Twentieth Theme: The Characteristics of the Sacred Puranas

 

The Bhagavatam (12.7.9 and 10) says that a Purana should deal with the following ten categories of subjects:

 

1) sarga

2) visarga

3) vrtti

4) raksa

5) antara

6) vamsa

7) vamsanucarita

8) samstha

9) hetu

10) apasraya

 

Some, however, consider the characteristics to be five, an opinion based on the distinction between major and minor. 

The purpose of this section is to protect people from scammers who invent the new so-called Holy Scriptures.

 

The main Puranas (Maha-Puranas) address the topics of the ten categories, while the minor Puranas (Alpa Puranas or Upa Purana) have only five, which are:

 

1. sarga
2. pratisarga
3. vamsa
4. manvantara and
5. vamsanucarita

 

1. sarga is creation, 
2. pratisarga is dissolution and recreation, 
3. vamsa is the genealogy of the gods, 
4. manvantara are the periods presided over by the Manu and 
5. vamsanucarita is the narrative of the dynasties of the rulers. 

 

Some Puranas, such as the Vishnu Puranas, deal with all ten themes and yet, because they focus primarily on five laksanas, they are considered Alpa-Puranas.

 

There are those who have tried to show that in Srimad-Bhagavatam the ten laksanas are described one after the other, from the first chapter (some say from the third) to the twelfth. Jiva Gosvami rejects this idea as we do not find nirodha in the tenth canto, nor mukti in the eleventh, nor Asraya in the twelfth. Sri Baladeva addresses these people as “fools.” Sridhara Swami says that Asraya is described in the tenth skhanda.

 

In the Sarva-sanvadini, Sri Jiva says that the Bhagavatam speaks of sarga in the second and third chapters, of visarga in the second, third and fourth, of vrtti in the seventh and eleventh, of raksa in all skhanda, of manvantaras in the eighth, of vamsa and vamsanucarita in the fourth and ninth, of samstha in the eleventh and twelfth, of hetu in the third and eleventh, and of Asraya in the tenth.

 

Suta Gosvami describes the characteristics of a Purana one by one in the twelfth canto.

 

“The origin of mahat, which results from a disorder of the gunas of the unmanifest, is called sarga.”

 

Mahat comes from an imbalance of the gunas of prakrti, after which from mahat comes ahankara, composed of three gunas; From mahat emanate the bhutamatras (the subtle elements), the senses and gross entities, together with their corresponding divinities. This is called sarga, a word indicating ‘a creation with a secondary cause’, that is, not the direct one of the Personality of Godhead.

 

With regard to visarga, Srimad-Bhagavatam says, “Creation, based on the traces of the acts of the jiva is called visarga. It is the creation of all mobile and immobile beings and proceeds like a seed that springs from another seed.”

 

All these elements are assembled by Purusa, which is the Paramatma. Gosvami Maharaja calls it the creation of the particular.

The category called uti is contained in this description:

 

– Uti are the footprints caused by the past actions of the jivas.

 

–  Immovable beings constitute the vrtti, or means of sustenance for mobile beings.

 

– Raksa is the protection of the universe and indicates the acts of the avatars of Visnu, who descend to these worlds era after era, in the animal, human, Rishi and celestial species. These destroy the enemies of the Vedas.

 

– The categories isakatha (stories of the avataras), sthana (maintenance of the universe) and posana (the grace of the Lord bestowed upon His devotees) are also indicated in this verse.

 

– Manvantara comprises several elements: the Manu, the Devas, the rulers of the Devas, the Rishi and the partial incarnations of Hari. 

 

– The category dealing with dynasties of past, present and future kings, direct generation of Brahma, is known as vamsa. The description of the life of their descendants is called vamsanucarita.

 

– Samstha, or dissolution, comes from the supreme power of Paramesvara and is of four types: naimittika (causal), prakrta (natural), nitya (necessary) and atyantika (final).

 

Jiva Gosvami points out that mukti (liberation) is included in the solution called atyantika.

 

By hetu is meant the actions generated by the ignorance of the jiva, which cause the creation of the universe; not that the jivas can create the universe, but that it exists to allow the jivas limited freedom of choice. The basis of creation is Brahman, not the pure form of jiva. Srila Vyasadeva witnessed this in an ocular manner during his samadhi; in fact, he has personally seen the individual soul, material energy, and Isvara as three different entities. Without apasraya (apa means abandonment, therefore apasraya means “the ultimate end to which we should all abandon ourselves”), the jivas could not act, nor would they exist at all. The same principle applies to material nature. Therefore, Sri Krishna is the basis of everything that exists.

 

Suta Gosvami goes on to describe the system by which it is possible to obtain liberation: 

“The first step is to separate the senses from their objects. When, thanks to the disciplines of Bhakti-yoga, the atma (i.e. that our nature is spiritual) is realized, all contact with the false ceases. Such a great soul is rare and very fortunate (sa mahatma sudurlabhah).”

 

Regarding the identification of the soul with matter, Sri Jiva Gosvami makes an interesting reflection: 

 

“Earth is no different than clay amphorae, but at the same time they are not the same. In fact, with earth you can do things that would be impossible to do with amphorae and vice versa. It is the use given to them that distinguishes them and establishes their respective positions in the logic of creation. The jiva is immersed in matter, but at the same time has nothing to do with it.”

 

One who uses the pure consciousness characteristic of the atma becomes indifferent to worldly things and becomes qualified to ask questions about the nature of the Apasraya. The scriptures on this point are very clear. At that stage, the individual soul ceases to strive for things that are not directly related to the devotional service extended to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

Thus, sambandha was explained in its general outlines. 

 

Conclusion

Here ends the first volume of the Bhagavata-sandarbha, entitled Tattva-sandarbha, written according to the teachings of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, who deserve the veneration of the assembly of all the great Vaishnavas. They were companions of Bhagavan Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the savior of all fallen souls of the Kali-yuga, incarnated to bestow the precious gift of worship to the Supreme Lord.

This is a section of the book “Tattva Sandarbha”, in English.

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