Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 64
मङ्गलाचरणम्, तीर्थ-परिसरः, सूतागमनम् — Invocation, Sacred Setting, and the Arrival of Sūta
चतुस्साहस्रसंख्याकमेवं संख्याविभेदतः । श्रुतम्परमपुण्यन्तु पुराणं शिवसंज्ञकम्
catussāhasrasaṃkhyākamevaṃ saṃkhyāvibhedataḥ | śrutamparamapuṇyantu purāṇaṃ śivasaṃjñakam
ดังนี้ตามการแบ่งนับจำนวน ปุราณะที่มีนามว่า “ศิวะ” นี้นับได้สี่พัน และเป็นคัมภีร์ที่ได้ยินกันว่าให้บุญอันยิ่ง
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Declares the Purāṇa named ‘Śiva’ as supremely meritorious (parama-puṇya) and gives an overall count by enumeration; it functions as a phala-śruti-like valuation of śravaṇa.
Significance: Hearing/reciting the Śiva Purāṇa is presented as a puṇya-generating act; in Siddhānta terms, śravaṇa supports purification and receptivity to Śiva’s grace (anugraha).
Role: liberating
FAQs
It declares that hearing the Śiva Purāṇa is “parama-puṇya” (supremely purifying merit), affirming śravaṇa (devout listening) as a direct means to inner purification and Shiva-oriented liberation in a Shaiva devotional framework.
By praising the Purāṇa named “Śiva,” it supports Saguna-upāsanā through sacred narrative and instruction: listening to Shiva’s glories and teachings naturally leads the devotee toward Linga-bhakti and disciplined worship described throughout the text.
The implied practice is śravaṇa: regularly hearing/reciting the Śiva Purāṇa with faith, ideally in a pure setting and with Shiva-smaraṇa (remembrance), as a foundational devotional discipline that complements mantra-japa and Linga-pūjā.