The Glory of Shiva Purana - Prologue - Chapter - 7 - Description of Dos and Don'ts to take up the listening of Shiva as a worship and ritual.
Suta explains to Saunaka that blessed is the one who takes up the listening of Shiva Purana for the benefit of the world. First of all the one who decides to listen to the Holy word has to take the initiation from the revered discourser. He has to take the daily meal in a plate stitched of leaves at the end of the daily discourse. One should observe celibacy and lie on the ground for taking rest. If one can withstand they can observe fasting as well until the completion of the discourse. The devotee practicing the ritual of listening to Shiva Purana with pure heart and mind can live on fruits, milk or rice with ghee according to the comfort and convenience. In the food pulses, stale food, defiled food, brinjals, gourds, radish, pumpkins, cocoa, nuts, garlic, onion, asafoetida, intoxicating beverages and all kinds of meat has to be avoided. One should follow all the Vedic rituals and Dharma with truthfulness, purity, mercy, humility, assertiveness, liberal mindedness and other virtues. One can listen to the sacred text for fulfilling desires or salvation. Any kind of people with any distress and misfortune can listen to the Story. At the end, a rite for concluding can be observed to worship Lord Shiva in the form of the Book. The discourser should be worshiped and bestowed with gifts along with his assistants. The brahmin and other visitors should be given food and other monetary gifts. The celebration of the event as a festival becomes more enchanting with dance and music. On the next day, the holy Gita naratted by Shiva to Sri Ramachandra has to be recited. Homa has to be performed with ghee chanting Gayathri Mantra or Rudrasamhita or Shiva Panchakshari and Shiva Sahasranama. The rite is completed with feeding of the holy gathering with honey and milk.
The Shivapurana is distinct among all the other Puranas, highly pleasing to Lord Shiva and only remedy for the ailment of worldly existence. Those who meditate upon Lord Shiva and recite His attributes are blessed. Lord Shiva is an evolution of mental ideas and verbal expressions - the Indomitable - Omnipresent
OM SHIVOHAM!
D. Ashalatha Reddy
