Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

शब्दार्थन्यायसंयुक्तै रागमार्थैर्विभूषितम् श्वेतकल्पप्रसंगेन वायुना कथितं पुरा

Adorned with sound reasoning and meaning, enriched by themes of passion, it was formerly narrated by Vāyu in the context of the Śvetakalpa.

विद्यास्थानानि सर्वाणि पुराणानुक्रमं तथा तत्पुराणस्य चोत्पत्तिं ब्रुवतो मे निबोधत

Listen as I recount all the sources of knowledge, the sequence of the Purāṇas, and the origin of this Purāṇa.

अंगानि वेदाश्चत्वारो मीमांसान्यायविस्तरः पुराणं धर्मशास्त्रं च विद्याश्चेताश्चतुर्दश

The four Vedas, their limbs, the expanse of Mīmāṃsā and Nyāya, the Purāṇa, the Dharmaśāstra, and these fourteen branches of knowledge,

आयुर्वेदो धनुर्वेदो गांधर्वश्चेत्यनुक्रमात् अर्थशास्त्रं परं तस्माद्विद्या ह्यष्टादश स्मृताः

Āyurveda, Dhanurveda, Gāndharva, and in order, Arthaśāstra as the highest—thus, eighteen branches of knowledge are recognized.

अष्टादशानां विद्यानामेतासां भिन्नवर्त्मनाम् आदिकर्ता कविस्साक्षाच्छूलपाणिरिति श्रुतिः

Of these eighteen branches of knowledge, each with its own path, the original creator, the poet, is directly Śūlapāṇi, as the scripture declares.

स हि सर्वजगन्नाथः सिसृक्षुरखिलं जगत् ब्रह्माणं विदधे साक्षात्पुत्रमग्रे सनातनम्

He, the Lord of all worlds, desiring to create the entire universe, directly produced Brahma, his eternal son, at the beginning.

तस्मै प्रथमपुत्राय ब्रह्मणे विश्वयोनये विद्याश्चेमा ददौ पूर्वं विश्वसृष्ट्यर्थमीश्वरः

To Brahma, the firstborn and source of all creation, the Lord previously gave these sciences for the purpose of creating the universe.

पालनाय हरिं देवं रक्षाशक्तिं ददौ ततः मध्यमं तनयं विष्णुं पातारं ब्रह्मणो ऽपि हि

Then, for the protection of the world, he gave Hari, the god, the power of preservation; thus, Vishnu, the middle son, became the protector, even of Brahma.

लब्धविद्येन विधिना प्रजासृष्टिं वितन्वता प्रथमं सर्वशास्त्राणां पुराणं ब्रह्मणा स्मृतम्

Having acquired knowledge and performing creation according to the prescribed method, Brahma first remembered the Purana, the foremost of all scriptures.

अनंतरं तु वक्त्रेभ्यो वेदास्तस्य विनिर्गताः प्रवृत्तिस्सर्वशास्त्राणां तन्मुखादभवत्ततः

Immediately thereafter, the Vedas emerged from his mouths, and from his speech arose the activity of all scriptures.

यदास्य विस्तरं शक्ता नाधिगंतुं प्रजा भुवि तदा विद्यासमासार्थं विश्वेश्वरनियोगतः

When the people on earth were unable to grasp its vastness, then, by the command of the Lord of the universe, the essence of knowledge was condensed.

द्वापरांतेषु विश्वात्मा विष्णुर्विश्वंभरः प्रभुः व्यासनाम्ना चरत्यस्मिन्नवतीर्य महीतले

At the end of each Dvapara age, Vishnu, the soul of the universe and the mighty sustainer, descends to earth under the name Vyasa.

एवं व्यस्ताश्च वेदाश्च द्वापरेद्वापरे द्विजाः निर्मितानि पुराणानि अन्यानि च ततः परम्

Thus, O twice-born, the Vedas were divided in every Dvapara age, and the Puranas and other texts were composed thereafter.

स पुनर्द्वापरे चास्मिन्कृष्णद्वैपायनाख्यया अरण्यामिव हव्याशी सत्यवत्यामजायत

Again, in this Dvapara, he was born to Satyavati in the forest, as one who offered oblations, known as Krishna Dvaipayana.

संक्षिप्य स पुनर्वेदांश्चतुर्धा कृतवान्मुनिः व्यस्तवेदतया लोके वेदव्यास इति श्रुतः

That sage, having condensed the Vedas, divided them into four parts; because of this division, he is known in the world as Vedavyasa.

पुराणानाञ्च संक्षिप्तं चतुर्लक्षप्रमाणतः अद्यापि देवलोके तच्छतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्

He also condensed the Puranas to a measure of four hundred thousand verses, though even today, in the realm of the gods, their extent is a hundred crores.

यो विद्याच्चतुरो वेदान् सांगोपणिषदान्द्विजः न चेत्पुराणं संविद्यान्नैव स स्याद्विचक्षणः

A twice-born who knows the four Vedas with their limbs and Upanishads, but does not know the Purana, is not truly wise.

इतिहासपुराणाभ्यां वेदं समुपबृंहयेत् बिभेत्यल्पश्रुताद्वेदो मामयं प्रतरिष्यति

One should supplement the Veda with Itihasa and Purana; the Veda fears that, with little hearing, it will be crossed over by me.

सर्गश्च प्रतिसर्गश्च वंशो मन्वंतराणि च वंशानुचरितं चैव पुराणं पञ्चलक्षणम्

Creation, dissolution, genealogies, ages of Manu, and the histories of lineages—these are the five characteristics of the Purana.

दशधा चाष्टधा चैतत्पुराणमुपदिश्यते बृहत्सूक्ष्मप्रभेदेन मुनिभिस्तत्त्ववित्तमैः

The Purana is taught in ten and eight forms, distinguished as great and concise, by sages who know the truth.

ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च शैवं भागवतं तथा भविष्यं नारदीयं च मार्कंडेयमतः परम्

Brahma, Padma, Vaishnava, Shaiva, Bhagavata, Bhavishya, Naradiya, and Markandeya are the principal ones.

आग्नेयं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं लैंगं वाराहमेव च स्कान्दं च वामनं चैव कौर्म्यं मात्स्यं च गारुडम्

Agneya, Brahmavaivarta, Lainga, Varaha, Skanda, Vamana, Kurma, Matsya, and Garuda are also included.

ब्रह्मांडं चेति पुण्यो ऽयं पुराणानामनुक्रमः तत्र शैवं तुरीयं यच्छार्वं सर्वार्थसाधकम्

Brahmanda is counted as well; this is the sacred sequence of the Puranas. Among them, the Shaiva is the fourth, and it accomplishes all purposes.

ग्रंथो लक्षप्रमाणं तद्व्यस्तं द्वादशसंहितम् निर्मितं तच्छिवेनैव तत्र धर्मः प्रतिष्ठितः

This scripture, consisting of one hundred thousand verses, divided into twelve sections, was composed by Shiva himself; therein, righteousness is established.

तदुक्तेनैव धर्मेण शैवास्त्रैवर्णिका नराः तस्माद्विमुकुतिमन्विच्छञ्च्छिवमेव समाश्रयेत्

By following the righteousness taught therein, people of all three social classes who seek liberation should take refuge in Shiva alone.

तमाश्रित्यैव देवानामपि मुक्तिर्न चान्यथा

Even the gods attain liberation only by taking refuge in him, and not otherwise.

यदिदं शैवमाख्यातं पुराणं वेदसंमितम् तस्य भेदान्समासेन ब्रुवतो मे निबोधत

Now, listen as I briefly describe the divisions of this Shaiva Purana, which has been declared to be in accord with the Vedas.

विद्येश्वरं तथा रौद्रं वैनायकमनुत्तमम् औमं मातृपुराणं च रुद्रैकादशकं तथा

These are: the Vidyeshvara, the Raudra, the excellent Vainayaka, the Auma, the Matri Purana, and likewise the Rudra-Ekadashaka.

कैलासं शतरुद्रं च शतरुद्राख्यमेव च सहस्रकोटिरुद्राख्यं वायवीयं ततःपरम्

The Kailasa, the Shatarudra, also called Shatarudra, the Sahasrakoṭirudra, and then the Vayaviya—these follow thereafter.