Shiva Purana

The Shiv Purana is an ancient scripture of the Hindus which depicts the life of Lord Shiva and everyone associated with him through stories and fables. Shiva is said to be the oldest of the Gods. He has been present before the creation of time. His advancement through time is recorded in the Shiv Purana. It is a sacred text amongst the followers of Shiva and all Hindus alike.

This text comprises twenty-four thousand shlokas. Consisting of six sections namely the jnana Samhita, vidyeshvarasamhit, Kailasa Samhita, sanatkumarsamhita, vayaviyasamhita, and dharma Samhita. Now each of these Samhitas has certain chapters. Jnana Samhita comprises of seventy-eight chapters, vidyeshvarasamhita has sixteen, Kailasa Samhita has twelve, sanathkumarsamhila has fifty-nine, vayaviyasamhita has thirty and dharma Samhita has sixty-five.

Basic Outline Of The Shiv Purana

It is a holy text that is believed to date back to the 10th Century BC. However, no original proof exists to mark the exact date of these manuscripts. Hinduism is one of the most advanced thinking religions of the world. In reality, Hinduism is not even a religion, it is basically a community. So, the Hindu scriptures have a lot more in them than they appear to be. At a casual glance, the Shiv Purana might appear to be some abstract stories that make no sense in the modern world. But in truth, these stories have hidden messages that are of supreme spiritual and scientific enlightenment.

For generations, while passing down the stories, the science behind the tales was lost. So today it has come to be just fragments of fables. The story starts from the dawn of creation. When there was nothing. Nothing except Brahma and Vishnu. And their squabble as to who holds more power. During their fight, they witnessed a beam of light. They decided to change their forms, and each would advance to two different ends to find the end point of the light. After years of perseverance, they failed to do so. Finally, the beam transformed into Lord Shiva and then it was decided that it was Shiva who had held the greatest power of all. This is how Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva came into being the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer.

Scriptures About Shiva Purana

This was just the starting. There are series of tales in the scriptures. They give essential life lessons. From complex politics to downright virtue these are a great guide to life. Some stories depict each mistake made and how a solution was sought to rectify the mistakes. These tales teach us that no matter what the circumstances, there is always a way out, always a loophole present, we just need to find one.

The most famous example would be how Mahisasura was granted the boom that no man could kill him. When we unleashed hell on earth, no man could stop him. Still, there was a loophole to this boom too. Mahisasura, feeling invincible forgot that he could still be defeated. And he was, by no other than Maa Durga. She was created combining all the powers of mothers, and since then became a symbol of strength. This appears to be a good tale but has many hidden messages in it. First, every clause comes with terms and conditions, people must be very careful with them. And second, no strength in this world is greater than a mother's strength. Even the mightiest are defeated when challenged with it.

Like this, the scriptures consist of stories with huge significances that are lost amidst passing on through generations. So, like any other Hindu scripture, the Shiv Purana enlightens the readers about the correct path to choose from and also the consequences of their actions. They help the readers to deal with crisis situation and aids in looking out for a solution no matter what the situation is. It is believed books are the most powerful weapon in the world. Knowledge is powerful, and the knowledge of life can aid anyone in any circumstances whatsoever.

So, reading the Shiv Purana can be really beneficial, if read thoroughly and comprehending each and every meaning from the text. Not reading it feeling it is a duty to do so during any ritual but reading it out of your own curiosity to unlock certain mysteries of life. Shiv Puranas hence hold a special position amongst the Hindu scriptures.