Hindu religious traditions

Shiva Puranaशिव पुराण

Mahapurana

Shiva Purana is one of the eighteen traditionally enumerated Mahapuranas. Its narrative, ritual and theological materials must be read in the context of the chosen recension.

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STORY & TRADITION

The world of Shiva Purana.

Shiva Purana is one of the eighteen traditionally enumerated Mahapuranas. Its narrative, ritual and theological materials must be read in the context of the chosen recension.

The Sacred Library

Details & context.

Tradition dependence
High — compare the identified textual or regional account.
Library category
Puranas
Form / textual family
Mahapurana
Traditional attribution
An inherited textual tradition; no single historical author is established here.
Subject & teachings
Shiva Purana is one of the eighteen traditionally enumerated Mahapuranas. Its narrative, ritual and theological materials must be read in the context of the chosen recension.
Structure
Consult the identified edition for chapters, recension and numbering.
Associated deities / figures
Shiva; Parvati; Ganesha; Kartikeya
Textual relationships
Puranas
Historical context
Composition, transmission and redaction must be distinguished; no unsupported exact date is assigned.
Reading notes
Read the Sanskrit with an identified translation. Commentary is presented by its own school, not as the only interpretation.
Tradition notes
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.

FOLLOW THE THREADS

Connected worlds.

29 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.

The Sacred Library1
Characters & Cosmic Entities26
DescribesSadashivaSupreme or transcendent Shiva form

Related source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.

Sanskrit Documents — Text editions
DescribesNatarajaShiva as Lord of Dance

Related source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.

Sanskrit Documents — Text editions
DescribesArdhanarishvaraShaiva accounts of Shiva-Shakti unity

Related source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.

Sanskrit Documents — Text editions
DescribesDakshinamurtiShiva as teacher

Related source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.

Sanskrit Documents — Text editions
DescribesBhairavaFierce Shaiva form associated with protection

Related source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.

Sanskrit Documents — Text editions
DescribesVirabhadraFierce being manifested through Shiva's wrath in accounts of Daksha's sacrifice

Related source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.

Sanskrit Documents — Text editions
DescribesTripurantakaShiva as destroyer of the three fortified cities of the Tripurasuras

Related source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.

Sanskrit Documents — Text editions
DescribesNeelakanthaBlue-throated Shiva

Related source tradition; the profile reference identifies the passage and evidence status.

Sanskrit Documents — Text editions
Show all 26 characters connections
Stories & Events2

Image credit.

Bhagavata Purana manuscript, West Bengal, 16th century (?), LACMA M.88.134.4. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. Robert Slusser. Image courtesy LACMA, public domain.

Original source · Public domain, released with LACMA's Public Domain High Resolution Image Available designation

Resized and converted to WebP.

READ THE SOURCES

Texts & references.

01

Sanskrit Documents — Text editions

Sanskrit electronic texts; check the individual file’s edition and contributors.

Multiple traditions · A text directory is a finding aid. Precise passage-level claims are identified separately when available.

Reference overview. Consult the identified text and passage; unestablished fields are explicitly marked.