Reference from Skanda Purana regarding how to accept Saivite Puranas

[Guest guest]

> > It would be nice to have the sanskrit and verse reference for this.

>

> Yes, a reference for this would be nice. It is a well-known debating ploy in

> South India to cite Skanda Purana without giving any exact reference.

 

Hare is the relevant reference from the Krsna Sandarbha by Srila Jiva Goswami:

 

Sri Krsna-sandarbha - Anuccheda 29 by Srila Jiva Goswami

 

Text 67

 

brahm€ yena ity €rabhya

 

viŠur yena da€vat€ra-gahane kipto mah€-sa‰ka˜e

rudro yena kap€la-p€Šir abhito bhik€˜anaˆ k€ritaƒ ity €dau.

 

tasmai namaƒ karmaŠe iti garua-vacan€t. kiˆ ca tat-pratip€dan€ya

matsy€dy-avat€r€Š€m matsy€di-abda-samyena chaloktir eveyam.

 

brahm€ yena iti €rabhya-in the passage beginning "brahm€ yena";

viŠuƒ-ViŠu; yena-because of which; daa-ten; avat€ra-of incarnations;

gahane-in the dark abyss; kiptaƒ-thrown; mah€-great; sa‰ka˜e-difficulty;

rudraƒ-®iva; yena-by which; kap€la-carrying a skull; p€Šiƒ-in His hand;

abhitaƒ bhika-a˜anam k€ritaƒ-begging alms; iti-thus; €dau-in the passage

beginning; tasmai-to that; namaƒ-I offer my respectful obeisances;

karmaŠe-unto karma; iti-thus; garua-of the Garua Pur€Ša; vacan€t-from the

statement; kim ca-furthermore; tat-that; pratip€dan€ya-to establish;

matsya-Lord Matsya; €di-beginning with; avat€r€Š€m-of the incarnations of

Godhead; matsya-€di-abda-of the words "matsya-€di"; samyena-the same;

chala-false; uktiƒ-statement; eva-certainly; iyam-this.

 

Similar other faulty statements may also be found in some portions of the

scriptures. For example, the Garua Pur€Ša explains:

 

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the law of karma, because of which

®iva carries a skull in his hand and wanders about as a beggar, and because of

which ViŠu was hurled into the painful abyss of having to assume ten

incarnations within the material world."

 

The author's intention in this passage was to emphasize the uncheckable

power of karma, although in order to do this he had spoken some things that are

not actually true. The description of KŠa and Balar€ma as Lord ViŠu's hairs

is a similar untrue story.

 

Text 68

 

yath€

 

aho kanaka-daur€tmyaˆ

nirv€ktuˆ kena akyate

n€ma-s€my€d asau yasya

dhusturo 'pi mada-pradaƒ.

 

yath€-just as; aho-Oh; kanaka-of gold; daur€tmyam-the wickedness;

nirvaktum-to be described; kena-by whom; akyate-is possible; n€ma-by name;

samy€t-because of equality; asau-this; yasya-of which; dhusturaƒ-dhustura

poison; api-even; mada-pradaƒ-intoxicating.

 

The following metaphorical statement in the scriptures may also be quoted

to illustrate how an author may speak something untrue in order to emphasize a

point:

 

"Alas, who is able to describe the evils of gold? Gold is certainly as

intoxicating as the poisonous drink dhutura."

 

 

Text 69

 

 

iti iva-€str…yatv€c ca n€tra vaiŠava-siddh€nta-viruddhasya tasyopayogaƒ.

yata uktaˆ sk€nda eva aŠmukhaˆ prati r…-ivena

 

iva-€stre 'pi tad gr€hyaˆ

bhagavac-ch€stra-yogi yat iti

 

anya-t€tparyakatvena svatas tatr€pram€Šy€d yuktam caitat yath€ pa‰kena

pa‰k€mbhaƒ itivat.

 

iti-thus; iva-€str…yatv€t-the status of being confirmed in the ®aivite

scriptures; ca-and; na-not; atra-here; vaiŠava-in relation to Lord ViŠu;

siddh€nta-the conclusion; viruddhasya-opposing; tasya-of that;

upayogaƒ-suitability; yataƒ-because; uktam-spoken; sk€nde-in the Sk€nda

Pur€Ša; eva-certainly; aŠmukham-to K€rttikeya; prati-to; r…-ivena-by

Lord ®iva; iva-€stre-in the ®aivite scriptures; api-although; tat-that;

gr€hyam-acceptable; bhagavat-€stra-in the VaiŠava scriptures; yogi-found;

yat-which; iti-thus; anya-another; t€tparyakatvena-by interpretation;

svataƒ-in their own scripture; tatra-there; apram€Šy€t-because of not being

established; yuktam-suitable; ca-and; etat-this; yath€-just as; pa‰kena-by

mud; pa‰ka-ambhaƒ-muddy water; iti-thus; vat-just as.

 

Statements in the ®aivite Pur€Šas should not be accepted unless they are

corroborated by the VaiŠava Pur€Šas. This is confirmed in the ®aivite Pur€Šas

(Sk€nda Pur€Ša) where Lord ®iva says to K€rttikeya:

 

"Statements in the ®aivite Pur€Šas should be accepted only if they are

confirmed in the VaiŠava Pur€Šas."

 

The followers of Lord ®iva may try to present a different conclusion, but

they are simply contradicting the words of their own master, recorded in their

own scripture. From this statement of Lord ®iva we may understand that the

®aivite Pur€Šas are not a very reliable source of spiritual information. They

are not actually able to purify the conditioned souls, and their position is

described in the following statement of ®r…mad-Bh€gavatam (1.8.52):

 

"It is not possible to filter muddy water through mud or purify a

wine-stained pot with wine."

 

On should not therefore rely on the impure statements of the ®aivite

Pur€Šas.

 

 

Text 70

 

 

p€dmottara-khaŠe ca iva-pratip€dak€n€ˆ pur€Š€n€m api t€masatvam eva

daritam. m€tsye 'pi t€masa-kalpa-kath€mayatvam iti.

 

p€dma-uttara-khaŠe-in the Uttara KhaŠa of the Padma Pur€Ša; ca-also;

iva-pratip€dak€n€m-of the followers of Lord ®iva; pur€Š€n€m-of the Pur€Šas;

api-also; tamasatvam-ignorance; eva-certainly; daritam-is delineated;

m€tsye-in the Matsya Pur€Ša; api-also; t€masa-ignorance; kalpa-conception;

kath€-descriptions; mayatvam-consisting of; iti-thus.

 

The inferiority of the ®aivite Pur€Šas is confirmed in the Uttara KhaŠa of

the Padma Pur€Ša, which explains that the ®aivite Pur€Šas are intended for

those in the mode of ignorance. The Matsya Pur€Ša also confirms that the

®aivite Pur€Šas are full of faulty and ignorant conclusions.

 

 

Text 71

 

 

yuktaˆ ca tasya vddha-s™tasya r…-bh€gavatam apa˜hitavataƒ

r…-baladev€vajñ€tuƒ r…-bhagavat-tattv€samyag-j€najaˆ vacanam

 

evaˆ vadanti r€jare

ayaƒ kecan€nvit€ƒ. itivat.

 

et€da-r…-bh€gavata-v€kyena sva-viruddha-pur€Š€ntara-vacana-b€dhanaˆ ca.

 

yuktam-suitable; ca-also; tasya-of him; vddha-s™tasya-of RomaharaŠa

S™ta, the father of S™ta Gosv€m…; r…-bh€gavatam-the message of

®r…mad-Bh€gavatam; apa˜hitavataƒ-without having properly studied;

r…-baladeva-®r… Baladeva; avaj€tuƒ-offending; r…-bhagavat-of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead; tattva-the truth; asamyak-incomplete; jñ€na-from

knowledge; jam-produced; vacanam-speech; evam-in this way; vadanti-speak;

r€ja-e-O saintly king; ayaƒ-sages; kecana-some; anvit€ƒ-endowed;

itivat-in this way; et€da-like these; bh€gavata-of ®r…mad-Bh€gavatam;

v€kyena-by the statement; sva-self; viruddha-contradicting; pur€Ša-Pur€Šas;

antara-within; vacana-of statements; b€dhanam-refutation; ca-also.

 

Without understanding the ®r…mad-Bh€gavatam, one cannot properly understand

the philosophy of spiritual life. An example of this is RomaharaŠa S™ta.

Because of not studying the Bh€gavatam, RomaharaŠa had not properly understood

the exalted position of Lord Balar€ma. Because of an offense to Lord Balar€ma,

RomaharaŠa was killed by the Lord. From this we may understand the importance

of ®r…mad-Bh€gavatam. Without reference to the Bh€gvatam, one cannot

conclusively understand the nature of the Absolute Truth.

That certain sages may sometimes present false conclusions, which may

sometimes even become recorded in the Pur€Šas, is confirmed in the following

statement of ®r…mad-Bh€gavatam (10.77.30):

 

"O King, some sages have said that Lord KŠa became bewildered by the

mystic jugglery of ®€lva. Such conclusions should not be accepted, for the

contradict the conclusion of all Vedic literatures, Lord KŠa never becomes

bewildered."

 

From this we may understand supreme authority of ®r…mad-Bh€gavatam. Any

scriptural explanation that contradicts the version of the Bh€gavatam should be

rejected.

 

Translated by Kusakratha Prabhu

 

>

> That Lord Siva is an expansion of Lord Sankarsana is confirmed in the

> following prose statement of (S.B. 5.17.16):

>

> " In Ilavrta-varsa, Lord Siva is always encircled by ten billion maidservants

> of goddess Durga, who minister to him. The quadruple expansion of the Supreme

> Lord is composed of Vasudeva, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Sankarsana.

> Sankarsana, the fourth expansion, is certainly transcendental, but because

> His activities of destruction in the material world are in the mode of

> ignorance, He is known as tamasi, the Lord's form in the mode of ignorance.

> Lord Siva knows that Sankarsana is the original cause of his own existence

> and thus he always meditates upon Him in trance by chanting the following

> mantra."

>

> This is confirmed in the following verse (Srimad Bhagavatam10.58.37)spoken by

> King Nagnajit to Lord Krsna:

>

> "O Lord who accepts the form of the various pastime-incarnations in order to

> proect the principles of religion,

>

> O Lord, the dust of whose lotus feet is reverentially placed by Laxmi,

> Brahma, Siva, and all the demigods upon their heads,O Supreme Personality of

> Godhead, what may I do to please You?"

>

> In this connection we may note the following statement spoken by Brahma to

> Lord Krsna(Srimad Bhagavatam10.14.19):

>

> "O Lord Krsna , persons who are unaware of Your inconceivable energy cannot

> understand that You alone expand Yourself as the creator Brahma , maintainer

> Visnu , and annihilator Siva. Persons who are not in awareness of things as

> they are contemplate that I , Brahma, am the creator , Visnu is the

> maintainer , and Lord Siva is the annihilator . Actually You are alone

> everything : creator ,maintainer and annihilator.

>

> Brhat-sahasra-nama-stotra in the 96th Chapter of the Uttara-khanda of the

> Padma Purana, Lord Siva says to Parvati:

>

> "O beautiful goddess, a single utterance of the holy name of Rama is equal to

> a thousand utterances of these other names of the Supreme Lord."

>

> The exalted demigod Brahma is the original spiritual master of the devotees

> of the Lord. This is confirmed in the following statement of Srimad

> Bhagavatam (2.9.5):

>

> "Lord Brahma is the first spiritual master."

>

> Siva is still more exalted. This is described in the verse from Srimad

> Bhagavatam (12.13.16).

>

> Statements in the Saivite Puranas should not be accepted unless they are

> corroborated by the Vaisnava Puranas. This is confirmed in the Saivite

> Puranas (Skanda Purana) where Lord Siva says to Karttikeya:

>

> " Statements in the Saivite Puranas should be accepted only if they are

> confirmed in the Vaisnava Puranas."