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The Siva Purana

CHENNAI: : Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the Vedic Trinity, responsible for the three cosmological functions of creation, sustenance and dissolution, are aspects of the Supreme Being. In the Puranas devotion becomes the dominant theme to enable everyone to worship them. In the Siva Purana Siva becomes the Supreme.

In his discourse, Sri K.Srinivasan said this Purana was created when due to the influence of the Kali yuga people did not understand the import of the scriptures well and also Lord Siva's true nature. Hence this helps to follow the spiritual path with ease and acquire spiritual merit. This Purana eulogises Lord Siva as the Absolute as in the case of Puranas devoted to a particular deity exclusively. The Siva Purana describes the incident when the Almighty appeared as a column of light before Brahma and Vishnu when they could not fathom His beginning and end. This is celebrated as Arudra Darsan to this day.

The column of light appeared like a mountain of fire (Agnisthamba) and the name Arunachala, which the place acquired in due course, signifies this. This is also the reason why the Linga form is unique to Siva and it is the form most appropriate for His worship. Though 64 forms of Siva are also described in the scriptural texts, the Linga form (denoting both His form and formless aspects) is dominant wherever He is worshipped. Linga literally means `distinguishing mark' and in spiritual parlance it reveals the Supreme Being to the devotee.

Another important purpose of this Purana is to explain how worship of God should be done with the Vedic mantras (Rig Veda) as generally worship is also performed according to the Agamas and the Tantras. There is an elaborate description of how the Almighty revealed Himself as the Pranava (Om), which is the subtle form of Reality and also the importance of Panchakshara mantra. Siva is described as having five faces and five functions are attributed to Him. Three of them are the cosmological functions of creation, maintenance and dissolution, and the other two are in relation to the souls — obscuration (Tirodana) and grace (Anugraha). Man is unable to know ontological truths because of the Lord's power of concealment and it is by the descent of His grace that man can realise God.

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