NOTE FOR A READER: THIS ARTICLE EXPLAINS SHREE RAMANUJA-SIDDHANTA AND INTENDED FOR PRAPANNAS FROM SHREE RAMANUJA-VAISHNAVA-SAMPRADAYA.
Question: "I got interested in Karttika-Vrata, so I have been reading Karttika-Masa-Mahatmya from "Shree Skanda-Purana" recently. While reading I have stumbled upon very strange verses prescribing Panchayatana Worship (that is "all in one" 5-folded mayavadik worship - Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganesha, Surya) for Karttika-Vrata.
I am baffled by these verses, because it always seemed to me that Vaishnavas must shun Panchayatana worship at any cost, because Panchayatana = mayavadic = for smarta brahmins (mayavadis, smartas). Could you please comment?".
Answer by Vishnudut1926: "Shree Skanda-Purana" is a Tamasika-Purana, so it is extremely corrupted by mayavada pramanas (the so-called "mohana" pramanas intended for plunging asuras into delusion). You can trust pramanas from "Shree Skanda-Puranas" only when
