शिवपुराण-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Śiva Purāṇa) / Śivapurāṇa Māhātmya
विद्येशं दशसाहस्रं रुद्रं वैनायकं तथा । औमं मातृपुराणाख्यं प्रत्येकाष्टसहस्रकम्
vidyeśaṃ daśasāhasraṃ rudraṃ vaināyakaṃ tathā | aumaṃ mātṛpurāṇākhyaṃ pratyekāṣṭasahasrakam
“The Vidyeśvara section is of ten thousand verses; likewise the Rudra and the Vaināyaka. The Auma and the one known as the Mātṛpurāṇa—each of these is said to be eight thousand verses.”
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
It frames the Shiva Purana as a deliberately organized revelation: distinct sections (samhitā-portions) preserve specific streams of Shaiva teaching—worship, mantra (Oṃ), and devotional disciplines—guiding the seeker toward Shiva (Pati) as the liberating Lord.
By naming core sections such as Vidyeśvara and Auma, the verse points to the Purana’s practical Shaiva orientation—where Saguna Shiva worship (including Linga-upāsanā) and mantra-centered devotion are taught systematically across these portions.
Indirectly, it highlights mantra-based practice—especially Oṃ-oriented contemplation and Shaiva japa (commonly aligned with the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—as a central thread developed in the Auma/Vidyeśvara teachings.