Shiva Purana Part-2 | शिव पुराण अध्याय-२

• published: 26 May 2015
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The Shiva Purana (Sanskrit: शिव पुराण, Śiva Purāṇa) or Shiva Mahapurana is the supreme Purana of the Shaivites. The Mahapurana details the creation, preservation and ultimate destruction of the universe and serves as a guide to the worship of the Supreme God Shiva, among other gods and goddesses. According to a tradition which is stated in the Vāyaviya Saṁhitā of this text, the original text was known as the Shaiva Purana. Although it may be weakly and narrowly cited that the Shiva Purana is a tamas purana as per the Padma Purana, Shaivites consider this Puran to be the supreme Sattva text and a guide for true virtuous living. The Vidyesvara Samhita is the authoritative text for Shaivites on the treatise of Rudrakasha and bhasma. As well, the Mahapurana authoritatively explains the creation of the Dus Mahavidyha, Saligram Sila, correct method of puja, yantra worship and the exhaustive treatise on initiation into Shaivism. The Siva Purana tells how the Supreme Being as Siva created the universe and incarnated in various ages to spread righteousness, knowledge, and devotion among humanity. The worship of Siva involves chanting the Aum Namah Sivayah mantra with rudraksa prayer beads, realizing the divine presence in the Siva Linga, and smearing the body with bhasma holy ash. The ultimate goal is for the devotee to merge in Siva consciousness through yoga meditation. The Siva Purana, composed by Veda Vyasa, describes events over 5000 years ago and goes all the way back to the original creation. Modern materialistic man tends to dismiss the Purana stories as child-like tales of Indian mythology. The agnostic rationalist argues that these are mere legends of the past whose fiction is proven by the apparent fact that there are no visible incarnations or manifestations of the Supreme Being in today's modern age. But the stories of the Supreme Being Siva meeting with and blessing humanity do not end when the last chapter of Veda Vyasa's Siva Purana is read. The story of Siva is eternal and continuous with humanity. In the eleventh century, Sekkizhaar following in the footsteps of Veda Vyasa, composed the Periya Puranam. This great Tamil devotional classic tells of 63 Nayanmars or devotees of Lord Siva, who underwent many sacrifices until they attained realization of the adorable form of Siva manifesting directly before their eyes. Even today Lord Siva is appearing concretely and affecting the lives of those souls who are pure in heart. All the stories of the Siva Purana are meant to inspire the spiritual aspirant to follow the path of yoga and attain union with God. The eternal role of Lord Siva is that of the guru who teaches meditation to lead the spiritual aspirant to Self Realization. Siva is God who draws us within. He has three spiritual forms in Indian culture. Siva sits on Mount Kailasa in silent meditation. He is the king of yogis and the original teacher of spiritual science. The message of Siva for the spiritual seeker is to become one with Siva's consciousness by meditating within to experience the Absolute. When the Absolute is realized in meditation, all ties with the world of name and form are broken. Siva is always living in bliss because he knows that it is in the inner silence that God's presence manifests. Siva is always in Samadhi and his realization of the Divine light is represented in India as the Linga. The Linga is the symbol of God beyond human form. The Linga represents the disc of the soul's radiant eternal divinity. In the highest stages of meditation, God transforms himself from the personal blessing deity into the absolute light. When the spiritual seeker follows the path of Siva through yoga mediation, he becomes one with Siva's consciousness and realizes God as light and bliss. Siva's bliss form in Indian culture is represented as the cosmic dancer, the great Nataraja. Siva dances in ecstasy in the bliss of the heart of the realized yogi who has experienced Samadhi. How can Siva have the form of a meditating yogi, a Linga, and a cosmic dancer? That is Siva's mystery which only the yogi who becomes absorbed in meditation can solve and experience. Siva is very compassionate because by his example he is always teaching mankind that the highest joy in life only comes by seeking to find God's presence within. So the mission of Siva in the forms of the meditator, the Linga, and the Nataraja dancer is to draw man's soul within and thus merge in God's light and presence. Hence the goal of the Siva Purana is to awaken man's soul by worship of the Supreme Being as Siva in order to attain union with God through yoga meditation.