T.T.D. Religious Publications Series No. 997 Price : SIVA PURANAM - D.S.R. Anjaneyulu Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Published by Sri L.V. Subrahmanyam, I.A.S., Executive Officer, T.T.Devasthanams, Tirupati and Printed at T.T.D. Press, Tirupati. Tirupati SIVA PURANAM D.S.R. Anjaneyulu Published by Executive Officer Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Tirupati. 2013 SIVA PURANAM by FOREWORD D.S.R. ANJANEYULU In Hindu faith there is godly Trinity, Brahma-Vishnu- Maheswara. They have universal duties as Srishti, Sthiti and Laya, T.T.D. Religious Publications Series No.997 that is, Creation, Protection and Obsorption respectively. Maheswara is Siva and also known as Sankara, Gowri Sankara and by many other names. ©All Rights Reserved The onus of Siva is destruction which might seem to be First Edition: 2013 unpleasant but very significant in Nature, Biology and Science. Unless the old is ended new can not arise. So life and death commonly go Copies: together 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 is Published by engraved in trusted faith. Reading of Puranas inculcates such solid L.V. SUBRAHMANYAM, I.A.S. and undisturbed faith in self and in the Supreme. Executive Officer The Hindu structure of religion is founded on the ground of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Tirupati Puranas in particular. The Puranas are widely spread as documents of different Hindu religious sects. Siva puranam is an Indian Epic of Lord Siva narrating number of devine tales of mystic nature. The Saivite stories are very D.T.P. interesting, innovative, idealistic, devotional and guidelines to human Office of the Editor-in-Chief T.T.D., Tirupati beings. Above all they indicate triumph of the right over the wicked. This book is brought out for the benefit of the wide spread English readers. The author Sri D.S.R. Anjaneyulu has rendered these stories in lucid, readable and versatile language. Printed at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Press As an aroma of Hindu religious fervour, T.T.D. has taken up Tirupati - 517 507 this work with the spirit of greatly said Hari Hara mantra as, “ Sivaya Vishnurupaya AUTHOR’S FOREWORD Sivarupaya Vishnave”. There flourishes the Ekasila town, in the Siddhavatam Taluk in I hope that this great book will go a long way to infuse blend the Cuddapah district. The golden vessels entrenched on the towers of the temple of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, in that pilgrim centre, of spiritual harmony among all devotees. otherwise known as ‘Onti Mitta’, beckoned to me. In the Service of the Lord Taking the sacred dip in the ‘Rama Tirtha’ lake, I paid my Tirupati reverential respects to the shining idols of Rama, Sita and 10-2-2013 Lakshmana, in the sanctum sanctorum built by king Vasumanta. L.V. Subrahmanyam, I.A.S. As I offered my worship and received the sacrament from the Executive Officer, priest, I felt the mystic presence of Lord Rama commanding me to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams write the ‘Siva Puranamu’. There and then I decided to compose this work and offer it to Lord Rama. Of the eighteen Puranas, the Sivapuranam, revels in matchless revelation of the non-sectarian nature of the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent state of Lord Siva. Although I consulted the Sanskrit original text containing 24000 slokas and eleven chapters, I adapted it independently the most intelligible method of narration. Besides the original work, the ‘Siva Puranamu’ of the late Sri Naga Virayya Sastri helped me a great deal. I tried my best to make the narration readable. The first Part includes the wedding of Parvati and of Valli; the second, the glory of Visvesvara and the tales of various devotees of Lord Siva. In offering this humble work to the reading public I hope to promote not only the worship of Lord Siva but also the innate consciousness of godhead in all human beings. In the fatherhood of God is the best promotion of brotherhood of man. D.S.R. ANJANEYULU Dedication This work is dedicated to LORD KODANDA RAMA SWAMI who is the central deity, on either side of whom stand his spouse Sita Devi and his brother Lakshmana, in the temple at ‘OntiMitta’; in whose service Hanuman and other monkey heroes felt their lives sanctified; to whom Lord Siva offered his worship as ‘Onti Mitta Ramalinga; seeking whose constant ‘darshan’ Hanuman resides there as Sanjivaraya; praying to whom, the sage Sringi was released from the sin of imprecating king Parikshit; whose resplendent image has been all through the ages worshipped by the deities, Balarama and Krishna, the sages and saints like Ramanujacharya, Krishna Chaitanya and the poets like Potana and Ayyalaraju Ramabhadra; and who is celebrated in legend and song as the symbol of supreme godhead as well as of the immanent and transcendent spirit of the sacred symbol, AUM. Karamchedu 23-6-1983 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-charchitaya Nandisvara-pramatha-natha Mahesvaraya, Mandara-mukhya-bahu-pushpa-supujitaya Tasmai Ma-Karaya NAMAH SIVAYA. Sivaya Gauri-vadanabja-brinda Suryaya-Daksha-adhvara-nasakaya Sri Nila-Kanthaya,Vrishadhwajaya Tasmai Si-Karaya NAMAH SIVAYA. Vasistha-Kumbhodbhava-Gautama-adi Munindra Devarchita Sekharaya Chandra-Arka-Vaisvanara-lochanaya Tasmai Va-karaya NAMAH SIVAYA Yaksha-svarupaya jata-dharaya Pinaka-hastaya Sanatanaya, Divyaya Devaya Digambaraya Tasmai Ya-Karaya NAMAH SIVAYA. Prayer to Lord Vishnu SuklaambaradharamVishnum Sasivarnam Chaturbhujam, prasanna-vadanam dhyayet sarva-vighna-upasantaye, Prayer to Vighneswara Vakra-tunda-maha-kaaya, surya-koti-sama-prabha, Avighnam kuru me Deva, Sarva-karyeshu sarvada. Siva Puranam Siva Puranam 3 PART - I SAGE SUTA HIMALAYAS The disciple of Sage Vyasa, Suta, is presently coming down from the heavenly region to witness the holy sacrifice being There! collectively performed by the Sages. As they looked up they saw Over there are the heaven-caressing towers of the mighty, the all-knowing, smiling, merciful reciter of the epics fully bedecked majestic Himalayas! Their very sight brings about a blissful with the holy ashes and the rosary coming up to them, with this transformation in the minds of even the sinfully fallen men and women. prayer on his lips: From the heights of those Himalayan peaks, flows the holy Rajatachalendra-sanu-vasine NAMAH SIVAYA! river Gomati, with a gently cadenced pace, along the hills and dales. Rajamana nitya manda-hasine NAMAH SIVAYA! The rays of the early morning sun are being sparklingly reflected by Rajakoraka-vatamsa-bhasine NAMAH SIVAYA! Rajaraja-mitrata-prakaasine NAMAH SIVAYA! those clear, white waters. (Obeisance to Lord Shiva He who is the denizen of the The trees and plants all around, shining with their fruity, flowery silver mount Kailasa; He who ever smiles gently and radiantly; He fertility, seem to bend their ‘heads’ in deep reverence for the Sun- whose tresses are adorned with the crescent moon; He whose spiritual God. radiance is further brightened by His friendship with Kubera the Lord Indeed, all forms of living creatures appear to be praying at of the material Wealth!). the dawn of a fresh day to the supreme, manifest presence of the The sages bowed to the great raconteur as he touched the unmanifest, Absolute that is the sun- the picture of pure of effulgence, ground, and bade him welcome. Offering him a seat worthy of him, the fire of pure virtue, the witness of all worldly activity, the dispeller they spoke to him thus: “O knower of the past, present and furture! of darkness- in these words (composed by the First Poet, Valmiki): Your arrival is a source of supreme gratification to all of us. We are quite aware of your duty of regaling us with the nobly moralising Taptachamikarabhaya vahnaye Visvakarmane, and traditionally evocative stories, during the performance of our Namah tamo bhinighnaya ruchaye loka-sakshine. sacrificial rites. Now, O sublime story-teller, please tell us the stories, NAIMISA FOREST by hearing which, our hearts, minds and souls will be enriched and ennobled, and after learning which, there is nothing left to be learnt”. Now, finishing the ablution in the sacred Gomati river, and Pleased by their welcome and their request, sage suta said: “I offering their daily prayers and oblations, the sages and seers are am honoured by your gracious words. I am gratefully conscious of returning to the hermitage in order to perform their sacrificial rites. the elderly esteem you have bestowed on me, though I am your All over the hallowed ground the ear-delighting echoes of the junior in years. By joining you and taking part in your sacred Yajna, chanting of the Vedic hymns are being felt inspiringly. The fumes I feel that my life is wholly Sanctified. The story of Lord Siva is the emanating from the sacrificial fire-place are rising up into the skies most edifying one I can think of. Each and every one who hears this and are purifying the entire atmosphere in the surroundings. story gains salvation”. 4 Siva Puranam Siva Puranam 5 SAGE MARKANDEYA (I pray to Vishnu- the quintessence of peacefulness; the Lord The first person who wanted to listen to the story of Lord Siva whose bed is the divine serpent and who has the Lotus in the navel; was Markandeya. He went up to the Satya Loka (The World of The King of gods, the Form of the universe, the sky-like Immanence; Truth). There he saw the Lord Creator, Brahma, being entertained the Cloud-hued, the Auspicious-limbed, the Lotus-eyed One; the by his consort, Sarasvati Devi, on the Vina (lute).