SHIVA MAHAPURANA : CONTINUED....................2.............................

SHIVA MAHAPURANA :
CONTINUED....................2.............................

PROPER METHOD OF LISTENING TO SHIVA 
PURANA :
Sage Shaunak requested Suta to tell about the proper method of listening to Shiva Purana, so that 
the mankind gets complete benefit. Suta replied-
"First of all, an auspicious moment should be determined by an Astrologer. After that, friends
and relatives should be invited, especially those who have the tendency of being away from such
occasions. The sages and the virtuous people should be invited too. The 'Katha' must be help in
scared places like Shiva temple, any place of pilgrimage or in one's home after doing a Bhumi
Pujan of the land where one intends to held the Katha of Shiva Purana. The canopy should be
well decorated." "After making a resolution and doing worship of Ganapati - the destroyer of all
hurdles and obstacles the Katha should be commenced. The person who is telling the 'Katha'
should be facing north and all the listeners should sit facing east. The person who is telling the
'Katha' should be a scholar and should be capable of clearing all the doubts from the listener's
mind. There should be no kind of distraction during the 'Katha' period. A devotee, who listens to
the Katha leaving behind all of his worldlys worries get complete benefits. A devotee should also
make donations and offerings according to his capacity and capability otherwise he would
become a wretched man. The Mantra 'OM NAMAH SHIVAY' should be chanted through out the
period of Katha.
An uninitiated person does not have the right to listen to the Katha of Shiva Mahapurana. So a
man desirous of listening to Shiva Mahapurana should first get initiated.
A devotee who has taken the vow of listening to the Katha of Shiva Mahapurana, should follow a
celibate life. He should sleep on the floor and should have only fruits in the diet. He can have his
normal dinner only after the completion of the Katha. The diet should be fresh and pure. He
should also try to avoid sinful tendencies like lust, anger, greed, attachment and condemning
other, etc. Making donations of even meager things give undiminishing virtues.
After the methodical completion of the Katha, a devotee should perform UDDYAPAN
(Conclusion of the Katha), which is similar to the CHATURDASHI UDDYAPAN. The devotee
should also charitably make donations to all the brahmins who have helped in the performance of
Katha. On the next day the 'Path' of SHIVA GITA should be performed. If the devotee (listener
of the Katha) is a householders, then he should perform 'Havan' with the ghee prepared from
Cow's milk, for the pacification of the unhindered completion of the Katha. The Havan should be
performed, either with the help of 'Rudra Samhita mantras' or 'Gayatri Mantra' or with the
shlokas of Purana.
.......................................2........................WILL BE CONTINUED