Purana's

[Pra4ash]

Namaste - are all the Puranas based on examples? I mean, is it all imaginative and fictatious as means to convey the Vedic scriptures?
Thank you.

Prakash.

[Onkara]

Namaste - are all the Puranas based on examples? I mean, is it all imaginative and fictitious as means to convey the Vedic scriptures?
Thank you.

Prakash.

Welcome to the forum Pra4ash! :)
I feel you can approach it like that. They certainly express profound philosophy, found in Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads which I have had the fortune to read.

Similar to a fruit tree, take what is ripe and leave what you cannot digest. Each to their own :)

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Some say the purāṇa-s are purāpi navam purāṇaṁ meaning,
although they are ancient (purā), of olden times (purāṇaṁ) they overflow (pi) anew (navam)

That is, they are relevant to the time. This is of key import, of relevant time... let me explain. I wrote the following on another post:

purāṇa - compiled by vyāsa-ji to address 5 topics (pañcalakṣaṇa)
purāṇa-s are 18 in number (the major ones, as there are minor ones also)
Gouped in 3 divisions
rājasa exalting brahmā
sāttvika exalting viṣṇu
tāmasa exalting śiva
People have come to think then that the divisions listed above ( sāttvika, rājasa, tāmasa) are qualities of the Supreme as brahmā, viṣṇu, and śiva. This would be a major mis-undertanding and a blemish that would carry into one's talks and discussions.

How can the Supreme have these qualities when It is beyond the 3 guna's ? This then cannot not be. What then is the alignment to the devatā ? Why would the wise group them in this method?

It is our qualities the wise are suggesting , not the Supreme's. For those steeped in tāmasa then the groupings of śiva purāṇa are most aligned; if one is of sāttvika, then the viṣṇu purāṇa-s apply. Like that, this is the wisdom of the groupings.

Now there is one more idea to this too. Based upon the age or yuga¹ it is said that a particular group of purāṇa-s are most effective. So as the tāmasic age ( kali) then there is an alignment to the śiva purāṇa-s that is most appropriate; in satya yuga then the viṣṇu purāṇa-s apply.

praṇām

words

fyi on different spellings that some times re confused with
puraṇa - is the ocean, the sea.
pūraṇa - filling , completing , satisfying causing , effecting
yuga-s

1. kṛta or satya yuga
2. tretā yuga
3. dvāpara yuga
4. kali yuga

[smaranam]

Namaste

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Channa avatar (hidden avatAr) came to the rescue of Kali Yugis with the special mercy , investing potency in the Holy Names of KrushNa.

Even otherwise, Narad Muni's advice / instruction for Kali Yug

harer nama harer nama

harer namaiva kevalam

kalau nasty eva nasty eva

nasty eva gatir anyatha

“‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’

- BRuhad NAradIya PurAn 38.126

As such, Shrimad BhAgvat MahAPurAN, the crown jewel of all SAttvic PurANs is shuddha-sattvic, or full of vishuddha sattva, is highly recommended, and includes history of manvantars (eras of Manus, prajapatis) as well as histories of VishNu avatArs. Yet, it so much for this Yug, because its main essence and purpose is to read KRSNa kathA - Canto 10 (KrushNas tu BhagavAn svayam), otherwise would we have BhAgvat kathAs at every corner ?


praNAm

om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ~

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Namaste YajvanJi and others

Please. noooooo :o
Not necessarily.

You see, I am not saying this is the only way. I am informing the reader of the logic on how the purāṇa-s are outlined and the logic to their groupings.

I respect your choice and your approach. If I read the śrīmad bhāgavata mahāpurāṇa the wise words are there. If I read the śiva purāṇa the wise words are there. They are there to uplift the individual to a higher level of Being.

praṇām

[smaranam]

Prescription for Kali Yug in Kali Santarana Upanishad #103 of KrushNa Yajur Ved :


http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/library/KalisantaranaUp.txt
"At the end of Dvapara Yuga, Narada, after traveling the world,
approached Lord Brahma and asked him: 'How may I overcome the (evil
effects of) the Kali Yuga?'" - 1
"Brahma said: 'You have asked me an excellent question. I shall reveal
to you the secret of all Vedas, by which you will cross over the
(ocean of) samsara filled with the bad effects of the Kali Yuga. This
secret must be preserved and protected.'" - 2

bhagavata AdipuruShasya nArAyaNasya nAmoccAraNamAtreNa nirdhRtakalir bhavati| nAradah punah papraccha tannAma kimiti | 3
"'By merely uttering the names of the Primeval Purusha, who is
Bhagavan Narayana, one is freed from the clutches of Kali.' Narada
asked again: 'What are those names of Narayana?'"

sa hovaca hiraNyagarbhah |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare |
hare kRShNa hare kRShNa kRShNa kRShNa hare hare |
iti ShoDaSakam nAmnAm kalikalmaShanASanam |
nAtah parataropAyah sarvavedeShu dRSyate | 4
"Lord Brahma said: 'O Hari, O Rama, O Hari, O Rama, O Rama O Rama, O
Hari, O Hari! O Hari, O Krishna, O Hari, O Krishna, O Krishna O
Krishna, O Hari, O Hari! This collection of sixteen names (of
Narayana) destroys the evils of the Kali Yuga. I don't see any other
effective means (of liberation) in the Vedas.'"

Note: Gaudiyas chant this mantra by reversing the order of the two
halves, i.e. the Hare Krishna first and then the Hare Rama.

"'(This mantra) destroys the sixteen kalas of the jiva, beginning with
the prana, which constitute the veil of ignorance. Then the Supreme
Brahman shines forth, just as the solar disc shines forth brilliantly
when the clouds vanish.'"
"Narada asked: 'O Bhagavan, what are the regulations or injunctions to
be followed in chanting these names?' Brahma said: 'There are no
regulations to be followed.'"

"'By chanting these names always, whether in a clean or unclean state,
a brahmana obtains the four kinds of liberation, sAlokya, sAmIpya,
sArUpya and sAyujya.'"

Notes:
1) sAlokya - living in the abode of God
2) sAmIpya - living in the proximity of God
3) sArupya - living with a form identical with God
4) sAyujya - merging with the body of God

"'When a brahmana chants this mantra of sixteen names, for a total of
one and one half crore times, he becomes free from the sin of killing
a brahmaNa. He overcomes the sin of neglecting his domestic fire.'"
"'He becomes free from the sin of stealing gold. He becomes free from
the offenses committed against forefathers, Gods and human beings.'"
"'He quickly becomes free from the sin of giving up all religious
duties. He becomes liberated immediately; he becomes liberated
immediately. Thus the Upanishad.'"


hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare

praNAm

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté smaranam

If we were in the vaiṣṇava folder of HDF then your view is 100% correct and would go uncontested. I leave you to your choices and do as you see fit.

praṇām

[smaranam]

respect your choice and your approach. If I read the śrīmad bhāgavata mahāpurāṇa the wise words are there. If I read the śiva purāṇa the wise words are there. They are there to uplift the individual to a higher level of Being.

Namaste, that is true, i agree :)

Knowing you would perhaps be one of the last to emphasize on a way, the rest of my post was for the OP of course - as one solution to the nature of Kali Yug, and also to answer the original qn on puranas -
that there is the manvantara (era) history - not necessarily in chronological order, but covering a major expanse of the cycles of creation. So mega-history and meta-history included with the stories.

praNAm

[smaranam]

sa hovaca hiraNyagarbhah |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare |
hare kRShNa hare kRShNa kRShNa kRShNa hare hare |
iti ShoDaSakam nAmnAm kalikalmaShanASanam |
nAtah parataropAyah sarvavedeShu dRSyate | 4
"Lord Brahma said: 'O Hari, O Rama, O Hari, O Rama, O Rama O Rama, O
Hari, O Hari! O Hari, O Krishna, O Hari, O Krishna, O Krishna O
Krishna, O Hari, O Hari! This collection of sixteen names (of
Narayana) destroys the evils of the Kali Yuga. I don't see any other
effective means (of liberation) in the Vedas.'"

Namaste

This was given as ref. to prescribed methods of VishNu bhakti in Kali Yug, despite the tAmasic nature of this Yug, and can be understood in context of the ways Shri Hari was worshipped in other yugs:

dvAparIyair janair viShNuh
pancarAtraistu kevalaih
kalau tu nAmamAtreNa
pUjyate bhagavAn harih ||

"In the Dvapara Yuga, people worshiped Vishnu according to the
principles described in the Pancaratra. In the Kali Yuga, Bhagavan
Hari is to be worshiped simply by chanting His names."

- NArAyaN SamhitA


Sorry i did not make it clear first. Apologies.

praNAm