Shiva: Stories and Teachings from the Shiva Mahapurana

by Vanamali

The traditional understanding of Shiva told through stories and teachings from the Shiva Mahapurana

• Explains Shiva’s contradictory forms, such as destroyer or benefactor, and how his form depends on the needs of the devotee

• Reveals how Shiva’s teachings allow one to see through the illusions at the root of all grief and alienation in human life

• Explores Shiva’s relationships with Durga, Shakti, Sati, and Parvati and with his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya

Shiva, the most ancient and complex deity of the Hindu pantheon, has been portrayed in many contrasting destroyer and benefactor, ascetic and householder, wild demon slayer and calm yogi atop Mount Kailash. Drawing from the Hindu sacred text the Shiva Mahapurana --said to be written by Shiva himself--Vanamali selects the essential stories of Shiva, both those from his dark wild side and those from his benevolent peaceful side.

Vanamali discusses Shiva’s many avatars such as Shambunatha and Bhola, as well as Dakshinamurti who taught the shastras and tantras to the rishis. She explores Shiva’s relationships with Durga, Shakti, Sati, and Parvati and with his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya. Examining Shiva’s acceptance of outsiders, Vanamali explains why ghosts and ghouls are his attendants and why his greatest devotees are demon kings, like Ravana. She includes famous Shiva stories such as the Descent of the River Ganga and Churning the Milky Ocean as well as those that reveal the origin of the festival of lights, Diwali; his creation of the cosmic couple, or hierogamos; and how Shiva and Parvati taught the world the secrets of Kundalini Shakti. The author also draws upon Shaivite teachings to illustrate the differences between Western science and Vedic science and their explanations for the origins of consciousness.

Integrating Shiva’s two sides, the fierce and the peaceful, Vanamali reveals that Shiva’s form depends on the needs of the devotee. Understanding his teachings allows one to see through the illusions at the root of all grief and alienation in human life, for Shiva is the wielder of maya who does not fall under its spell. While Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles, Shiva is the remover of tears.

Genres: Spirituality, Hinduism, Nonfiction, Religion, Mythology, Classics, Philosophy

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

Reviews

[Ashish Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Om Namah Shivaya!

[Ajay · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating book this was.

[Shrungi Bhatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely incredible book!!!!

Throughout this book I was just fascinated by how charming Shiva was!! As if I needed a reason to love him more. The book handles the age old stories in the most profound way possible!

[Äsruþr Cyneaþsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection concerned with Shiva. Vanamali provides great insight into each story with an exegesis which decodes the esoteric symbolism of each.

[Erik Steevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

About the rider on the bull, the wearer of the pure white moon on his locks ... Saint Sambandar.
I was looking for a long time to find out more about the whereabouts and adventures of Lord Shiva and this book is an excellent example. With dignity and respect Vanamali tells us all there is to know about Shiva and his appearances, manifestations which also paints a big smile on your face to read what this rascal-deity sometimes is up to.

[Renu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Introduction in the book. It was enlightening. It also compares the Hindu puranic view versus the Modern Science view of energy and matter.

The book goes very deep in the mythological stories of Hindu Gods. Not the stuff i was looking for. I wanted more spiritual level rather than religious. So, I skipped a lot in chapters.

[Dawnn Nwarache · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of great aspects to this book with knowledge and information

Really does a great job of explaining a lot of the stories after having read this you will walk away with more knowledge

[Navya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good experience reading, so well explained the myth

[Erjon 7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Om namah Shivaya.

[Sneh Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book. Best amongst the books on shiva other than holy books. You’ll fall in love with lord shiva yet again after reading

[Harry Palacio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incarnations of shiva wed eternally to shakti… stories of the first yogi the blue throated god… where shivaya and krishna worship each other in a perennial cosmic dance

[Karan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

I would change title to just stories from the Shiva Mahapurana. I picked this book to understand about Shiva, why people worship him the way they do and importance of him in Hinduism but I was disappointed

[Heidi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book, very clearly explained! This covers everything from Shiva’s devotees to his stories, which I’m very thankful for as there does not seem to be many readily available translations of the Shiva Mahapurana.

Om Namah Shivaya🙏 Har Har Mahadev! ❤️

[Nithila P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

- perfect to pick up and read aloud, with family and friends during the week, when honoring MahaSivaratri. Vanamali's eloquence and devotion - makes the stories sparkle with life. Along with her words, we could envisions the ancient sacred-fables. We used her nuggets of discernment in each story, to debate with one another and have fun conversations as we kept awake for several hours... Highly recommended.

[Sowvik Chowdhury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! While other writers use poetry or incomprehensible language to explain stories this book is clear and concise. Using simple prose the author transports you to the mountains of Kailasa Shiva’s abode. This is a great book to read for anyone. The tales of the Shiva Mahaparanas are beautifully told. Also, there is a handy glossary at the back that readers can easily access the meanings of any Sanskrit terms used.

[Bhargav · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I learnt?
1. Teachings about advaita
2. How advaita ties to Shiva tattva...
3. What is the real meaning of kundalini
4. Origin of Shiva (not really origin...but..existence)/ Shiva Leela (how karma affects maha yogi)
5. Stories about origin of Universe
6. Stories about Vishnu
7. Links between stories of Vishnu and how that ties with stories from Shiva Mahapurana...

This was a great read...! :)

[Haridevi Sathasivam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful experience reading this book! An enchanting book. Writer Vanamali is superb in rendering the ancient knowledge in simple and conscise language from Shiva Mahapurana.

[SAYANTAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Read for all Lord Shiva Devotees!! Om Namah Shivay

[Tushar · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read for all humanity

[Chaitanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book of the year! Well, I started this in 2018 but read through the majority this year. I knew most of the stories if not all, but I liked Vanamali's style. I loved some of the customs in the deep South India. I'd like to read more Lord Shiva stories.

Solid read. Especially if you like to tell stories to friends and family. 4/5!

[Muni Sreenivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many good stories, some bad ones. The book also had stories from the Periya puranam in addition to the Shiva Mahapurana. There was some science bashing, which was absolutely unnecessary. I learnt a good deal about the colorful personality of Shiva.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars!

loved how extensive it was, it truly made me connect more to him! however, sometimes the language used or views shared in the book are a bit too crude/ rough around the edges for my taste

[Vinita Tewari]

Interesting read about Shiv. A glimpse of few stories from shivpuran...

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book full of lots of interesting stories of Shiva's life.

[Savita Ramsumair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

Another inspiring book by this devout writer. I truly felt a personal connection with Mahadev after reading this beautiful text.