Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

शिवालये विल्ववने संहितां तां पठेत्तु यः स तत्फलमवाप्नोति यद्वाचो ऽपि न गोचरे

Whoever recites that Saṃhitā in a temple of Śiva or in a grove of bilva trees attains a result that words cannot express.

संहितां तां पठन् भक्त्या यः श्राद्धे भोजयेद्द्विजान् तस्य ये पितरः सर्वे यांति शंभोः परं पदम्

Whoever, with devotion, recites that Saṃhitā and feeds Brahmins at a śrāddha ceremony, all his ancestors attain the supreme abode of Śambhu.

चतुर्दश्यां निराहारो यः पठेत्संहितां च ताम् बिल्वमूले शिवः साक्षात्सदेवैश्च प्रपूज्यते

Whoever, fasting on the fourteenth day, recites that Saṃhitā at the root of a bilva tree is directly worshipped by Śiva together with the gods.

अन्यापि संहिता तत्र सर्वकामफलप्रदा उभे विशिष्टे विज्ञेये लीलाविज्ञानपूरिते

There are also other Saṃhitās, bestowing all desired fruits; both are to be known as excellent, filled with the play of knowledge.

तदिदं शैवमाख्यातं पुराणं वेदसंमितम् निर्मितं तच्छिवेनैव प्रथमं ब्रह्मसंमितम्

Thus has the Śaiva Purāṇa, equal to the Veda, been declared—first composed by Śiva himself, in accord with Brahman.

विद्येशंच तथारौद्रं वैनायकमथौमिकम् मात्रं रुद्रैकादशकं कैलासं शतरुद्रकम्

The Vidyeśa, the Tāra-Raudra, the Vaināyaka, the Aumika, the Mātṛ, the Rudra in eleven parts, the Kailāsa, and the Śatarudra—

कोटिरुद्रसहस्राद्यं कोटिरुद्रं तथैव च वायवीयं धर्मसंज्ञं पुराणमिति भेदतः

The Koṭirudra, beginning with a thousand Koṭirudras, and likewise the Vāyavīya, known as Dharma—these are the Purāṇas by distinction.

संहिता द्वादशमिता महापुण्यतरा मता तासां संख्यां ब्रुवे विप्राः शृणुतादरतोखिलम्

There are twelve Saṃhitās, considered supremely meritorious. I shall declare their number, O Brahmins; listen with full attention.

विद्येशं दशासाहस्रं रुद्रं वैनायकं तथा औमं मातृपुराणाख्यं प्रत्येकाष्टसहस्रकम्

The Vidyeśa contains ten thousand verses; likewise, the Rudra, the Vaināyaka, the Aumika, and the Mātṛ Purāṇa—each has eight thousand verses.

त्रयोदशसहस्रं हि रुद्रैकादशकं द्विजाः षट्सहस्रं च कैलासं शतरुद्रं तदर्धकम्

O twice-born, the collection called the Eleven Rudras is thirteen thousand; Kailāsa is six thousand; Śatarudra is half of that.

कोटिरुद्रं त्रिगुणितमेकादशसहस्रकम् सहस्रकोटिरुद्राख्यमुदितं ग्रंथसंख्यया

Koṭirudra is three times eleven thousand; the one called Sahasrakoṭirudra is stated, by the count of verses, to be a thousand times ten million Rudras.

वायवीयं खाब्धिशतं घर्मं रविसहस्रकम् तदेवं लक्षसंख्याकं शैवसंख्याविभेदतः

Vāyavīya is a hundred times the ocean; Gharma is a thousand times the sun; thus, by the distinctions of Śaiva reckoning, their number reaches a hundred thousand.

व्यासेन तत्तु संक्षिप्तं चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् शैवं तत्र चतुर्थं वै पुराणं सप्तसंहितम्

But Vyāsa condensed it to twenty-four thousand; among these, the Śaiva Purāṇa is the fourth, consisting of seven saṃhitās.

शिवे संकल्पितं पूर्वं पुराणं ग्रन्थसंख्यया शतकोटिप्रमाणं हि पुरा सृष्टौ सुविस्मृतम्

Formerly, the Purāṇa was conceived by Śiva, and by the count of verses, it was originally a hundred times ten million, but was greatly forgotten at the beginning of creation.

व्यस्तेष्टादशधा चैव पुराणे द्वापरादिषु चतुर्लक्षेण संक्षिप्ते कृते द्वैपायनादिभिः

Divided into eighteen, in the Purāṇas during the Dvāpara and other ages, it was condensed to four hundred thousand by Dvaipāyana and others.

प्रोक्तं शिवपुराणं हि चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् श्लोकानां संख्यया सप्तसंहितं ब्रह्मसंमितम्

The Śiva Purāṇa, consisting of twenty-four thousand verses, is declared to have seven saṃhitās, and is esteemed as equal to the Veda.

विद्येश्वराख्या तत्राद्या रौद्री ज्ञेया द्वितीयिका तृतीया शतरुद्राख्या कोटिरुद्रा चतुर्थिका

Of these, the first is called Vidyeśvara, the second is known as Raudrī, the third is Śatarudra, and the fourth is Koṭirudra.

पञ्चमी चैव मौमाख्या षष्ठी कैलाससंज्ञिका सप्तमी वायवीयाख्या सप्तैवं संहितामताः

The fifth is called Uma, the sixth is named Kailāsa, and the seventh is known as Vāyavīya; thus, the seven saṃhitās are recognized.

ससप्तसंहितं दिव्यं पुराणं शिवसंज्ञकम् वरीवर्ति ब्रह्मतुल्यं सर्वोपरि गतिप्रदम्

This divine Purāṇa, called Śiva, with its seven saṃhitās, is most excellent, equal to Brahman, and grants the highest goal above all.

एतच्छिवपुराणं हि सप्तसंहितमादरात् परिपूर्णं पठेद्यस्तु स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते

Whoever, with devotion, recites this Śiva Purāṇa in its seven saṃhitās, complete in every way, is said to be liberated while living.

श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणेतिहासागमशतानि च एतच्छिवपुराणस्य नार्हंत्यल्पां कलामपि

Hundreds of Śruti, Smṛti, Purāṇa, Itihāsa, and Āgama texts are not even a small fraction of this Śiva Purāṇa.

शैवं पुराणममलं शिवकीर्तितं तद्व्यासेन शैवप्रवणेन न संगृहीतम् संक्षेपतः सकलजीवगुणोपकारे तापत्रयघ्नमतुलं शिवदं सतां हि

This pure Śaiva Purāṇa, praised by Śiva, was not compiled in summary by Vyāsa, who was devoted to Śiva; it is unique in benefiting all beings, destroying the threefold suffering, and bestowing auspiciousness upon the virtuous.

विकैतवो धर्म इह प्रगीतो वेदांतविज्ञानमयः प्रधानः अमत्सरांतर्बुधवेद्यवस्तु सत्कॢप्तमत्रैव त्रिवर्गयुक्तम्

Here, the dharma is taught without deceit, consisting mainly of Vedānta knowledge; it is a subject to be known by wise ones free from envy, properly established here, and endowed with the three aims of life.

शैवं पुराणतिलकं खलु सत्पुराणं वेदांतवेदविलसत्परवस्तुगीतम् यो वै पठेच्च शृणुयात्परमादरेण शंभुप्रियः स हि लभेत्परमां गतिं वै

The Śaiva Purāṇa, truly the crest-jewel of Purāṇas, shines with the knowledge of Vedānta and sings of the Supreme Reality; whoever recites or listens to it with supreme devotion becomes dear to Śambhu and attains the highest goal.

इत्याकर्ण्य वचः सौतं प्रोचुस्ते परमर्षयः वेदांतसारसर्वस्वं पुराणं श्रावयाद्भुतम्

Having heard these words, the supreme sages said to Sūta: 'Recite for us the wondrous Purāṇa, the very essence and entirety of Vedānta.'

इति श्रुत्वा मुनीनां स वचनं सुप्रहर्षितः संस्मरञ्छंकरं सूतः प्रोवाच मुनिसत्तमान्

Hearing the words of the sages, Sūta, greatly delighted, remembered Śaṃkara and spoke to the best of sages.

शृण्वंतु ऋषयः सर्वे स्मृत्वा शिवमनामयम् पुराणप्रवणं शैवं पुराणं वेदसारजम्

Let all the sages listen, remembering Śiva, the flawless one—the Śaiva Purāṇa, devoted to the Purāṇic tradition and the essence of the Vedas.

यत्र गीतं त्रिकं प्रीत्या भक्तिज्ञानविरागकम्

Where the threefold song is sung with affection, bringing devotion, knowledge, and detachment.

वेदांतवेद्यं सद्वस्तु विशेषेण प्रवर्णितम्

The true reality, known through Vedanta, is distinctly described.