Sāttvika, Rājasa and Tāmasa Purāṇas

The Uttara Khaṇḍa of the Padma Mahā Purāṇa sorts all eighteen Mahā Purāṇas (the major Purāṇas) into three groups. Each group is named after the guṇa (basic quality of nature) that is strongest in its Purāṇas: sattva (purity and goodness), rajas (activity and passion) or tamas (darkness and inertia).

According to this text, which is written from a strongly Vaishṇava point of view (devoted to Bhagavān Vishṇu), the sāttvika Purāṇas are Vaishṇava in nature and lead to liberation. The rājasa Purāṇas are connected with Brahmā and lead to enjoyment. The tāmasa Purāṇas are connected with Śiva and, in this text’s view, lead away from merit.

The Three Groups

Sāttvika Purāṇas (six)

These Purāṇas encourage pure sattva and lead to the highest liberation:

  1. Vaishṇava (the Vishṇu Purāṇa)
  2. Nāradīya (the Nārada Purāṇa)
  3. Bhāgavata (the Bhāgavata Purāṇa)
  4. Gāruḍa (the Garuḍa Purāṇa)
  5. Pādma (the Padma Purāṇa, this text itself)
  6. Vārāha (the Varāha Purāṇa)

Tāmasa Purāṇas (six)

The text warns that these Purāṇas lead to inauspicious ends for those who seek liberation:

  1. Mātsya (the Matsya Purāṇa)
  2. Kaurma (the Kūrma Purāṇa)
  3. Laiṅga (the Liṅga Purāṇa)
  4. Śaiva (the Śiva Purāṇa)
  5. Skānda (the Skanda Purāṇa)
  6. Āgneya (the Agni Purāṇa)

Rājasa Purāṇas (six)

These Purāṇas are mixed in nature:

  1. Brahmāṇḍa (the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa)
  2. Brahmavaivarta (the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa)
  3. Mārkaṇḍeya (the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa)
  4. Bhavishya (the Bhavishya Purāṇa)
  5. Vāmana (the Vāmana Purāṇa)
  6. Brāhma (the Brahma Purāṇa)

Setting and Purpose

This classification is given within the strongly Vaishṇava teaching of the Uttara Khaṇḍa. There, Śiva tells Pārvatī that the religious texts which honour other devatās, especially texts centred on Śiva, were themselves ordered by Vishṇu. According to this account, Śiva was told to compose misleading teachings in order to confuse the asuras (beings opposed to the devas and to dharma). The classification is meant to guide the Vaishṇava practitioner toward the sāttvika texts as the only reliable guides to liberation.

Sources

  • Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 236