Does the Matsya Purana forbid one to read Rajasika and Tamasika Puranas?

Question

Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 236 states:

सात्विका मोक्षदाः प्रोक्ताः राजसा सर्वदा अशुभाः ।

तथैव तामसा देवि निरयप्राप्तिहेतवः ।।

Among these puranas Satvika Puranas lead one to liberation, Rajasa do not cause good and Tamasa puranas lead one to hell. (236.2)

Now, this guna based classification of Puranas, I have been told, is also present in the Matsya (which is a Tamasika Purana incidentally in the Padma Purana). I want to know whether the Matsya Purana does indeed mention a classification of the Puranas on the basis of gunas. If yes, does it discourage one to read Rajasika and Tamasika Puranas?

Answer 1

The Matsya Purana indeed classifies the eighteen Puranas according to gunas but it doesn't explicitly discourage one to read Rajasika and Tamasika Puranas or even state them to be inferior to Sattvika Puranas:

The glory of Hari is greater in Sattvika Puranas; the glory of Brahma is greater in Rajasika Puranas; and that of Agni and Shiva greater in Tamasika Puranas. In mixed Puranas, the glory of Sarasvati and the pitrs is said to be greater. (Matsya Purana, Chapter 53, Verses 67-68)