Hindu Article-The Purana tradition

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The Purana tradition

 

 

 

CHENNAI: : A prayer addressed to Adi Sankara describes him as an

abode of compassion since he enabled mankind to follow the teachings

of the Vedas, Smritis and the Puranas in day-to-day life. The Vedas

are the fountainhead of all the other scriptural texts and are

eternal; they are revealed at the time of creation. The Smriti texts

are the Dharmasastra manuals written by different sages for guidance.

The Apasthamba Dharmasutra says human conduct must be dictated by the

conventional practices in vogue. But, change being the only constant

factor in the world, a doubt will arise as to how it is possible to

apply these ancient codes of conduct in modern times. What should a

person do if he is unable to follow these guidelines due to inability

to adopt them?

 

In his discourse, Sri K. Srinivasan said one should look up to elders

well versed in the scriptures as they would follow them and also

adapt themselves to changes in society. In an age when it is not

possible to perform elaborate rituals and sacrifices, scriptures

themselves recommend that one can do them by contemplation, which is

prescribed in the Jnana kanda of the Vedas. A further shift is seen

in the Puranas, in which devotion takes centre-stage. The basis of

devotion as a means to liberation is that the Supreme Being is one

and devotees can worship Him in the form of different deities

according to their predilection. Hence the Puranas are also many,

each one giving importance to a particular deity. The Vishnu Purana,

for instance, is a theistic text in which service to God is the

leitmotif while the Siva Purana is predominantly monistic.

 

The Puranas have another important purpose also. They explain how the

Vedic mantras can be used in worship of the deities. There are three

types of Puranas. The principal ones are the Mahapuranas, 18 in

number composed by Vyasa (except the Vishnu Purana composed by Sage

Parasara), the Upapuranas and the Sthala Puranas, which describe the

sacred places and their legends, history and festivals. The Siva

Purana is an extensive text comprising one lakh verses in 12

sections, of which only seven are extant now. Narration of this

Purana on the 14th day of the lunar cycle is said to confer the same

benefit as recitation (Japa) of the Gayatri mantra according to its

prescribed procedure.

 

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