Rules and Restraints

Shounaka said

Suta, wise one, bull among Shiva's devotees, you are blessed. You have let us hear this wonderful account, which brings everything auspicious. Sage, for the welfare of all the worlds, please tell us the niyamas that a man who means to hear the Shiva Purana must observe.

Suta replied

Shounaka, listen faithfully to the niyamas for such people. A person who follows the niyamas and hears this virtuous account meets no obstacles and gains excellent fruits. Those who have not had diksha are not entitled to hear this narration. Sage, so the listeners must take diksha from the narrator. A person devoted to hearing the account must keep brahmacharya and sleep on the ground as long as the narration lasts. Every day he must eat only when the narration is over, and off a plate made of leaves. If he has the capacity, is pure and an excellent devotee of Shiva, he must fast and listen devoutly until the narration of the Purana ends. Drinking only ghee or only milk, he should listen cheerfully. He may listen while living on fruits, or eating once a day, or avoiding even that. Devoted to the narration, he can eat just havishyanna once a day. The listening is what matters; the food depends on what can be done easily. If the listener thinks it will be easier to listen if he eats, that should be done. Fasting is not better when it hinders hearing the account. But a person bent on hearing the account must always avoid heavy food, split-pulse dishes, burnt food, certain beans, red lentils, defiled food, leftovers, brinjal, watermelon, gourd, radish, pumpkin, coconut, any root, onion, garlic, asafoetida, turnips and anything else that intoxicates. He must avoid anything called meat. He must avoid desire and the other vices and must not criticize brahmanas. He must not criticize a woman who has sons and is devoted to her husband. He must not look at a woman in her period, speak to an outcaste or converse with those who hate brahmanas and the Vedas. He must always be truthful, pure, compassionate, restrained in speech, upright, humble and generous in mind.

One may hear the account with a specific desire or none. If there is a desire, it will be fulfilled; if none, the person will gain moksha. A poor person, one with the wasting disease, a sinner, an unfortunate person and a childless man should hear this virtuous account. Women who suffer the seven kinds of ailments, such as the kakavandhya kind, and those who miscarry should hear this account. Sage, everyone, man or woman, must hear the account of the Shiva Purana following the prescribed rules. The days when the Shiva Purana is recited are to be understood as extremely pure, equal to performing a crore of sacrifices. Gifts made on these days, even small ones, are superior and give fruit at once. Following these rules and vows, one should hear this excellent account. One who acts so will be filled with prosperity and supreme bliss. The rules for the closing rite are those observed on a fourteenth day. A wealthy person who wants fruits must always follow them. Devotees who have nothing need not do the closing rite; they are purified by the act of hearing alone. Those without desires are held to be Shambhu's true devotees.

When the festivities and sacrifice of hearing the Shiva Purana are over, the listeners must devoutly work to do the worship. Sage, Shiva's worship must be done properly in front of the text. By the norms the narrator is then properly worshipped. An auspicious piece of new cloth is given to cover the text and a cord to tie it. Those who give a cloth and cord for the Purana gain pleasures and knowledge in every birth they pass through. By the norms the narrator is praised and given costly gifts, garments, ornaments and in particular divine vessels. People who give a seat to place the text on, blankets, deerskin, garments, couches and slabs gain desired pleasures and enjoy a home in heaven. They stay in Brahma's abode for the length of a kalpa and go to Shiva's abode afterward. Tiger among brahmanas, after the great festivities these are the rules for worshipping the text and the narrator. The learned person who helped the narrator must also be worshipped, though with a smaller measure of riches. The assembled brahmanas must be given food, riches and other things. At the great festivities there must be singing, dancing and instruments. Sage, from the day after the discourse, the listener becomes especially non-attached and must read the Gita that Shiva spoke to Ramachandra. For the sake of peace, an intelligent householder who has been a listener should purify himself by offering ghee oblations. Sage, these oblations are made for every shloka of the Rudra Samhita, or with every shloka of the gayatri mantra, since in truth the Purana is identical with it. Or the basic five-syllable mantra of Shiva can be used. A capable, learned person makes the oblations and gives the ghee oblations to brahmanas. To counter any lapses made during the narration, he must devoutly read or hear Shiva's thousand names. This leads doubtless to success, with all fruits gained, since nothing in the three worlds is higher. Eleven brahmanas must be fed honey and sweet milk rice, and given a fee for the successful completion of the vow. Sage, if he has the means, he should make a beautiful image using three palas of gold, perhaps in the form of a lion, engraved with the auspicious letters of the name of the Purana. By the norms a man can write this himself or have it written. Controlling himself, an intelligent person must worship his teacher with mounts, horses, other objects, a fee, garments, ornaments and fragrances. This pleases Shiva. Shounaka, through the power of these gifts and the Purana he gains Shiva's favour and is freed from the bonds of worldly existence. These are the rules for the auspicious Shiva Purana. When they are completed, enjoyment and liberation are granted.

So I have told you everything about the illustrious Shiva Purana and its greatness. What else do you wish to hear? It gives everything that is desired. Among all Puranas the illustrious Shiva Purana is held the foremost. It pleases Shiva greatly and counters the disease of worldly existence. Indeed, having been born in this world of the living, a person who meditates on Vishvanatha and hears his account, praising his qualities, crosses this worldly existence. "He is untouched by any differences of the gunas. He shows himself inside and outside this universe. He shines in his own greatness. He is inside and outside the mind. His form is in all words, thoughts and conduct. Shiva is endless bliss. I take refuge in him."