Narratives from the Śiva Purāṇa

Kārttikeya rides a brāhmaṇa's lost goat around the universe and spares it, and the brāhmaṇa's yajña is completed by grace.

Bhagavān Śiva appears as an endless pillar of fire between Brahmā and Vishṇu, and so begin liṅga pūjā, Arūṇācala and Śivarātri.

Rāvaṇa receives the Prāṇaliṅga from Bhagavān Śiva, but a brāhmaṇa boy sets it down at Gokarṇa, where it stays for ever as Mahābalīśvara.

Bhagavān Śiva destroys the asura Dūshaṇa, stays at Avantī as Mahākāleśvara, and later blesses a cowherd boy's stone-pūjā.

Medhasa tells King Suratha and the vaiśya Samādhi how Mahākālī first appeared when Brahmā prayed for rescue from Madhu and Kaiṭabha.

Pārvatī curses Bhairava to be born as a human, and Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī come to earth as Maheśa and Śāradā to be with him.

The Kumāra Khaṇḍa tells how Bhagavān Śiva became the Mallikārjuna jyotirliṅga on Krauñca Mountain, near his son Kārttikeya.

The Koṭi Rudra Saṃhitā tells how Kumāra left Kailāsa after Gaṇeśa's marriage, and how Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī followed him to Śrīśaila.

The closing narrative of the Vāyavīya Saṃhitā: the ṛshis of Naimishāraṇya end their twelve-year sattra, meet Sanatkumāra and Nandīśvara, and are freed.

The Koṭi Rudra Saṃhitā praises the river Narmadā, born of Bhagavān Śiva's power, and the Nandikeśvara tīrtha on her bank.

The Śata Rudra Saṃhitā tells how Parameśvara Śiva was born as Nandī from Śilāda's yajña, won his boons by tapas, and was made lord of the gaṇas.

Nārada's pride after Kāmadeva fails to disturb his tapas, Bhagavān Vishṇu's māyā city, and Nārada's śāpa that foretells the Rāmāvatāra.

Vindhya did six months of pārthiva liṅga pūjā on the Narmadā, and Bhagavān Śiva appeared as one liṅga that became two.

Vasishṭha tells Himavān of King Anaraṇya, who gave his daughter Padmā to Pippalāda, and of Dharma's test of Padmā.

The apsarā Pañcacūḍā tells Nārada that pleasure only feeds desire, and Nārada teaches her Śiva-bhakti as the way to moksha.

Nandīśvara tells Sanatkumāra of the five avatāras of Bhagavān Śiva in five kalpas, each born from Brahmā's meditation.

Pārvatī did three thousand years of tapas after Nārada taught her the Pañcākshara mantra, and earned the name Aparṇā.

Bhagavān Śiva was born as Pippalāda, son of Dadhīci and Suvarchas, married Padmā, and gave the vara that frees those under sixteen from Śani.

Rāma worships Bhagavān Śiva on the seashore before crossing to Laṅkā, and Śiva stays there as Rāmeśvara.

Rāvaṇa offers nine heads to Bhagavān Śiva on Kailāsa and receives an ātmaliṅga that becomes fixed at Deoghar as Vaidyanātha.

Bhagavān Śiva appears from the blazing liṅga as the sound Oṃ, shows his body as the whole alphabet, and gives Brahmā and Vishṇu the great mantras.

Sanatkumāra gives a śāpa to Menā, Dhanyā and Kalāvatī, and Brahmā shows it will make them mothers of Pārvatī, Sītā and Rādhā.

Sandhyā rises from Brahmā, gives her body to the fire, becomes the three twilights, and is reborn as Arundhatī, wife of Vasishṭha.

Seven brāhmaṇa brothers are reborn as Kirātas, then as cakravāka birds, then as men at Kāmpilya, and all reach moksha.

The Śiva Purāṇa tells how the asura Śaṅkhacūḍa conquered the three worlds, fought Bhagavān Śiva, and how Tulasī's śāpa gave rise to the Śālagrāma stone.

The Śata Rudra Saṃhitā tells how Bhagavān Śiva took the Śarabha form to calm the unending fury of Bhagavān Nṛsiṃha after Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed.

The Pārvatī Khaṇḍa of the Śiva Purāṇa tells the whole wedding of Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī, from the envoys to the departure for Kailāsa.

The Kumāra Khaṇḍa of the Śiva Purāṇa tells how Śiva's tejas passed from Agni to the Saptarshi wives, Himavān and Gaṅgā, and Kārttikeya was born in a reed forest.

Daksha's śāpa makes Candra waste away, and Bhagavān Śiva's grace at Prabhāsa gives the world the first Jyotirliṅga, Somnātha.

Bhagavān Vishṇu offers his own eye as the thousandth lotus to Bhagavān Śiva and receives the Sudarśana Cakra in return.

Ghushmā forgives her sister Sudeha, who killed her son, and Bhagavān Śiva stays at Veruḷā as Ghuśmeśvara, the twelfth Jyotirliṅga.

The captive merchant Supriya worships a liṅga in the rākshasī Dārukā's prison, and Bhagavān Śiva comes out of it as Nāgeśvara.

Bhagavān Śiva takes the form of Indra to test the boy Upamanyu's devotion, then adopts him as his son and grants him great varas.

Kārttikeya leads the devas in war on Tārakāsura and kills him with his śakti, as the Kumāra Khaṇḍa of the Śiva Purāṇa tells it.

How Tulasī's śāpa turned Bhagavān Vishṇu into stone, how the Gaṇḍakī river and the Śālagrāma stones arose, and how Bhagavān Śiva set the rules of worship.

How Umā appeared before the proud devas as Parabrahman, tested Vāyu and Indra, and told them to give up their pride and worship her.

Upamanyu's childhood tapas, Indra's test, Bhagavān Śiva's darśana, and how Upamanyu gave Kṛshṇa the Śaiva teaching and dīkshā that led to the birth of Sāmba.

Bhagavān Śiva came as a devout vaiśya to test Mahānanda, a courtesan of Nandīgrāma, and took her and her whole household to his paramapada.

Vāmadeva prays to Kumārasvāmi on Kumāraśikhara and receives the full teaching of sannyāsa-dharma, Pañcabrahma and Śivādvaita in the Kailāsa Saṃhitā.

The origin of Vaṭuka, the youthful guardian form linked with Bhairava, told in the Koṭi Rudra Saṃhitā in connection with Dadhīci and his son Sudarśana.

Two asuras with a vara against death by any man come to Kailāsa for Pārvatī, and she kills them with her ball at a glance from Bhagavān Śiva.

Sadāśiva creates Parāśakti, Kāśī and Vishṇu; Brahmā is born in a lotus, and the two quarrel until a blazing liṅga appears between them.

The Koti Rudra Saṃhitā tells how Kāśī rests on the trident of Bhagavān Śiva and how he whispers liberation into the ear of all who die there.

Bhagavān Vishṇu breaks the vow of Vṛndā so that Jalandhara can be killed; she gives two śāpas, and the plants Dhātrī, Mallī and Tulasī arise.

Bhagavān Śiva comes to Pātāla as a fierce bull, defeats Bhagavān Vishṇu and his sons, and gives Vishṇu a new Sudarśana cakra.

Parāśara meets Matsyagandha on the Yamunā; Vyāsa is born on the river island, grown at once, and goes off to tapas and the tīrthas, ending at Kāśī.

Bhagavān Śiva appears as a mysterious Yaksha and humbles the proud devas with a single blade of grass.

Bhagavān Śiva comes as a wandering renunciant to a Bhilla couple, then as a swan to unite them as Nala and Damayantī.

Andhaka, born from Pārvatī covering Bhagavān Śiva's eyes, wins boons, wants Pārvatī, fights Śiva at Kailāsa, is held on the triśūla and is freed as a gaṇādhyaksha.

The Śata Rudra Saṃhitā tells how Bhagavān Śiva was born as Aśvatthāmā, son of Droṇa, and how Śiva's Pāśupata and Sudarśana met the Brahmaśiras and Brahmāstra.

During a 54-year drought at Citrakūṭa, Anasūyā brought Gaṅgā into a pit, and Atri's pūjā there made Bhagavān Śiva stay as the liṅga Atrīśvara.

Bhagavān Śiva appears as a naked avadhūta to humble Indra, and the fire from his third eye is cast into the ocean and becomes Jalandhara.

The fire left after Bhagavān Śiva burned Kāmadeva is placed in the ocean by Brahmā, where it burns until pralaya.

After Tāraka's death Kārttikeya slays Bāṇāsura and Pralambāsura for those who ask his protection, and four liṅgas are set up.

The Yuddha Khaṇḍa tells of Ushā and Aniruddha, the war between Kṛshṇa and Śiva at Śoṇitapura, and Bāṇāsura's rise to gaṇādhyaksha.

Bhairava is born from Śiva's anger at Brahmā's pride, cuts off Brahmā's fifth head, and is freed from Brahmahatyā at Kāśī.

Bhagavān Śiva comes as a mendicant to a brāhmaṇī who finds a royal infant, explains the karma behind each life, and restores the boy Dharmagupta.

Bhagavān Śiva comes out of an earthen liṅga in a prison and destroys the asura Bhīmāsura, and the place becomes the Bhīmeśvara Jyotirliṅga.

At the wedding of Śiva and Pārvatī, Brahmā is moved by desire, the devas pray, Śiva forgives him, and the Vālakhilya ṛshis are born.

How Brahmā resumes creation after the Liṅgodbhava, Ardhanārīśvara appears, Manu and Śatarūpā are born, and the Trimūrti and their Śaktis are explained.

Brahmā and Vishṇu quarrel over who is supreme, a pillar of light appears, and Oṃkāra comes out of it and becomes the four Vedas.

Bhagavān Śiva tests Pārvatī, first through the Saptarshis and then as an old brahmachārī, and she defends him with full understanding.

Seven cakravāka birds, who had been seven Kirātas, live in yoga, are reborn in Kāmpilya, and all seven reach moksha.

Satī gives up her body at her father Daksha's yajña, Vīrabhadra destroys it, and Bhagavān Śiva restores all, as told in the Śiva Purāṇa.

The asura Dundubhinirhāda hunts brāhmaṇas in Kāśī in tiger form, and Bhagavān Śiva kills him on Śivarātri and becomes the Vyāghreśvara Liṅga.

Durgama takes the Vedas and a hundred-year famine follows. Umā appears as Śatākshī, feeds the world with her tears, kills Durgama and wins three names.

Bhagavān Śiva is born as Durvāsa, son of Atri and Anasūyā, and tests Ambarīsha, Rāma, Kṛshṇa and Draupadī, as told in the Śata Rudra Saṃhitā.

The twelve Jyotirliṅga avatāras of Bhagavān Śiva, from Somanātha to Ghuśmeśvara, as told in the last chapter of the Śata Rudra Saṃhitā.

Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī come as a brāhmaṇa couple to test King Bhadrāyu, then reveal themselves and grant varas.

Bhagavān Śiva slays the asura Gajāsura at Kāśī and, at Gajāsura's own request, wears his elephant skin for ever.

After Gaṇeśa's head is cut off, Pārvatī's wrath threatens the worlds, and he is brought back to life with an elephant's head.

Pārvatī makes Gaṇeśa from the paste of her own body to guard her door, and he stands against Bhagavān Śiva himself.

Kārttikeya and Gaṇeśa race to go round the earth; Gaṇeśa walks around his parents and wins.

Gaṇeśa marries Siddhi and Buddhi, two sons are born, and Kārttikeya goes to Krauñca Mountain in vairāgya.

How the ṛshi Gautama brought the Godāvarī down at Brahmagiri and Bhagavān Śiva became Tryambakeśvara there.

Bhagavān Śiva is born as Gṛhapati, son of Viśvānara and Śucishmatī, and becomes Agni, lord of the fire-loka.

Guṇanidhi, a fallen brahmin, lights a lamp in Śiva's temple on Śivarātri, is freed from Yama's messengers, and is born next as Dama and then Kubera.

The hunter Gurudruha unknowingly keeps all four watches of Śivarātri, receives Śiva's grace, and is shown to be Guhā, who would welcome Rāma.

Bhagavān Śiva is born as Hanumān, son of Añjanī, to serve Rāma, and does great deeds from the sun to Laṅkā and Pātāla.

The war of the asura Jalandhara, born from Bhagavān Śiva's anger, who conquered the three worlds and was finally slain by Śiva's Sudarśana Cakra.

Three disguises of Bhagavān Śiva in the Śata Rudra Saṃhitā, used to test Pārvatī and to win Himavān and Menā for her marriage.

How Kāmadeva was burned to ash by the third eye of Bhagavān Śiva, and how Ratī was comforted, as the Pārvatī Khaṇḍa tells it.

At the wedding feast of Śiva and Pārvatī, Ratī pleads and Bhagavān Śiva brings Kāmadeva back to life from his ashes.

How Nara and Nārāyaṇa worshipped Bhagavān Śiva at Badarikāśrama and asked him to stay at Kedāra, and the Pāṇḍava account of the Pañca Kedāra.

Bhagavān Śiva comes as a Kirāta hunter to test Arjuna, fights him, and then gives him the Pāśupatāstra.

Bhagavān Śiva appears as a dark-eyed man to test Nābhāga, son of Śrāddhadeva Manu, and gives him Brahmajñāna.

King Kshuva and the ṛshi Dadhīci quarrel over whether brāhmaṇas or kshatriyas are higher, and Dadhīci defeats Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Kubera does tapas at Kāśī, receives Bhagavān Śiva's varas, and Bhagavān Śiva then comes with his gaṇas to live at Kailāsa.

Kārttikeya returns to Kailāsa and is installed as Senāpati, commander of the divine armies, with gifts from each deva.