Shiva scriptures and their relevance in everyday life

 

As one of the major texts in Hinduism, and part of the Shaivism body of literature, Shiva scriptures, compiled into the popularly known Shiva Puranas, are the most revered piece of written work to elevate human consciousness. There is probably no other text that is expressed so beautifully through stories as the Shiva Purana, the harbinger of virtue, wealth, health, love and salvation.

From worship rituals for Shiva, His pilgrimages, to stories of Shiva’s origin, and many other important life guidelines, the Shiva Purana is the best resort for those who seek awareness of the self.  Originally, the Shiva Purana was supposed to comprise 12 sections or Samhitas, but the current version has 7, as 5 are believed to have been lost during the dark age, Kalyuga. The 7 remaining Samhitas contain some of the greatest pearls of Shiva’s wisdom.

1. Vidyeshwar Samhita

This section of the Shiva Purana has details regarding the various ways in which one can worship Him, and the benefits of trying each method.

 

2. Rudra Samhita

The stories of Shiva’s genesis adorn this section, including the origins of Vishnu and Brahma, the famous stories of Sati and Daksha, and battles with demons such as Tarakasur and Tripurasur.

 

3. Shata Rudra Samhita

This section of the Shiva Purana goes into details about the ten incarnations of Shiva.

4. Kotirudra Samhita

This Samhita has the story of origin of the 12 Jyotirlingas – the devotional representation of Shiva.

 

5. Uma Samhita

Salvation forms the crux of this section as it talks about how a soul can free itself from its past sins, and the way to attain Moksha.

 

6. Kailash Samhita

Associated with the ascetic lifestyle of Shiva, this section highlights everything about Yoga, and prescribes the lifestyle of a Sanyasi.

 

7. Vayviya Samhita

This section delves deeper into rituals for worshiping Shiva, and enlists the ways to overcome hurdles while practicing Yoga.

 

The Shiva Purana is also particularly helpful in guiding modern education to a better path. Formal, modern-day education can be hugely suppressive for those whose intelligence is underutilized. Storytelling is one of the most effective ways of learning, forging connections, conveying culture, history, and values, and helping learners work through situations in their own way. The Shiva Puranas do exactly that, narrating stories while imparting values for lifelong assimilation.

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In the context of our modern lives, the Shiva Puranas hold tremendous significance. Despite being more than 2,000 years old, the Shiva Puranas are timeless. With Shiva and His exemplary attributes at its core, they are a source of unprecedented and unfathomable learnings to lead us to peace and prosperity in this life and salvation after it.

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If one reads the Shiva Purana with complete devotion and dedication, they will see the entire gamut of modern physics explained beautifully through stories. Over the years, people dropped the scientific aspect of the scriptures and only took the stories along, when in reality, the Shiva Puranas hold a wealth of scientific knowledge.

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The Shiva Purana is also an important source of knowledge for Yoga practitioners, and like everything else in the scriptures, the practice of Yoga has also been expressed through stories.

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But that is not all. Yoga in the Shiva Purana is also scientific in nature; the science of Yoga in the Shiva Purana forms the basis of human sciences such as anatomy, physiology, and psychology.