SIVA PURANAM - D.S.R. Anjaneyulu

Tirumala Tirupati DevasthanamsTirupati

T.T.D. Religious Publications Series No. 997Price :

Published by Sri L.V. Subrahmanyam, I.A.S., Executive Officer,T.T.Devasthanams, Tirupati and Printed at T.T.D. Press, Tirupati.

SIVA PURANAM

D.S.R. Anjaneyulu

Published byExecutive Officer

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Tirupati.2013

SIVA PURANAM

byD.S.R. ANJANEYULU

T.T.D. Religious Publications Series No.997

All Rights Reserved

First Edition: 2013

Copies:

Published byL.V. SUBRAHMANYAM, I.A.S.Executive OfficerTirumala Tirupati DevasthanamsTirupati

D.T.P.Office of the Editor-in-ChiefT.T.D., Tirupati

Printed atTirumala Tirupati Devasthanams PressTirupati - 517 507

FOREWORD

In Hindu faith there is godly Trinity, Brahma-Vishnu-Maheswara. They have universal duties as Srishti, Sthiti and Laya,that is, Creation, Protection and Obsorption respectively. Maheswarais Siva and also known as Sankara, Gowri Sankara and by manyother names.

The onus of Siva is destruction which might seem to beunpleasant but very significant in Nature, Biology and Science. Unlessthe old is ended new can not arise. So life and death commonly gotogether and that is the law of life.

Ancient scriptures such as Puranas are the sole resort for self-absorption, and dedication. And the whole grip of devotion isengraved in trusted faith. Reading of Puranas inculcates such solidand undisturbed faith in self and in the Supreme.

The Hindu structure of religion is founded on the ground ofPuranas in particular. The Puranas are widely spread as documentsof different Hindu religious sects.

Siva puranam is an Indian Epic of Lord Siva narrating numberof devine tales of mystic nature. The Saivite stories are veryinteresting, innovative, idealistic, devotional and guidelines to humanbeings. Above all they indicate triumph of the right over the wicked.

This book is brought out for the benefit of the wide spreadEnglish readers. The author Sri D.S.R. Anjaneyulu has renderedthese stories in lucid, readable and versatile language.

As an aroma of Hindu religious fervour, T.T.D. has taken upthis work with the spirit of greatly said Hari Hara mantra as,

In the Service of the Lord

L.V. Subrahmanyam, I.A.S.Executive Officer,

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams

Sivaya Vishnurupaya Sivarupaya Vishnave.

I hope that this great book will go a long way to infuse blendof spiritual harmony among all devotees.

Tirupati

10-2-2013

AUTHORS FOREWORD

There flourishes the Ekasila town, in the Siddhavatam Taluk inthe Cuddapah district. The golden vessels entrenched on the towersof the temple of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, in that pilgrim centre,otherwise known as Onti Mitta, beckoned to me.

Taking the sacred dip in the Rama Tirtha lake, I paid myreverential respects to the shining idols of Rama, Sita andLakshmana, in the sanctum sanctorum built by king Vasumanta.

As I offered my worship and received the sacrament from thepriest, I felt the mystic presence of Lord Rama commanding me towrite the Siva Puranamu. There and then I decided to composethis work and offer it to Lord Rama.

Of the eighteen Puranas, the Sivapuranam, revels in matchlessrevelation of the non-sectarian nature of the omniscient, omnipotentand omnipresent state of Lord Siva.

Although I consulted the Sanskrit original text containing 24000slokas and eleven chapters, I adapted it independently the mostintelligible method of narration. Besides the original work, the SivaPuranamu of the late Sri Naga Virayya Sastri helped me a greatdeal.

I tried my best to make the narration readable.

The first Part includes the wedding of Parvati and of Valli; thesecond, the glory of Visvesvara and the tales of various devoteesof Lord Siva.

In offering this humble work to the reading public I hope topromote not only the worship of Lord Siva but also the innateconsciousness of godhead in all human beings. In the fatherhood ofGod is the best promotion of brotherhood of man.

D.S.R. ANJANEYULU

Dedication

This work is dedicated

to

LORD KODANDA RAMASWAMI

who is the central deity, on either side of whom stand his spouseSita Devi and his brother Lakshmana, in the temple at OntiMitta;in whose service Hanuman and other monkey heroes felt their livessanctified; to whom Lord Siva offered his worship as Onti MittaRamalinga; seeking whose constant darshan Hanuman resides thereas Sanjivaraya; praying to whom, the sage Sringi was released fromthe sin of imprecating king Parikshit; whose resplendent image hasbeen all through the ages worshipped by the deities, Balarama andKrishna, the sages and saints like Ramanujacharya, KrishnaChaitanya and the poets like Potana and Ayyalaraju Ramabhadra;and who is celebrated in legend and song as the symbol of supremegodhead as well as of the immanent and transcendent spirit of thesacred symbol, AUM.

Karamchedu23-6-1983 D.S.R.ANJANEYULU

SIVA PURANAM(EPIC OF LORD SIVA)

Prayer to Lord Siva(in the form of acronym)

Nagendra-haraya Trilochanaya Bhasmanga-ragaya,Mahesvaraya,

Nityaya Suddhaya Digambaraya tasmai Na-Karaya,NAMAH SIVAYA.

Mandakini-salila-chandana-charchitayaNandisvara-pramatha-natha Mahesvaraya,Mandara-mukhya-bahu-pushpa-supujitayaTasmai Ma-Karaya NAMAH SIVAYA.Sivaya Gauri-vadanabja-brindaSuryaya-Daksha-adhvara-nasakayaSri Nila-Kanthaya,VrishadhwajayaTasmai Si-Karaya NAMAH SIVAYA.Vasistha-Kumbhodbhava-Gautama-adiMunindra Devarchita SekharayaChandra-Arka-Vaisvanara-lochanayaTasmai Va-karaya NAMAH SIVAYAYaksha-svarupaya jata-dharayaPinaka-hastaya Sanatanaya,Divyaya Devaya DigambarayaTasmai Ya-Karaya NAMAH SIVAYA.

Prayer to Lord VishnuSuklaambaradharamVishnum Sasivarnam Chaturbhujam,prasanna-vadanam dhyayet sarva-vighna-upasantaye,

Prayer to VighneswaraVakra-tunda-maha-kaaya, surya-koti-sama-prabha,Avighnam kuru me Deva, Sarva-karyeshu sarvada.

Siva Puranam Siva Puranam

PART - IHIMALAYAS

There!

Over there are the heaven-caressing towers of the mighty,majestic Himalayas! Their very sight brings about a blissfultransformation in the minds of even the sinfully fallen men and women.

From the heights of those Himalayan peaks, flows the holyriver Gomati, with a gently cadenced pace, along the hills and dales.The rays of the early morning sun are being sparklingly reflected bythose clear, white waters.

The trees and plants all around, shining with their fruity, floweryfertility, seem to bend their heads in deep reverence for the Sun-God.

Indeed, all forms of living creatures appear to be praying atthe dawn of a fresh day to the supreme, manifest presence of theunmanifest, Absolute that is the sun- the picture of pure of effulgence,the fire of pure virtue, the witness of all worldly activity, the dispellerof darkness- in these words (composed by the First Poet, Valmiki):

Taptachamikarabhaya vahnaye Visvakarmane, Namah tamo bhinighnaya ruchaye loka-sakshine.

NAIMISA FORESTNow, finishing the ablution in the sacred Gomati river, and

offering their daily prayers and oblations, the sages and seers arereturning to the hermitage in order to perform their sacrificial rites.All over the hallowed ground the ear-delighting echoes of thechanting of the Vedic hymns are being felt inspiringly. The fumesemanating from the sacrificial fire-place are rising up into the skiesand are purifying the entire atmosphere in the surroundings.

SAGE SUTAThe disciple of Sage Vyasa, Suta, is presently coming down

from the heavenly region to witness the holy sacrifice beingcollectively performed by the Sages. As they looked up they sawthe all-knowing, smiling, merciful reciter of the epics fully bedeckedwith the holy ashes and the rosary coming up to them, with thisprayer on his lips:

Rajatachalendra-sanu-vasine NAMAH SIVAYA!Rajamana nitya manda-hasine NAMAH SIVAYA!Rajakoraka-vatamsa-bhasine NAMAH SIVAYA!Rajaraja-mitrata-prakaasine NAMAH SIVAYA!

(Obeisance to Lord Shiva He who is the denizen of thesilver mount Kailasa; He who ever smiles gently and radiantly; Hewhose tresses are adorned with the crescent moon; He whose spiritualradiance is further brightened by His friendship with Kubera the Lordof the material Wealth!).

The sages bowed to the great raconteur as he touched theground, and bade him welcome. Offering him a seat worthy of him,they spoke to him thus: O knower of the past, present and furture!Your arrival is a source of supreme gratification to all of us. We arequite aware of your duty of regaling us with the nobly moralisingand traditionally evocative stories, during the performance of oursacrificial rites. Now, O sublime story-teller, please tell us the stories,by hearing which, our hearts, minds and souls will be enriched andennobled, and after learning which, there is nothing left to be learnt.

Pleased by their welcome and their request, sage suta said: Iam honoured by your gracious words. I am gratefully conscious ofthe elderly esteem you have bestowed on me, though I am yourjunior in years. By joining you and taking part in your sacred Yajna,I feel that my life is wholly Sanctified. The story of Lord Siva is themost edifying one I can think of. Each and every one who hears thisstory gains salvation.

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Siva Puranam Siva Puranam

SAGE MARKANDEYAThe first person who wanted to listen to the story of Lord Siva

was Markandeya. He went up to the Satya Loka (The World ofTruth). There he saw the Lord Creator, Brahma, being entertainedby his consort, Sarasvati Devi, on the Vina (lute). The sage thenprayed to that goddess of speech and learning:

Lalaamaanka-phaalaam lasadgaana-lolaamSva-bhaktaika-paalaam yasah-sri-kapolaam,Kare tu aksha-maalaam kanat-pratna-lolaamBhaje Saaradaabaam ajasram madambaam.

(Ever do I pray to goddess Sarasvati, my divine Mother;whose forehead is bedecked with the crimson sacred dot; who isaddicted to good music; who is dedicated to protecting herdevotees; whose cheeks dazzle with the brightness of her glory; andwhose hands are adorned with the constantly revolving golden rosary).

Reciting this sloka (composed by Adi Sankara), he besoughtthe goddess to enlighten him on the story of Lord Siva.

Upon which, the goddess said: Learned sage, your requestis proper, no doubt, but it is not within my power to depict themighty doings of Lord Siva. You have to go to Vaikuntha andapproach Lord Vishnu for that noble purpose.

Accordingly, Markandeya reached Vaikuntha, and worshippedLord Vishnu thus:

Saantaakaaram bhujaga-sayanam padmanaabhamsuresam

Visvaakaaram gagana-sadrisam megha-varnam subha-angam,

Lakshmee-kaantam kamala-nayanam, yogi-hrid-dhyaana-gamyam

Vande Vishnum bhava-bhaya-haram sarva-lokaika-naatham||

(I pray to Vishnu- the quintessence of peacefulness; the Lordwhose bed is the divine serpent and who has the Lotus in the navel;The King of gods, the Form of the universe, the sky-like Immanence;the Cloud-hued, the Auspicious-limbed, the Lotus-eyed One; theconsort of goddess Lakshmi; the ultimate goal of Yogic communion;the destroyer of earthly fear and the Monarch of all the worlds).

Requested to be informed about Lord Siva, Lord Vishnusmilingly answered; Good sage, you seem to be rather innocuous.Only Lord Siva can inform anyone fully about Him-self. Please goto the silver mount Kailaasa to get your honest wish fulfilled.

MOUNT KAILASApproaching the silver mountain, Markandeya feasted his eyes

on its resplendent beauty and felt the sweet perfumes which theflower-and-fruit-filled trees on it were spreading about. There hesaw the blessed Lord, seated on a moonstone altar, and enjoyingthe company of his consort, parvati.

Enraptured by the divine presence, the sage sought the Lordsgrace and refuge thus:

Dugdhaih madhva-aajya-yuktaih dadhi-guda-sahitaihsnaapitam na eva lingam

No liptam chandana-aadyaih kanaka-virachitaih poojitam na prasunaih|

Dhupaih karpura-deepaih vividha-rasa-yutaih na eva bakshya-upahaaraih

Kshantavyah me aparaadhah Siva! Siva! Bhoh, Sree Mahaa-deva! Sambho!||

(O Lord Siva, forgive me for my remissness in not praying to youby anointing your symbolic Linga with the five kinds of nectar; bysmearing it with sandalwood paste; by worshipping it with goldenflowers; by offering it the incense of comphor; or by consecrating itwith various tasteful oblations!).

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Siva Puranam Siva Puranam

Both Lord Siva and goddess Parvati were pleased with thesincere contrition of the sage, and asked him to let his wish be knownto them. Then the sage said he wanted to hear the story of Sivafrom the Lord himself. The divine couple reacted with a smile asthough they found the request just enough, but thought that it wouldnot be proper for the Lord to narrate His own tale. Consequently,they suggested that Nandisvara was the right person to oblige thesage. Hearing the suggestion, the divine Bull, Nandi, shed tears ofjoyful gratification. He realised that by giving him this opportunity,the Lord was expressing His implicit faith in His mount.

NANDISVARAMarkandeya, receiving the blessings of the divine couple,

proceeded towards the Nandi: Dear Nandi, for long years youhave been the trusted mount and servant of the blessed first couple,Siva and Parvati. You know all about them, and now they havegiven you the permission to narrate their history to me. I am allattention to hear you.

So saying, Markandeya was mentally recollecting the story ofthat sacred Bull. This Nandi is the God-given son of the greatanchorite Silada who found him while digging the hole for thesacrificial fire place. It is the same Nandi who, though granted onlya short life by Lord Siva, prayed to that Lords image at Kedarawith supreme penitence and obtained His boon for a long life.Besides granting him the status of being their mount, the divine couplealso saw to it that he should be worshipped along with themselves.And this great Nandi always keeps a watchful eye on his Masterand his Mistress, whereever they are.

The Nandi said: Dear sage, to the best of my ability I shallnarrate that sacred history, which was not quite assimilated even bythe great sage Narada, about whom I shall tell you something at theoutset.

SAGE NARADAOnce sage Narada was performing a penance on the banks of

Lake Manasasarovar, with the aim of obtaining Lord Sivas grace.Mistaking his aim, and fearing that the sage might have his eye onhis throne, Indra, the Lord of godly hosts, sent the celestial courtesanslike Rambha etc, to disturb Naradas penance. But neither theirdance nor their music was of any avail in enticing the sage, and theyreturned to paradise to report their failure to Indra.

Worried, Indra went down to Narada by himself. The sagewas worshipping Lord Siva with great concentration. Seeing forhimself that the sages purpose was the attainment of Sivas blessingsonly, Indra returned to his heavenly home, with his peace of mindrestored.

Narada clairvoyantly understood all that transpired: the wayhe was able to withstand the wiles of the heavenly damsels,convinced him that it was all due to his own individual self-control.But he could not appreciate the fact that it was Sivas grace thatsaved him.

Narada then vainly told himself; Even Lord Sivas penancewas once successfully disturbed by Cupid, but not mine.

Glorying in such vain thoughts, Narada went up to Satya Lokato broadcast his power resisting the temptation to which he wassubjected by Rambha and other damsels. The sages parents,Brahma and Sarasvati, were aware of his folly when he boasted tothem about his self-restraint, but they also knew that their own couselwould be disregarded by their vainglorious offspring. so they keptmum, in their knowledge that eventually Vishnu and Siva wouldteach him a lesson in humility.

But the sage misinterpreted the silence of the Lord Creatorand goddess Sarasvati, as their tacit appreciation of his feat andprided himself on achieving this first recognition of his fame.

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