Shiv Puran: Myths and facts

Shiva Purana is greatest book to know about Supreme Lord Shiva. Shiva Purana is book which gives knowledge of divine play of almighty Lord Shiva. Everything in Shiva Purana is amazing, it can read by beginner to advance one who seek to know more about Mahadev. Shiva Purana shows glory of God Shiva. In every chapter we find information about Mahadeva. It is summary of all Vedas And Puranas. One who wants to know about Mahadeva, must read it. I learn some wonderful things from Shiva Purana.

Lord Shiva can only reached by devotion. Lord Shiva says they depends on devotee. Devotees are dear to them and they take care of devotee. In Shiva Purana we find about how to live a perfect life, what quality should a devotee have. Learned about transcendental pastimes of Lord Shiva. Can know about partial incarnations of Lord Shiva. We find how dear Lord Vishnu is to Lord Shiva, and how dear Lord Shiva is to Lord Vishnu. In one adhyaya, Lord Shiva says that Lord Vishnu is in heart of Shiva and Lord Vishnu also says O Siva, you are in my heart.

We knows great Devotees who have dedicated their life to Lord Shiva, how great their devotion, and how should we progress in path of devotion. We find methods to worship Lord Shiva, their individual results, etc. However purpose of worship should not material effects but to get love of God Shiva. We find various mantras recited by devotees. There is so many things to learn which may not complete even I write thousands of years. You can get knowledge which above all cosmos, where our intelligence never reach. Read Shiva Purana with devotion towards Lord Shiva. Put complete faith in Shiva and you can learn things which will dramatically improve your life.

Puranas were written by devotees and sages and purana include divine knowledge as well as personal opinion of the writer, this verse is opinion of writer not the order of god, purans are not like vedas and upnishad which were direct words of God, so there may be personal opinion in purana. Because god shiva always stood for gender equality and equal representation of both gender, you can see ardhanareshwar swaroop. In this swaroop, half of body occupied by god shiva and other half by goddess Parvati, representing that both prakriti and purusha are equal, both gender are equal.

First you need to understand, there was different lifestyle when purans were written. So during that time, male used to do heavy and outer work, while women used to do household works. Now it's obvious, that outer and heavy works require more energy. So it was 'advised' that men should eat first because their body need that food first primarily. Second thing, it was not mandatory. It was just an advice, like most of Hindu religious books give, a person is free to do any work, he or she is responsible for her/his own karma.

In that point of time, to make a cultured society, it was just an advice. According to the advice of Lord Parashuram (teacher of Kalki), Kalki started worshiping to Lord Shiva. After hearing the prayers, Lord Siva appeared before Lord Kalki with Parvati and spoke to him while smiling grandly and presented him horse Garuda and parrot which is a symbol of a learned scholar of all scriptures who is a master of the art of releasing arrows, and thus the conqueror of all. The chapter 3 verse 14–20 in Kalki purana describes how Lord Kalki described Lord Shiva.

Lord Kalki said: О Lord Sankara, you are the oldest of all, the husband of Gauri, the lord of the universe, the only protector of the living entities, and the shelter of everyone. Your neck is decorated with the serpent, Vasuki, you have three eyes and five heads, you are always absorbed in transcendental ecstasy, and you award liberation to your devotees I offer my obeisances unto you. You are the lord of mystic yoga and the destroyer of lusty desires. Your form is fearful to behold, your head is always wet with the water of the Ganges, the matted hair on your head looks most enchanting, your forehead is decorated with a mark of the half moon, and you are the personification of Mahakaal. I offer my obeisances unto you.

Shiv created Brahma, but in the Vishnu Puran, it is written that Brahma created Neellohit who was always crying. Brahma named him Rudra. During the last phases of Daksha Yagna, Shiv appointed his commander Veerabhadra who along with Bhootas and Pramathas destroyed the Ribhus and Devatas. Veerabhadra even defeated Vishnu and badly injured Garuda, who were busy defending Daksha. In Shiv Puran, Lord Shiva takes the form of Sharabha and torments and subdues Narsimha.

You frequent crematoriums in the company of ghosts and hobgoblins, and you carry a trident and other weapons in your Hands at the time of annihilation, the entire creation is burnt to ashes by the blazing fire emanating from your anger. The conditioned souls are born in this world under the influence of false ego,and their bodies are made of the five gross material elements. You are the lord of the mode of ignorance, and thus you are oneof the directors of the material universe Although you are involved in universal affairs, you always remain aloof from material association as you remain absorbed in transcendental ecstasy offer my obeisances unto you.

I worship Lord Siva,the protector of the universe and the Super soul of all living entities. He is always victorious, being a qualitative incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and He delivers saintly persons by protecting the principles of religion. He is the personification of transcendental sound, a reservoir of divine qualities, and the possessor of great intelligence. By your order the wind blows, fire burns, the sun distributes heat and light, and the moon, planets and stars illuminate the sky. I offer my obeisances unto you.

By your order, the earth sustains all moving and non moving entities, Indra showers ram, the time factor divides the duties of everyone, and Mount Sumeru, which is the shelter of the universe, remains fixed at the center I offer my humble obeisances to the universal form of Lord Siva. Reference : Kalki Purana. Purans are sacred authoritative texts of Hinduism. So irrespective of the kind of Purana one is talking about you can certainly keep them at home as they are pure and pious documents of life at large. They may carry some harsh realities of life, but not a bunch of lies.

The Holy Shiva Purana is one such revered classical text which in my opinion should not only be kept at home but read and understood well. It will enhance your understanding of life. If you wish to run away from truth’s of life then you cannot even keep a Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta at home. All these texts deal with all sorts of topics and hence one must be prepared to face the truth which may not necessarily be sweet. The Shiva Purana or any other Purana for that matter should be kept in the Mandir premise and the place should be clean, neat and sanctified.

I reiterate that just do not keep them, read them slowly and steadily, take your own sweet time to digest there sayings. This will evolve you as a person. I earnestly hope that the answer I have given with my limited knowledge and wisdom has been of assistance to you in getting clarity of the subject at hand. Shiva Purana a book written by Saint Veda Vyasa, which shows pure love and devotion of Lord Shiva, a book which changed my point of view in everything it was then when during pandemic I was going through a lot and to overcome it i use to consume a lot of positive contents at that time one of it was Shiva Purana, what I learned from it was if you can control your mind and not let your desire overpower your mind then you can have a bigger joy in your life

As we all know Lord Shiva is the destroyer of the evils and with that what we can learn is to let the evil in our mind get destroyed and be strong enough to stand for injustice happening with us or around us, real happiness is not buying clothes, eating your favourite dish these all are the desires that you fulfill, real happiness is when you realise life is beautiful without all these materialistic things, we should keep changing with time because nothing is permanent not even life, if one will be smart enough and be polite then that is what universe will reflect back, if everything is temporary then the problems going on are temporary too, just one thing we all need to remember is problem in life is to make you strong and your life adventurous. Just believe that you are going to figure out this too like you always do.

Generally Purā?as talk about the deities such as Vi??u, ?hiva, or Devī who the one act as Sagu?a ī?hvara in one Purā?a. Actually those Sagu?a ī?varas are the reflection of same Nirgu?a Brahman. ?hiva Purā?a; Brahma Vaivarta Purā?a; Devī Bhāgavatam and ?ākta Mahābhāgavatam Purā?a are among Purā?a who stated that in every the beginning of creation there is only Nirgu?a Brahman (without attributes). Then Brahman become two, as ādi Puru?a and ādi ?hakti whose names are different in every Kalpa [1 Kalpa = 1 day of Brahmā or 4.32 billion years)

In ?hiva Purā?a (?veta Kalpa), when Nirgu?a Brahman assumed the form of Sadā?hiva and felt the need of a companion, He produced Bhavānī Ambikā or Umā from His left half. So the ādi Puru?ha of ?hiva Purā?a is Sadā?hiva Mahādeva and the ādi ?hakti is Mūlaprak?ti Durgā. We find the anecdote of the birth of Brahmā, Vi?h?u and ?hivarudra after that. In Brahma Vaivarta Purā?a (Rathāntara Kalpa) when Nirgu?a Brahman assumed the form of K???a and felt the need of a companion, He produced Rāse?varī Devī Rādhā from His left half. The ādi Puru?a is Svayam Bhagavān K???a and ādi ?akti is Mūlaprak?ti ?rīmatī Rādhārā?ī. We find the anecdote of the birth of Brahmā, Vi??u and ?ivarudra after that.

In the Devī Bhāgavata Purā?a (Sārasvata Kalpa) when Nirgu?a Brahman assumed the form of Bhuvane?varī Devī and felt the need of a companion, She produced Bhuvane?vara from Her left half. The ādi Puru?a is ?rīman Bhuvane?vara Mahādeva, and ādi ?akti is Parabrahmamayī Mūlaprak?ti ?rīmat Bhuvane?varī. We find the anecdote of the birth of Brahmā, Vi??u and ?ivarudra after that. In ?ākta Mahābhāgavatam Upapurā?a (?vetalohita Kalpa) when Nirgu?a Brahman assumed the form of Paurā?ika Kālī and felt the need of a companion, She produced Sadyojāta Mahākāla from Her left half. The ādi Puru?a is Mahākāla, and ādi ?akti is Mahākālī, then we find the anecdote of the birth of Brahmā, Vi??u and ?ivarudra after that.

If so, are the parents of Trideva really the same Bhagavān but with different names? YES. Here ādi Puru?a is a figurative meaning that actually Supreme Lord who is beyond Prak?ti takes three forms for each Gu?a to carry out the role of creator, preserver, and destroyer by His own power (?akti). Likewise in Vi??u Purā?a, Brahman is Janārdana Vi??u and ?rī is Mahā-Lak?mī, He takes on the roles as Brahmā; Vi??u; and ?a?kara. Now let's go deeper, there are several reasons behind it.

1. The Kalpa-bheda theory: As mentioned in this answer, different Purā?as were revealed during onset of different Kalpas [chapter 53 of the Matsya Purā?a mentions Kalpas of all Purā?as]. The Kalpa-bheda theory influence the stories of a one single Purā?a contradicts the other Purā?as, but in fact all of that harmony. This is confirmed in ?iva Pura?a: Vāyavīya Sa?hitā (1:13:11-21), Vāyu stated:- I shall narrate how Rudra was born and how Brahmā and Vi??u were born from each other. The three are the ātmans as causes born of Mahe?vara; they are the causes of creation, sustenance and annihilation of the universe consisting of the mobile and immobile beings. Endowed with great qualities they are sanctified by the great lord. Presided over by his ?akti they can always perform their activities. Brahmā can create; Vi??u can protect; Rudra can annihilate.

But they rivalled with one another. Desirous of excelling one another they propitiated their father, the supreme lord by means of penance. Attaining all round favour of the lord at the outset in a former Kalpa, Rudra created Brahmā and Vi??u. In another Kalpa, Brahmā created Rudra and Vi??u. In another Kalpa Vi??u created Rudra and Brahmā. Thus in different Kalpas, Brahmā, Vi??u and Rudra desiring mutual benefit are born of one another. Based on the events in their respective Kalpas, their process in being the cause of origin of one another is extolled by the sages.

2. The 18 Mahāpurā?a are divided into 3 Gu?as. The Padma Purā?a: Uttara Kha??a (236:18-21), classifies the Purā?as in accordance with the three Gu?as or three qualities: truth; passion; and ignorance. This is also confirmed in the Matsya Purā?a (53:67-68):- The glory of Hari (Vi??u) is greater in Sāttvika Purā?as; the glory of Brahmā is greater in Rājasika Purā?as; and that of Agni and ?iva greater in Tāmasika Purā?as. In mixed Purā?a, the glory of Sarasvatī and the pitrs is said to be greater.

In general, the Vai??avas use this proposition that only Nārāya?a Vi??u is Brahman, and of course some devotees from ?aiva and Sākta oppose the accuracy of this Uttara Kha??a. On the one hand, the dividing of Purā?as based on 3 Gu?as is indeed controversial, moreover only the Gau?īya Vai??ava use the contents of Uttara Kha??a to support their propaganda against Māyāvāda (Advaita). Purā?as are supplementary explanations of the Vedas intended for different types of men.

All men are not equal. There are men who are conducted by the mode of goodness, others who are under the mode of passion and others who are under the mode of ignorance. The Purā?as are so divided that any class of men can take advantage of them and gradually regain their lost position and get out of the hard struggle for existence. He then said whenever we find that a deva occupies a position apparently more elevated than that of the Supreme Lord (Vi??u-tattva), it is just to draw the devotee's attention to that particular deva. Om Namah Shivay