O sages, listen as I recount what was spoken in ancient times. Upon the earth, as long as the Śiva Purāṇa had not been proclaimed, all the holy fields and sacred places would dispute among themselves, each claiming supremacy. The sacred seats, too, were at odds, unable to agree on which was most blessed. Even the various acts of charity contended with one another, each declaring itself the highest path. In that age, even the gods themselves were divided, each holding their own greatness above the rest. And all doctrines, all systems of thought, continued their debates and disagreements, unsettled and unresolved, until the Śiva Purāṇa was finally revealed upon the earth. O twice-born ones, the fruit gained from reciting and hearing the Śiva Purāṇa is so vast that I am unable to describe it fully, O best of sages. Yet, out of compassion, I shall declare a little of its greatness. Fix your minds and listen to what the wise Vyāsa once spoke to me. Whoever recites even a single verse, or half a verse, of the Śiva Purāṇa with devotion is instantly freed from all sins. One who recites this Purāṇa every day, with devotion and without negligence, to the best of their ability, is regarded as liberated while still living in this world. Whoever worships the Śiva Purāṇa daily with devotion surely gains the fruit of performing the great Aśvamedha sacrifice. Even if a person simply listens to this Purāṇa from another, in an ordinary place, I grant them freedom from sin. Whoever bows to the Śiva Purāṇa from afar attains, without doubt, the merit of worshipping all the gods. Now hear the merit of one who writes out this Purāṇa as a book and gives it to the devotees of Śiva: the rare fruit obtained from studying the scriptures and the Vedas, and from their exposition, is gained by him. He who, having fasted on the fourteenth day, explains this Purāṇa in an assembly of Śiva’s devotees is indeed the highest among men. For each syllable recited, one attains the fruit of a full repetition of the Gāyatrī mantra. Enjoying all desires in this world, such a devotee ultimately attains liberation. Listen further to the merit of one who, having fasted on the fourteenth day and kept vigil at night, recites or hears this Purāṇa: the fruit is equal to giving away wealth equal to oneself in all directions, at all holy places like Kurukṣetra and at the time of a solar eclipse. By giving it to Brahmins, especially to Vyāsa and others, one enjoys that fruit truly, without any doubt. Whoever sings this Śiva Purāṇa day and night, the gods led by Indra await his command. For one who recites or hears the Purāṇa daily, every good deed performed is multiplied a crore-fold. Whoever recites the Śrī Rudra Saṃhitā with concentration, even if they have committed the grave sin of killing a Brahmin, is purified in just three days. One who, observing silence, recites this Rudra-saṃhitā three times daily before an image of Bhairava attains all desires, without exception. Reciting the Rudra-saṃhitā while circumambulating a banyan or bilva tree frees one from the sin of killing a Brahmin. There is also the Kailāsa-saṃhitā, which is considered even higher, embodying the very form of Brahman and revealing directly the meaning of the sacred syllable Oṃ. Of its greatness, only Śaṅkara knows it fully; Vyāsa knows half, and I, O twice-born ones, know half of that. I will declare a little of it, for it is not possible to tell all. Even by knowing this much, a person attains purity of mind at once. O twice-born ones, even after searching everywhere, I do not see in the world any sin that this fierce Saṃhitā does not destroy. Joyfully produced by Śiva from the ocean of the Upaniṣads and offered to Kumāra, whoever drinks that nectar truly becomes immortal. One who seeks to atone for grave sins, such as Brahmin-killing, is freed by reciting that Saṃhitā for just a month. The sin arising from accepting improper gifts, eating impure food, or speaking evil is destroyed by even a single recitation of that Saṃhitā. Whoever recites that Saṃhitā in a temple of Śiva or in a grove of bilva trees attains a result beyond words. One who recites it with devotion and feeds Brahmins at a śrāddha ceremony ensures that all his ancestors attain the supreme abode of Śambhu. Whoever, fasting on the fourteenth day, recites that Saṃhitā at the root of a bilva tree is worshipped directly by Śiva together with the gods. There are other Saṃhitās as well, bestowing all desired fruits. Both are to be known as excellent, filled with the play of knowledge. Thus has the Śaiva Purāṇa, equal to the Veda, been declared—first composed by Śiva himself, in accord with Brahman. These are the distinguished Purāṇas: the Vidyeśa, the Tāra-Raudra, the Vaināyaka, the Aumika, the Mātṛ, the Rudra in eleven parts, the Kailāsa, and the Śatarudra; the Koṭirudra, beginning with a thousand Koṭirudras; likewise, the Vāyavīya, known as Dharma. There are twelve Saṃhitās, considered supremely meritorious. I shall declare their number, O Brahmins; listen with full attention. The Vidyeśa contains ten thousand verses; likewise, the Rudra, the Vaināyaka, the Aumika, and the Mātṛ Purāṇa each have eight thousand verses.