Source recordAncient text
Shiva Purana
Attributed to Vyasa · Medieval, compiled over centuries · Sanskrit
Ancient text
Shiva Purana
Attributed to Vyasa
Sanskrit Purana centred on Shiva, with the stories of Sati and Parvati, the births of Ganesha and Kartikeya, and the endless pillar of light.
About this work
Sanskrit Purana centred on Shiva, with the stories of Sati and Parvati, the births of Ganesha and Kartikeya, and the endless pillar of light.
Stories drawn from it
Retellings in the atlas that quote or cite this work.
The Birth of GaneshacreationParvati creates a son from her own body to guard her privacy. When Shiva returns home and the boy refuses him entry, Shiva beheads him in anger. To restore him, Shiva gives him the head of an elephant, creating Ganesha, the beloved remover of obstacles.
The Marriage of Shiva and ParvatiromanceAfter the death of his first wife Sati, the god Shiva withdraws into eternal meditation. The goddess is reborn as Parvati, who through years of devotion and penance wins the heart of the ascetic god.
About this record
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Dates and authorship follow standard scholarly references; for many ancient works both are approximate or disputed.