Photo Credit: Satya Sarada Kandula: All Rights Reserved
The first of the 7 available Samhitas of the Siva Puranam is the Vidyesvara Samhita. It begins with prayer to Ganesa and Siva.
Vyasa narrates how his student Suta, is welcomed by Saunaka and other rshis. They press him to tell them another story, which teaches of good and bad and which wards off the *evil effects of Kaliyuga.
They ask him to tell such a story, that would help purify the world and its people and help everyone attain Moksham (Liberation.)
*The list of problems listed at the end of the Dvapara Yuga and today are quite different. Today, we are worried about pollution, global warming, energy crunch, water shortage, food prices, world hunger, population explosion etc.
But some of the things listed as evil effects of Kaliyuga, at that time, look like welcome changes to us now. For example Varna-Sankaram – the mixing up of Varnas, was considered a terrible evil to be avoided at the end of Dvapara Yuga. But, today, 5000 years into Kaliyuga, educated people believe that it is a good thing for all humans to blend together as one race. Inter-caste marriages have been happening since the times of Ruru-Pramadvara and earlier. Today we are happy about the legal equality that we have achieved for all men and women though we have still a lot to achieve in terms of economic and social equality. In fact we look back and criticise polygamy and sati sahagamanam.
Similarly, the loss of family values is presented as a problem unique to Kaliyuga and yet we know that the Adityas and Daityas fought all the time in the Kruta Yuga, the Pandavas and Kauravas caused and fought the Bharata War towards the end of the Dwapara Yuga. Both Vyasa and Karna were born love-children, out-of-wedlock. And one was a great maharishi and another a great warrior and king. It was not just Draupadi who suffered at the hands of Duryodhana the plight of millions of dasis in Hastinapura and Indraprastha was not good at all.
The otherwise great king Kartavirya Arjuna was guilty of killing the brahman, Jamadagni, father of Parasurama and Viswamitra is said to have indirectly caused the death of Vasishta’s sons. (Kruta/Treta Yuga). So the brahmins had to fight for themselves even then as today.
Authorship and Copyright Notice: All Rights Reserved : Satya Sarada Kandula
Siva Purana Mahatmya from Skanda Puranam
Siva Mahapuranam Vidyeswara Samhitam First Adhyayam.
Siva Mahapuranam Vidyeswara Samhitam 2nd Adhyayam.
Siva Mahapuranam Vidyeswara Samhitam 3rd Adhyayam: To attain Sivapadam, listen to the Siva Puranam, repeat it, think about it and understand it with devotion.
Siva Puranam, Vidyesvara Samhita – 4th Adhyayam – Sravana, Kirthana, Manana
Siva Puranam, Vidyesvara Samhita – 5th Adhyayam - Siva Linga Archana
Siva Puranam, Vidyesvara Samhita – 6th Adhyayam - Brahma and Vishnu Clash.
Siva Mahapuranam Vidyesvara Samhitam 7th Adhyayam : Siva Intervenes
