'Tamsic' texts e.g. Shiva Purana

November 13, 2002

Hare Krsna, folks!

A long time ago I heard a member of ISKCON saying that we should not read Tamasic texts - texts that are in the lowest mode of material nature, Tamas (ignorance). This apparently includes texts such as the Shiva Purana.

Vyasadeva and Sukadeva (his son), said to be Amsa Avataras themselves, wrote down the Vedic texts into Sanskrit, which before then only existed by precise word and memory. My question is this - If they lived through the transition of Dwapara and Kali Yugas, knowing full well (and i'm sure they did) the atrocities man will be capable of in Kali Yuga, why did they even bother writing the Tamasic texts? If these texts do indeed do no good to us as devotees of Krsna, why should these texts even exist?

Thanks, Hari Bol...

Jahnava Nitai Das · November 13, 2002

These texts are written for those people within the mode of ignorance. For them it is beneficial.

Medicine is given according to the disease. Just because I have not been bitten by a snake, does that mean that the anti-venom is useless? It is useless for me, but for those who have been bitten by the snake it is needed.

Devotees of Lord Krishna are able to transcend the lower modes through the performance of bhakti. For those who are not engaging in bhakti, there is a gradual process of purification recommended in various scriptures. These scriptures are perfectly written to attract those diseased individuals by stressing material results for their good deeds.

If they are somehow able to take to bhakti, they can very quickly purify themselves from their lower natures, but bhakti is a rare thing. It either requires tremendous punya from previous lives or the causeless blessings of a saint.