Description
The Shiva Purana is one of the puranas dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva. It consisted 12 samhitas and 1,00,000 ślokas (verses). After the reconstruction and the summarization by Vedavyasa, the extant text comprises 24000 ślokas (verses), which he taught to his follower Romaharshana (or Lomaharshana). It describes the story of Lord Shiva. Each Samhita has a name and that they are as follows:-
- Jnana Samhita,
- Vidyeśvara Samhita,
- Kailaśa Samhita,
- Sanatkumara Samhita,
- Vāyaviya Samhita (further divided into 2 parts, Pūrvabhāga and Uttarabhāga) and
- Dharma Samhita.
Each Samhita is ahead divided into chapters (adhyaya). Jnana samhita has seventy-eight chapters, vidyeshvara samhita sixteen, kailasa samhita twelve, sanathkumar samhila fifty-nine, vayaviya Samhita thirty and Dharma samhita sixty-five.
Significance of Siva Purana
The virtue in reading Vedas in Gurukulas or under the fellowship of a guru by way of chewing ‘Kanda Moola Phalas’ or raw vegetables, roots or raw fruits is not even half of the positive benefit attained by reading or listening to Puranas, especially Siva Purana.
The knowledge of Puranas is expressed to be as vital as the heat and light of Sun God or the coolness and tranquility of Moon God.
Benefits of Shiva Purana Vachan
- Bring prosperity and happiness in life.
- Provides moksha to soul and rids it from trails of re-birth.