Mahapurana #4 of 18 · tamasic · Shiva
शिव पुराण
Shiva Purana
Śiva Purāṇa
Verses: 24,000 · Best known for: 12 Jyotirlinga mahatmyas
Central theme
The glory of Shiva, the 12 jyotirlingas, the path of bhakti to Shiva, and the Shaiva cosmology
Summary
Seven samhitas (Vidyeshvara, Rudra, Shata-rudra, Koti-rudra, Uma, Kailasa, Vayaviya) systematically present everything from the lingodbhava story to the wedding of Shiva-Parvati to the 12 jyotirlinga legends.
Notable stories + sections
- ●Lingodbhava (origin of the linga)
- ●12 Jyotirlinga legends
- ●Shiva-Parvati wedding (Uma-samhita)
- ●Markandeya overcoming Yama
Why read it
The single most important source for Shaiva theology + practice.