|| Om Nama: Shivaya ||

Chapter – 14–Vindhyeshwara Samhitha -2

Shaivam Puranathilakam Khalu Sathpuranam Vedantha Veda Vilasathparavasthu Gitam | Yo Vai Padeth Shrunuyath Paramadharena  Shambhupriya: Sa Hi Labeth Paramam Gathim Vai ||

Sutha Pauranika speaks “ Oh! Shaunak, you have put forward perfect questions before me, it could provide welfare to the three worlds.  I immensely appreciate your queries raised for the welfare of all; I shall prostrate before my preceptor, and shall narrate answers to all your queries.   The Sri Shivamahapuran is the essence of Veda; it removes all the grave sins of the worshiper in the Kali era and provides Moksha.  It is supreme scripture that destroys the Kalikalmasha, and provides Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha to the worshiper.  Oh! Dhvijoththama, the recitation of Sri Shivamahapuran would provide liberation from the cycles of birth to the worshiper; eventually, the worshiper would attain the abode of Lord Shiva.  The recitation of this Puran would remove the grave sins like Bhramahathya, moreover it would remove all the evil effects of Kali era.  Once,  all the Shastras have quarreled with each other, until the initiation of Sri Shivamahapuran, even the illustrious Yogis could not realize the supreme form of Lord Shiva until the initiation of the brilliance of Lord Surya like Sri Shivamahapuran, the emissaries of Lord Yama fearlessly moved around all over the Universe until the initiation of supreme Shivamahapuran, all the sacred places and lands on Earth immersed in controversies until the initiation of Shivamahapuran, all the Vedic chants, sacred shrines, and lands, all the contributions and charities performed on the Earth were thoroughly criticized until the initiation of Srishiva Mahapuran.  All the deities engaged in thorough discussions, all the philosophies and principles raised conflicts, until the initiation of Sri Shivamahapuran on the Earth.  Oh! Brahmanas, I am incompetent to describe the piousness of recitation of Sri Shivamahapuran. Oh! Noble souls, listen to me carefully, I shall narrate the glorious myths of Sri Shivamahapuran which I was learned from my preceptor Maharishi Vedavyasa.  The recitation of one verse or half of the verse would eradicate the sins of the listener or reader.  Whoever listens or reads the Sri Shivamahapuan with intense devotion and faith would be freed from worldly bondage and all the sins.  Whoever adores the text of Sri Shivamahapuran and venerates from all directions would attain the piousness of Ashwamedha Yaga and veneration of all deities respectively.  Whoever write the glorious myths of Sri Shivamahapuran by hand and present to the devotees of Lord Shiva, would attain commendable merits of study of all Shashthras and Veda.  Whoever undertakes fasting on the fourteenth day of the fortnight, and delivers a speech praising the glorious Shivamahapuran would remain a noble one. The recitation of Sri Shivamahapuran is equivalent to sacred hymns of Gayathri Manthra, would provide all the happiness while living on the Earth, and ultimately reach the supreme abode of Lord Shiva.  Whoever observes fast on the fourteenth day of the fortnight, keep awake in the night, and recite this glorious Purana would attain the merit of charities offered of one’s own weight to illustrious Bhramin like Vedavyasa in the Dharmakshethra Kurukshetra on the day of a solar eclipse.  Whoever conducts the recitation of Shivamahapuran day and night, the deities and Lord Indra would anxiously wait to obey their commands.  Whoever performs noble deeds while reciting the Shivamahapuran would attain crores of meritorious reward, whoever recites or listens to Rudrasamhitha with intense devotion and faith would get relived from Bhramahathya in three days.  Whoever recites Rudrasamhitha thrice before Lord Bhairava would get all the desires fulfilled.  Whoever recites Rudrasamhitha sitting under the Banyan tree or Bale tree and circumambulates it, would be relieved from Bhramahathya sin.  Kailasa Samhitha is the supreme Canto represent Bhramam, imparts the knowledge of Pranava/Omkara.  The entire glory of Kailasa Samhitha is aware only to supreme Lord Shiva, half of it I have learned from my preceptor Maharishi Vedavyasa, therefore whatever I shall narrate would not be taken as complete, even though it would purify the mind and intellect of the listeners and readers.  Oh! Mune, the glorious Rudra Samhitha is capable to remove all the sins of the worshiper, I have not found a single sin that could not be removed with the recitation of Rudra Samhitha.  Lord Shiva churned the ocean like Upanishads and extracted the nectar out of it was offered to Lord Karthikeya, eventually, he became immortal.  Everyone should read the Rudra Samhitha at least for a month to remove grave sins like Bhramahathya.  The recitation of Rudra Samhitha would eradicate the sin of money earned in immoral ways or people of immoral character or people who are engaged in immoral deeds.  Whoever reads or recites the Rudra Samhitha in a shrine of Lord Shiva or forest of Banyan or Bale tree, would achieve commendable rewards.  Whoever reads or recites the Rudrasamhitha on the day of ceremonial rites of ancestors is considered as highly auspicious, and serve food to twice-born would bring successful completion of the rite.  Whoever undertakes fast on the fourteenth day of the fortnight,  and recite Rudrasamhitha sitting under the shade of Bale tree would remain Lord Shiva, and all the deities would adore him.  All the cantos are highly propitious; Rudrasamhitha and Kailasa Samhitha are considered supreme, Umasamhitha reveals the knowledge of the sports of Lord Shiva.  Sri Shivamahapuran is the essence of Veda which was initiated from the face of Supreme Lord Shiva.  I shall describe the number of verses in each Samhitha, listen to me carefully.  The  Vindhyeshwara Samhitha has 10,000 verses, Rudra & Vainayaka Samhitha has  10,000 verses, Umasamhitha  16,000 verses, Ekadasha Rudra 13,000 verses, Kailasa Samhitha 6,000 verses, Shatharudra Samhitha 3,000 verses, Kotirudra Samhitha 9,000 verses, Sahasrakoti Samhitha 11,000 verses, Vayaviya Samhitha 10,000 verses, Dharmasamhitha 10,000 verses.  In the beginning, there were one crore of verses in the Sri Shivamahapuran, later it was shortened to 24,000 verses by Maharishi Vedavyasa in seven Samhitas.  At the beginning of the creation of the Universe, it was one hundred crores of verses in Sri Shivamahapuran.  In Dwapara Yuga, Maharishi Veda Vyasa categorized them into eighteen Puranas.  There are seven cantos in Sri Shivamahapuran, such as  Vindhyeshwara Samhitha, Rudra Samhitha, Shatharudra Samhitha, Koti Rudra Samhitha, Uma Samhitha, Kailasa Samhitha and Vayavya Samhitha is considered as supreme Lord Shiva, therefore whoever recites or read this Purana would attain commendable virtues, ultimately attain the abode of supreme Lord Shiva.  Sri Shivamahapuran composed by supreme Lord Shiva is incomparable to Veda, Smrithi, Purana, and scriptures.  Maharishi Vedavyasa who is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva rewrote the Purana for the welfare of the Universe and its living beings, which could remove Thapathraya and shower an abundance of meritorious rewards.  Sri Shivamahapuran describes the righteousness and Vedantha, known as spotless by the intellectuals; it provides Dharma Artha, Kama, and Moksha to the worshiper.  It is considered as supreme scripture, which is the essence of Veda and Vedantha.  Whoever reads or listens to it would become beloved of Lord Shambhu and attain Paramamgathi.”