By Swami Harshananda
Śivadharmapurāṇa is an upapurāṇa included in the list of eighteen upapurāṇas. It has been called a śāstra[1] by the Bhaviṣyapurāṇa thereby getting some status of importance. It is a short work of twelve chapters in which Nandikeśvara reports to Sanatkumāra what Śiva had taught to Pārvatī and Subrahmaṇya. It is a pro-Vedic Paśupata work assigned to the period A. D. 200-500. The topics dealt with are briefly as follows:
- Origin and worship of the Śivaliṅga
- Construction of Śiva temples
- Offer of triśulas[2] and other things to him
- Giving gifts to please him
- Fasting on days dear to him
- Duties of the worshipers and so on
It is critical of Vedic sacrifices but praises various acts of service to Śiva. Several dharmaśāstra writers like Devaṇṇabhaṭṭa[3] and Hemādri[4] quote from this upapurāṇa.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore