SHIVA MAHAPURANA

SHIVA MAHAPURANA:
INTRODUCTION
First of all, Sage Shaunak expressed his desire to Suta about knowing the means, which could
help a man in this era of Kali to attainment lord Shiva, by cleansing all the impurities of his mind
and rectifying his inherent demonic tendencies. Suta then described about Shiva Mahapurana -
the supreme of all the Puranas, which was narrated by Lord Shiva himself and which was later
on retold by Sage Vyasa with the permission of Maharshi Sanatkumar, for the benediction of
common man. Suta said, "By understanding the mysteries of ShivmahaPurana and singing its
praises, a man attains greater virtues than that which could be attained by being charitable or by
the performance of all the `yagyas'. Contemplating on the subject matters of Shiva Mahapurana
give auspicious fruits just like a 'Kalpa-taru' (A mythological tree which fulfills all the wishes).
Shiv Mahapurana contains twenty-four thousand shlokas and seven Samhitas which are
Vidyeshwar, Rudra, Shatrudra, Koti Rudra, Uma, Kailash, and Vayviya. Shiva Mahapurana is
the best means for man's liberation.