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This book by Manoj publications is worded by Dr.Mahendra Mittal and English translation by IGEN B. It is an abridged version.
The most merciful and benevolent god LORD SHIVA created himself. The Purana is first revealed to the creator Lord BRAHMA, Brahma to his son Narad then to sanatkumara and Vedavyasa. Originally it consisted of one hundred thousand couplets or quartets(shlokas) divided into 12 chapters (Samhitas). Ved Vyasa condensed the same into 24000 shlokas and categorized them under 7 chapters namely
1. Vidyeshwara Samhita
2. Rudra Samhita
3. Shata Rudra Samhita
4. Koti Rudra Samhita
5. Uma Samhita
6. Kailasha Samhita
7. Vayuvija Samhita
Veda Vyasa imparted the knowledge to sages SOOTA and SHUKA. Sage SOOTA narrated this to groups of sages headed, by Shaunaka at prayaga. Vyasa learns Shaivism from Santa Kumara.
In VIDYESHWARA SAMHITA the origin of shiva lingam is described. Lingam has very diverse implications and its forms are infinite. The trees and plants are sathawar lingams (BOTANICAL FORMS). There are nature-made oblong rock lingams, ice lingams(Amarnath), or chemical compounds in caves, the burning process creates flame lingers or smoke linga, root vegetable lingams, waterfall lingams, food grain lingams, etc besides the man-crafted or molded ones. Lingams can be made of sand, clay, jaggery, butter, or kneaded flour.
In shiva lingam, the Male and female sex organ shapes are assimilated which symbolizes the birth of the universe. Shiva lingam may be bathed and ointed with Panchamrita (cow milk, curd. Ghee, honey, and sugar)
There are three levels of devotion to shiva namely KRIPA YOGA, TAPA YOGA, AND JAPA YOGA. The highest level is japa yoga.
Lingams are classified as below.
For brahmins Ras lingam(juice, liquid) for Kshatriyas bana lingam(arrow), Swarna lingam for Vaishyas, and Sundar lingam for Shudras. Clay lingams for unwidowed women, crystal lingam for all females and persons of all ages
And miniature lingam(palm Based) for those who’ve refrained from sinful acts. palm lingam can be worshipped, miniature lingam can be worn around the neck like a locket. The legend of the ball (BILWA) greatness of sacred ash(BHASMA), and the glory of Rudraksha are also mentioned in this Samhita.
In RUDRA SAHMITA the following are described,
Narada gained knowledge of the mysticism of shiva, Vishnu-Brahma clashes regarding superiority, enlightenment of Brahma and Vishnu, time frames for TRINITY, guidelines for shiva worship, cosmic creation, a manifestation of Rudra, the holy tale of Sati, grudge of Daksha against shiva. There are many tales in this chapter. The origin of Veera Bhadra and Maha kali, Tharakasura, Karthikeyan, Banasura, Ganapati, Jullandhar, Shanka chooda, Andhakasura, Gayasura, Dhundhubi, and Vidalotpala, etc
In SHATA RUDRA SAMHITA,
Five Kalpa incarnations of shiva are described. first manifestation as SADYOYATA in the 19th Kalpa (aeon) called Shweta lohita(white One). In the 20th Kalpa, it was the Vamadeva incarnation of shiva. in 21st kalpa it was
Tata Purusha incarnation of shiva. in the shiva kalpa incarnation, shiva was black in character(KRISHNA)
In the Vishwa Roopa kalpa, the fifth incarnation of shiva, it was Eeshana.
There are eight images of shiva. They are
1. Sharva
2. Bhava
3. Rudra
4. Ugra
5. Bheema
6. Pashupati
7. Eeshan and
8. Mahadeva.
He has also taken the Ardhnareeshwara form. Prajapati Satya and Sutan will be shiva’s incarnations in Dwapara and Kaliyuga respectively. In the fourth dwapara shiva will incarnate as suhotra. In the fifth dwapara, shiva will manifest as Rishabha. The tale of nandishwara and Bhargava, griha Pati, and yaksha incarnation are also told.
Shiva Dashavatarm ( ten incarnations)
1. Maha Kaal
2. Tara
3. Bhuvaneshwara
4. Shodasha Vidyeshwran
5. Bhairava
6. Chinnnamastaka
7. Dhumra Vana
8. Bagla
9. Matanga
10. Kamal
There are eleven Rudra mudras ( 11 manifestations of Rudra). Other descriptions are the mysterious origin of Durvasa, the Ambarish episode, the tale of the hanuman incarnation, the Taurus incarnation, Mahesh- sharada incarnation, the pippalada incarnation, the veshyanadha incarnation, Dwijeshwara incarnation .yatimedha- Hansa manifestation, Krishna daarshna incarnation, avadhooteswara incarnation, mendicant vary incarnation, kiraat incarnation. A total of 100 incarnations are detailed in the chapter named shata Rudra Samhita.
Koti Rudra Samhita mentions the following.
LIngas, upa lingas, lingams regionwise,atri and Anasuya tale, nandhishwara tale, a tale of rushika, tale of mahabhleswara, glory of bhoo kailasha, mitrasaha tale, betel leaf mysticism, a tale of batukhanath, Somanatha lingam tale, a tale of Maha kaleshwara, omkareshwara, kedareshwara, bhimeshwara, a tale of Muktheswara Kasi, Gautam Ganga, trayambakeshwara, a tale of the Godavari, a tale of vaidyanatheshwara, a tale of Nageshwara. tale of Rameshwara lingam. Gushmeshwara tale, a tale of the mysticism of hunter druha, Sudarshan chakra tale. shiva has produced Sudarshan chakra.
UMA SAMHITA was revealed by Sanat Kumara to sage Vyasa. Krishna was blessed with ten worthy sons by shiva. maa Parvati also gave many boons to Krishna. one of the boons was Krishna will become the favorite of brahmins .uma Samhita describes sins, benefaction, charity birth and death, and the time gap between two manus,( MANVANTARAS) there are 14 manvantaras. each Manu will be a different person and also indra’s Deities also differ in each manavantara.
It also mentions the Shraddha tradition( rites dedicated to the dead ancestors of a person) The mystic of Shraddha is told to Markandeya by Sanat kumara. sage Parasaran and Satya Vati tale.The sage wrote a great book on astrology called parasara Samhita. vyasa is the son of Parasaran and Satyavati.
By the grace of lord shiva, Vyasa wrote 18 Puranas namely, Brahma, Padma, Vishnu, Shiva, Bhagvata, Bhavishya, Narada, markandeya, Agni, Brahma Vaivartha, linga, Varaha, korma, Matsya, garuda, Vamana, brahmanda, etc.
The origin of creation was by the power of eternal shiva, the basic element of manifest and unmanifest. first water came into existence. A divinity got invested in the water by the will of shiva and was called Narayana(waterborne) Then an egg appeared in the water and out of it came Brahma. The egg was split by Brahma into two halves the upper became the celestial world and the lower half the base. The space in between was turned into a sky and fourteen domains by Brahma. he created the earth on water. Then he made elements and seven sage groups. Brahma revealed four Vedas.
Shiva manifesting in his Ardhanareeshwara form revealed to Brahma that self-generating and evolutionary creation was possible only through gender-based male-female pairing. according to the Kashyapa bloodline, the wives of the sage filled up the world with greens, plants, forests, birds, animals, reptiles, insects, and other leaving creatures. The world also came to be known as KASHYAPI.
Manifestations of eternal maa as Mahamaya, yog Maya, Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, Gauri, Durga, and Uma.
Mahamaya manifested herself as yoga Maya and Mahakali to help Vishnu to kill Madhu- kaitabha. Mahalaxmi also called Jagdamba manifested herself to kill Mahishasura .mahalakshmi is the incarnation of Uma.Gauri(Kaushiki) the white one manifested for killing Shumba and nishumba. she is known as Kaushiki for being born out of a cell. ( Kaushika) for killing dhoomralochana, Devi got the epithet of dhoomravati and for slaying Chanda -Munda she gained the adjective name of Chandika. Uma has manifested herself before Indra and other gods as yaksharoopa (female Yaksha) to end their egos .shatakshi Durga manifested to kill the demon durgama mahamaya Uma was called shatakshi for having one hundred eyes and shakambari for providing food and vegetables to the people.
Devi Durga’s alter forms are kali, Thara, Chinnamastaka, Shri Vidya, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Bagala, Matangi, Tripurasundari, and Rauravi. For slaying demons, she is also known as Bhima devi. Uma came to be known as Parvati because she dwelled in mountains(Parvata) she got the name, Brahma Ramba
When she sent black bees( Brahmars)to kill Aruna. Bhavani vrata and Ambika vrat are observed for Devi’s worship.
In Kailasa Samhita, the core shiva element that is called Pranava is explained. Pranava is the seed of all mantras.it is the mother of all mantras and also a prefix to all mantras. Shiva has many names(Saharsa Nama) but eight of them are considered the principal ones. They are Shiva, Maheswara, Rudra, Ritamaha, Samsara, Vaidya, Sarvanga, and Paramatma.
Vaishampayan, Pail, Jaimini, and Sumanth are famed disciples of sage Vyasa. Vamadeva‘ Agastya, Pulastya, and Kratu are disciples of sage Sanat kumara. all of them are ardent devotees of shiva. They propounded the theory of panache mahabootha (Five basic elements)
Vaya vita Samhita is the last leg of shiva puranam. in this chapter, Vayu deva accompanied by his host of 49 kinds of wind powers explain shiva tattawa (elements) to sages at chakra teertha in Naimish Aranya. He asserted that Rudra indeed was the para Brahma. he also explains the mystery of time. Time is nothingness on which destiny writes something which is our fate. He also tells them about the measurement of time and its spans of ages.
One celestial year is equal to 360 earth years. Krita Yuga has 4800 celestial years. Treta Yuga 3600 celestial years, dwapara Yuga 2400 celestial years, and Kali Yuga 1200 celestial years.four yogas make a maha yuga( 12000 celestial years or 43,20000 earth years.) 71 mahayugas become a manvantara. 14 manvantaras make a kalpa. one thousand kalpas are one year of Brahma. A Term Brahma extends to 8000 Brahma years. it is just one day of Vishnu. The entire span of Vishnu is just one day for Rudra. The total life of a Rudra is only a day of maheshwara. one maheshwara ends up into him, and it is one day of shiva. For five-faced Shiva, there is no time scale or time form, or time limit. Life of the cosmos is his day and the night is the doom of the cosmos. really days or nights do not exist for shiva.
Book reviewed by Vathukkat Krishnan Kutty
