Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

धर्मसंज्ञं पुराणं चेत्येवं द्वादश संहिताः विद्येशं दशसाहस्रमुदितं ग्रंथसंख्यया

The Dharma-named Purana—thus, these are the twelve sections; the Vidyeshvara is said to contain ten thousand verses.

रौद्रं वैनायकं चौमं मातृकाख्यं ततः परम् प्रत्येकमष्टसाहस्रं त्रयोदशसहस्रकम्

The Raudra, the Vainayaka, the Auma, and then the one called Matrika—each of these contains eight thousand verses, and the thirteenth has thirteen thousand.

रौद्रकादशकाख्यं यत्कैलासं षट्सहस्रकम् शतरुद्रं त्रिसाहस्रं कोटिरुद्रं ततः परम्

The one called Rudra-Ekadashaka and the Kailasa each have six thousand verses; the Shatarudra has three thousand, and the Kotirudra follows after that.

सहस्रैर्नवभिर्युक्तं सर्वार्थज्ञानसंयुतम् सहस्रकोटिरुद्राख्यमेकादशसहस्रकम्

The Sahasrakoṭirudra, endowed with knowledge of all things, is said to have eleven thousand verses, joined with nine thousand more.

चतुस्सहस्रसंख्येयं वायवीयमनुत्तमम् धर्मसंज्ञं पुराणं यत्तद्द्वादशसहस्रकम्

The excellent Vayaviya consists of four thousand verses; the Dharma-named Purana has twelve thousand verses.

तदेवं लक्षमुद्दिष्टं शैवं शाखाविभेदतः पुराणं वेदसारं तद्भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदम्

Thus, the Shaiva Purana, divided into branches, is said to comprise one hundred thousand verses; it is the essence of the Vedas and grants both enjoyment and liberation.

व्यासेन तत्तु संक्षिप्तं चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् शैवन्तत्र पुराणं वै चतुर्थं सप्तसंहितम्

Vyasa condensed it into twenty-four thousand verses; among these, the Shaiva Purana is the fourth, consisting of seven sections.

विद्येश्वराख्या तत्राद्या द्वितीया रुद्रसंहिता तृतीया शतरुद्राख्या कोटिरुद्रा चतुर्थिका

Of these, the first is called Vidyeshvara, the second is the Rudra Samhita, the third is called Shatarudra, and the fourth is Kotirudra.

पञ्चमी कथिता चोमा षष्ठी कैलाससंहिता सप्तमी वायवीयाख्या सप्तैवं संहिता इह

The fifth is said to be Auma, the sixth is the Kailasa Samhita, and the seventh is called Vayaviya; thus, there are seven sections here.

विद्येश्वरं द्विसाहस्रं रौद्रं पञ्चशतायुतम् त्रिंशत्तथा द्विसाहस्रं सार्धैकशतमीरितम्

The Vidyeshvara contains two thousand verses, the Raudra fifty-five hundred, the third also two thousand and one hundred and thirty.