शिवपुराण-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Śiva Purāṇa) / Śivapurāṇa Māhātmya
व्यासेन तत्तु संक्षिप्तं चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् । शैवं तत्र चतुर्थं वै पुराणं सप्तसंहितम्
vyāsena tattu saṃkṣiptaṃ caturviṃśatsahasrakam | śaivaṃ tatra caturthaṃ vai purāṇaṃ saptasaṃhitam
Kemudian Vyāsa meringkaskan himpunan Purāṇa itu menjadi dua puluh empat ribu śloka. Di antaranya, Purāṇa Śaiva itu sesungguhnya yang keempat, dan terdiri daripada tujuh Saṃhitā.
Suta Goswami
It establishes the Śiva Purāṇa as an authoritative, deliberately structured scripture: a concise, accessible compilation (by Vyāsa) meant to transmit Śiva-tattva and the Shaiva path through seven integrated Saṃhitās.
By identifying the Śaiva Purāṇa’s formal place and internal division, it points readers to a systematic presentation of Saguna Śiva worship—especially the Linga-centered disciplines and teachings prominently developed in the Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā.
The verse itself is classificatory, but its implication is to follow the Śaiva Purāṇa’s prescribed sādhanā—centrally, japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) alongside Śaiva observances taught in the Saṃhitās.