therefore been elaborated through

stories, morals and anecdotes in the Puranas for easy

appeal. This also substantiates the fact that the

abstract philosophical concepts enunciated in the

Vedic texts are not intended for a select few but for

all, which is why the Puranas were written.

 

copy right: The Hindu-daily

 

 

 

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