शिवपुराण-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Śiva Purāṇa) / Śivapurāṇa Māhātmya
प्रोक्तं शिवपुराणं हि चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् । श्लोकानां संख्यया सप्तसंहितं ब्रह्मसंमितम्
proktaṃ śivapurāṇaṃ hi caturviṃśatsahasrakam | ślokānāṃ saṃkhyayā saptasaṃhitaṃ brahmasaṃmitam
ศิวปุราณะได้ถูกประกาศโดยแท้ว่า มีจำนวนยี่สิบสี่พันโศลก. ตามการนับโศลกนั้น จัดเป็นเจ็ดสังหิตา และมีความเป็นคัมภีร์ที่ได้รับการยอมรับตามมาตรฐานแห่งพระพรหมา (พรหมสัมมิต).
Suta Goswami
It establishes the Śiva Purāṇa as a complete, formally organized Śaiva scripture—meant to be approached as an authoritative guide to Śiva-bhakti and liberation (mokṣa) through right understanding and devotion.
By defining the Śiva Purāṇa’s scope and authority, it frames later teachings—especially in the Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā—on Saguna worship such as Śiva-liṅga pūjā, mantra, and disciplined devotion as scripturally grounded.
The verse itself is classificatory, but it implicitly supports śravaṇa (listening), pāṭha (recitation), and mananā (reflection) of the Śiva Purāṇa as a devotional discipline that complements mantra-japa (notably the Pañcākṣarī).