Shiv Puran

" The Shiva Purana has twenty-four thousand shlokas. These are divided into six samhitas or sections."
The names of the sectiosn are -
1 - Jnana Samhita,
2 - Vidyeshvara Samhit,
3 - Kailasa Samhita,
4 - Sanatkumar Samhita,
5 - Vayaviya Samhita and
6 - Dharma Samhit.

Each samhita is further subdivided into chapters (Adhyaya).

Jnana Samhita has Seventy-Eight Chapters,
Vidyeshvara Samhita Sixteen Chapters,
Kailasa Samhita Twelve Chapters,
Sanathkumar Samhila Fifty-Nine Chapters,
Vayaviya Samhita Thirty Chapters and
Dharma Samhita Sixty-Five Chapters.

The Shiva Purana was recited by Vedavyasa's disciple Romaharshana, alternatively, Loma-harshana.

Romaharshana and The Other Sages

There were many sages who lived in a forest named naimisharanya. One day, these sages accosted Romaharshana and said, Romaharshana, you are blessed.

You have taught us a lot, but we are still not satisfied. You have had the fortune of studying under Vedavyasa and there is nothing that you do not know, past, present or future. Tell us about Shiva, we do not know very much about Shiva.

Romaharshana replied, I will relate to you that which you want to know and i am not going to make anything up. Many years ago, the sage Narada had wanted to find out about Shiva from his father, Brahma. Whatever Brahma had instructed his son. I am going to relate to you.

List of All Chapters

» 1 Story of Brahma

» 2 Story of The Linga

» 3 Human Creation

» 4 Story of Tarakasura

» 5 The Burning of the God of Love

» 6 Parvati Ki Tapasya

» 7 Story of The Marriage

» 8 Story of Kartikeya

» 9 Story of Tipura

» 10 Sita and the Ketaki Flower

» 11 Story of Ganesha

» 12 Ganesha and Kartikeya Quarrel

» 13 Story of Linga

» 14 Story of Nandikeshvara Tirtha

» 15 Story of Atrishvara Tirtha

» 16 Story of Chandra and Somanatha

» 17 Story of Mallikarjuna

» 18 Story of Dushana and Mahakala

» 19 Story of Vindhya and Omkara

» 20 Story of Naranarayana and Kedara

» 21 Story of Bhimashankara

» 22 Story of Vishvanatha and Varanasi

» 23 Story of Goutama and Trymbaka

» 24 Story of Ravana and Vaidyanatha

» 25 Story of Nagesha

» 26 Story of Rama and Rameshvara

» 27 Story of Ghushna and Ghushnesha

» 28 Story of Arjuna and Shiva

» 29 Story of Sudarshana Chakra

» 30 Shiva's Thousand Names

» 31 Story of Shivarati Vrata

» 32 Story of Vedanidhi

» 33 Story of Chandrashekhara

» 34 Story of The Ashes

» 35 Story of Nandi

» 36 Story of Time (yugas)

» 37 Story of Daksha Yajna

» 38 Story of Parvati Becomes Gouri

» 39 Story of Upamanyu

» 40 Story of Andhakasura

» 41 Hiranyanetra and Hiranyakashipu

» 42 Andhaka Again

» 43 Story of Ruru

» 44 Story of False Parvati

» 45 Story of Yama

» 46 Story of Shatanika and Shasranika

» 47 Story of Parashurama

» 48 Story of Hells

» 49 Geography

» 50 Astronomy

» 51 Manvantaras

» 52 Story of Vaivasvata Manu

Rudraksh

For the jap of Shiva Mantra Rudraksh rosary is the best as prescribed by the shastras. It generally has 108 beads and each bead is energised with the Mantras relating to Lord Shiva. This is why this rosary proves to be very effective. All Mantras of Lord Shiva can be chanted with this rosary.

Rudraksh means a special bead produced from the eyes of the Lord. Rudra means Shiva and Aksh means eye. While stringing the beads each bead is energised with Shiva Mantra and then the rosary is washed with pure water chanting the Sadyojaat Mantra which is as follows.

Om Sadyojaatam Prapadyaami Sadyojaatave Namo Namah.

Bhave Bhave Naati Bhave Bhavaswamaam Bhavodbhavaay Namah.

After this sandalwood paste, Agar and fragrance is rubbed on the beads chanting the following Vaamdev Mantra.

Om Vaamdevaay Namo Jyeshtthaay Shreshtthay Namo Rudraay Namah Kar Vilarannaay Namo Val Vikarannaay Namo.

Valaay Namo Bal Prathamaay Namo Sarva Bhoot Damanaay Namo Manomanaay Namah.

Next the following Aghor Mantra is chanted while offering incense.

Om Aghorebhyo Ghorebhyo Ghor Ghor Tarebhaya Savebhya Sarva Sharvebhyo Namaste Astu Rudra Roopebhyo.

After this the rosary is smeared with saffron chanting the following Tatpurush Mantra.

Om Tatpurushaay Vidmahe Mahaadevaay Dheemahi Tannorudraay Prachodayaat.

Next the following Eeshaan Mantra is chanted on each bead.

Om Eeshaanah Sarvavidhaanaam Eeshwar Sarvabhootaanaam Brahmaadipati Brahmaadhi Patim Brahma Shivoham Astho Sadaa Shivom.

Next chant one round of the Mantra-

Om Param Tatvaay Naaraayannaay Gurubhyo Namah.

with the rosary. Next join both palms and chant thus.

Maale Maale Mahaa Maale Sarvashakti Samanvite Chaturvargaa Tvayinyistah Tasmaan Me Siddhidaa Bhav.

With these Mantras the rosary becomes really divine and it helps in raising the fortune of the Sadhak.

Lord Shiva is called Mahaadev, the great Dev,Lord of all deities.Rudraksh should surely be placed in one's place of worship at home.  When a Sadhak places such articles at home and regularly uses them then a time comes when he realises their power. 

Aum NAmah Shivaya

Shiv Chalisa

Jai Ganesh Girija suvan, Mangal mul sujan
Kahit Ayodhya das tum, dev abhay vardan

Jai Girijapati din dayala,
sada karat santan pritpala.
Bhol chahdrama sohat nike,
kanan kundal nag phani ke.
Ang gaur, shir gangabanae,
mundamal tan chhar lagae.
Vastra khal bagambar sohe,
chhavi ko dekh nag muni mohe.
Maina matu ki havai dulari,
bam ang sohat chhavi niyari
Kar men trishul sohat chhavi bhari
karai sada shatrun shahkari
Nandi Ganesh sohain tahan kaise,
sagar madhya kamal hai jaise.
Kartik shyam aur ganarau,
ya chhavi ko kahi jat na kau.
Devani jab hi ai pukara,
tabahin dukh Prabhu ap nivara.
Kiya upadrav Tarak bhari,
devani sab mili turnahin juhari.
Turant shadanan ap pathayo,
lay nimesh mahin mari girayo.
Ap jaladhar asur sanhara,
suyash tumhara vidit sansara.
Tripurasur sang yudh machai,
sabahin kripa kari linh bachai.
Kiya tapahin Bhagirath bhari,
purve pratigya tasu purari.
Davan manan tum sam kou nahin,
sevak ustuti karat sadai.
Ved nam mahima tab gai,
akath anadi bhed nahin pai
Pragateu dadi-manthan te jvala,
jare surasur bahe bihala.
Dindayal tahan kari sahai,
Nilkanth tab nam kahai.
Pujan Ramchandra jab kinha,
jit ke Lanka Vibhishan dinha.
Sahas kamal men ho rahe dhari,
kinha pariksha tabahi purari
Ek kamal prabhu rakhyau gohi,
kamal nayan pujan chahan soi
Kathin bhakti dekhi Prabhu Shankar,
bhaye prasan diye ichhatvar.
Jai Jai Jai Anant avinasi
karat kripa sab ke ghat vasi
Dushat sakal nit mohi satavaen,
bhramat rahe mohi chain na avaen.
Trahi trahi main nath pukarun,
yahi avasari mohi, ani ubaro.
Lai trishul shatruni ko maro,
sankat se mohe ani ubaro.
Mata pita bhrata sab hoi,
sankat men puchhat nahin koi.
Svarmi ek hai as tumhari
ai haranu ab sankat bhari
Dhan nirdhan ko det sadai,
jo koi jancha so phal pahin.
Ustuti kehi vidhi karaun tumhari
shamahu nath ab chuk hamari
Shahkar ho sankat ke nashan,
vighna vinashan mangal karan.
Yogi yati muni dhyan lagavain,
sharad Narad shish nivavain.
Namo, namo jai namo Shivaye,
sur Brahmadik par na paye.
Jo yah path kare man lai,
tapar hot hain Shambhu sahai.
Rinya jo koi ho adhikari,
path kare so pavan-hari
Putra ho na ichchha kari koi,
nishchai Shiv prasad te hoi
Pandit triyodashi ko lavain,
dhyan purvak horn karavain.
Tryodashi vrita kare hamesh,
tan nahin take rahe kalesh.
Dhup dip naived chadhavai,
Shankar sanmukh path sunavai.
Janam Janam ke pap nashavai,
ahtvas Shivpur men pavai.
Kahe Ayodhya as tumhari,
jan sakal dukh harahu hamari.

DOHA

Nitya Nema kari Pratahi
Patha karau Chalis
Tum Meri Man Kamana
Purna Karahu Jagadish

SOLAH SOMWAR VRAT KATHA( in English)

Once Lord Shiva visited the famous city of Amravati. Parvatiji also accompanied him. On their way, they saw a beautiful Shiva temple and decided to spend some time there. One day, Parvatiji found Lord Shiva in a playful mood. She said to him, "Oh my Lord, let us have a dice game". 

Lord Shiva obliged her and the game started. Meanwhile, the priest of the temple had come there. Parvatiji turned towards him and said "Please foretell who will win this game?" The Brahman gave no serious thought to her question and abruptly said, "Lord Shiva will win the game".

Incidentally Devi Parvati won the game. She was angry because the Brahman had told a lie. Lord Shiva tried to pacify her, but she cursed the Brahman that he be a leper. In due course, the Brahman became a leper and spent a miserable life.

After some time a few fairies descended on the earth and pitied the fate of the priest. On asking him, the priest narrated the whole episode. One of the fairies said, "You observe Monday fasts for sixteen weeks without break. On the seventeenth Monday, prepare some holy food or Prasaad with flour mixed with ghee and gur. Distribute this prasaad among the members of your family and take some yourself. You will be free from this leprosy."

The fairies disappeared and the priest followed the instructions. Soon, he regained his normal health.

Once Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati again visited that temple. Parvatiji was surprised to see the priest. He was his normal self. She enquired about this feat and the priest narrated the whole story. 

Parvatiji was happy, she also decided to observe Monday fasts for sixteen weeks. Incidentally, on the seventeenth Monday, when she broke her fast, her beloved son Shri Kartikeya, who was displeased with her, appeared and said," 0 dear mother what is that power with which you have called me? What is the mystery?"

Parvatiji said, 0 my dear son, all this miracle is due to observing Monday fasts for sixteen weeks without interruption. Shri Kartikeya's Brahman friend had been in a foreign land for quite some time. Kartikeya ji said, "I shall observe Monday fasts for sixteen weeks for happy reunion with my friend."

He observed the 16 weeks fasts as per rules and to his great surprise his friend returned hale and hearty.

The friend enquired about the miracle and Kartikeya ji told him the modalities to be observed for Monday fast. The Brahman friend was very curious about his marriage. He decided to observe the Monday fasts for sixteen weeks. On the seventeenth Monday, the Brahman friend went to a city. The ruler of the city decided to marry his daughter to a person on whose neck his well-decorated elephant would put the garland. The Brahman joined the show. Incidentally, the elephant garlanded him. The ruler of the city gave him his daughter and also a lot of money. The couple departed the next day and were back in their home. On the honeymoon night, the bride said, "0 my dear, how is it that the elephant ignored all the princes and garlanded you? How did you succeed on the auspicious moments"? The bridegroom said, "I observed fasts on sixteen Mondays. Monday is Lord Shivas day. It is due to his blessings that I got a beautiful wife like you. My friend Kartikeya revealed this secret to me".

The bride too decided to observe fasts on sixteen Mondays for a beautiful son full of knowledge. Her devotion bore fruit and she gave birth to a beautiful son. As the son grew up, he said to his mother, "0 my dear mother, what is the mystery behind my birth? Please reveal it to me." 

The mother told him how she observed Monday fasts. The son also decided to observe the fasts to gain a kingdom for his parents. Incidentally, an old kings messengers from a nearby State came there in search of a beautiful and learned bridegroom for the princess. They proposed the princess hand for him and he readily agreed. The king expired after sometime and the boy became the king.

The newly-made king continued his fasts for the next sixteen Mondays. On the seventeenth Monday, he arranged a large prayer party at a temple. All the arrangements were made well in advance. The king requested the queen to accompany him to the temple for breaking the fast after taking prasaad from the priest. The queen refused to go with him. The king had to go alone. The king heard an oracle who echoed, 0 king, turn out the queen from the palace or destruction will fall upon you. The king returned to his palace. He summoned a conference of his ministers and told about the oracle. All of them were taken aback, as it was due to that princess that he became the king of the state. They agreed to his proposal only with a heavy heart.

The queen was ultimately turned out. The queen left the palace bare footed and in worn-out clothes. She was thirsty and fatigued. 

She met an old lady who had a load of spinned spindles on her head. She was going to the city. She felt pity on her and asked to help her in selling the yarn because she did not know the art of selling. The queen took that load on her head. Incidentally, strong wind blew away the spindles which disappeared in the dusty wind. The queen felt sorry and the old lady asked her to go away. 

The queen went to an oilmans house and sought shelter. The oilman obliged her, but as she stepped in, all of his oil pots developed cracks and the oil began to flow on the ground. The oilman immediately turned her out.

The queen was now disheartened. She went to the bank of a river to quench her thirst. As she touched the water, the water dried up. She then went to a deep jungle and saw a tank of water. As she went down the stairs and touched the crystal dear water, it became muddy. She cursed her fate and put a few drops of the muddy water in her mouth. She was now tired and wanted to take rest under a shady tree. As she went near the tree its leaves began to fall and soon it became leafless.

The cowherds saw this incident and told the whole story to the priest of a nearby temple. The priest called for the woman. He was surprised to see that the woman had royal features. He consoled her and provided her with all the facilities. 

But after some days, he also got fed up with her because whatever the woman touched became impure — may it be milk, food or water. One day, the priest said," 0 lady, what curse has fallen upon you? You reveal the mystery."

 The woman told him how she rejected a proposal to attend Monday fast prayer. The priest understood the whole thing. He knew it was Mahadev Shiva's curse. He said," 0 dear lady, you observe fasts on sixteen Mondays and Lord Shiva will absolve you of your sins." 

The woman realised her mistake and observed the Monday fasts for sixteen Mondays. On the seventeenth Monday, the king said to himself, "My queen left my palace long ago. Her condition must be very miserable."

 He called for his courtiers and ordered them to search out the queen. The courtiers reached the temple where the queen was residing. The priest refused to hand over the queen to them and said, "Let the king himself come to receive her."

The courtiers went to the king and related the whole story. The king was happy to hear the news. He went to the temple and requested the priest to return his queen to him. The king admitted that he deserted the queen to avoid Lord Shiva's wrath. 

The priest trusted the kings words and the queen returned to the palace. She was given a royal welcome. The king distributed money among the needy and arranged food for the hungry. 

The king and queen now regularly observed fasts on sixteen Mondays each year and lived a very happy life. After their death they found abode in Lord Shiva's city, Shivapuri. 

Since, then it is believed that a person who observes fasts on sixteen Mondays, gets all pleasures and enters Shivapuri after his death.

Aum Namah Shivaya