For Children- The Holy Puranas- In Simple Story Format

Shiv Purana- Chapters I to III
SHIV PURANA Volume I Chapter I

There are 18 Puranas divided into 3 categories and each having 6 texts.

Satvika Puranas stress on incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
Rajasika Puranas stress on creation, give more importance to Lord Brahma.
Tamasika Puranas stress on the destructive emphasis and pertain to Lord Shiva.

The Shiv Purana contains 24,000 shlokas and is divided into 6 samhitas (sections) and each samhita is divided into adhyayas (chapters).

Lord Shiva is the easily God to please and he can be won over by simple puja or by offerings like a small flower or a root unlike Lord Vishnu whose worship involves costly rituals.

Purity is important in Lord Shiva’s worship.


The Story Of Brahma- Volume I Chapter II



In the beginning, there was only a void and as Lord Vishnu slept on Water, a lotus sprang from his navel and from the cells of this lotus was born Brahma.

Brahma wondered where he had originated from and descended down the stem in search of an answer but he could neither find the end, beginning or the centre of the Lotus.

He tried to return and lost his way and roamed for 100 years and at last he heard a voice, asking him to be calm and meditate, which he did.

At last Lord Vishnu appeared before him and called him a son as he was created from Vishnu’s navel. Brahma did not like being called ‘son’ by Vishnu. The argument grew and soon converted into a fight.

Suddenly a huge Linga appeared .It was decided that Brahma would take the form of a swan and try to find the top of the Linga and Vishnu would take the form of a boar and seek the end. They went about doing so for thousands of years but to no avail.

Brahma took help from a ketaki flower from the heaven to fraud Vishnu in accepting that ketaki was a witness to Brahma’s finding the top of the Linga and just when this falsehood was uttered, Shiva sprang out from the Linga and cursed Brahma for lying. Hence He said that there will be no temples dedicated to Brahma while ketaki flowers were banned from being used in temples.

Shiv said that we three are a part of the same being and have roles to play, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver while I am the destroyer. So let Brahma start his creation work.



Brahma begins Creation- Volume I Chapter III

In the beginning there was water all around and in it Vishnu created a huge egg and entered it. Brahma was born of this egg and is hence called HIRANYAGARBHA.

Brahma through his meditation created several rishes including Daksha and Mareechi.Mareechi’s son was Kashyap who married 30 daughters of Daksha and hence were born the devas (called Aditya as they were sons of Aditi), asuras (called Daityas as the were sons of Diti).

One day Brahma was asked by the rishes as to who was the greatest. Brahma declared himself to be the greatest and this was disputed by Vishnu. Vedas were referred and it was stated that Shiva was the greatest.

The other two protested that how can the lord of the ghosts, goblins and snakes be the greatest. At this Shiva sprang in their middle in a vast and terrible form. The 5th head of Brahma mocked Shiva and at this Shiva cut it off with Bhairava’s nail!

In the meantime, Daksha was ordained the PRAJAPATI (Progenitor)by Brahma and he invoked a great YAGNA TO CELEBRATE THIS BUT DID NOT INVITE Shiva his son-in-law who had not given him respects as Prajapati. Sati, despite Shiva’s request not to attend, went to her father’s yagna, uninvited and was insulted and so was Shiva and in a fit of anger, she jumped into the sacrificial fire and immolated herself.

When Shiva learnt of this, he sent Veer Bhadra and his army to kill and destroy the yagna and even Daksha was killed. Yet Shiva was not pacified and carried the body of Sati and started doing the dance of destruction- TANDAAV NRUTYA and as a result the earth started getting destroyed.

Vishnu used his SUDARSHAN CHAKRA to cut parts of Sati’s body (and where these parts fell- a SHAKTIPEETH WAS ESTABLISHED and which are found all over India).

Shiv calmed down and the dead gods and Daksha (who got a goats head as replacement) were revived with his permission and the yagna was completed.

Sati, ever devoted to Shiva was reborn to Himavan, the lord of Himalayas but that’s another story.