I already have a PDF of 812 pages in Hindi language but I find that the language/words used are sometimes a bit tough to understand. I have visited some sites which have downloadable versions in English as well but there it seems to be a bit shortened. Through this site I came to know about Sacred-texts, etc., sites which have authentic versions and verse by verse translation so just wanted to know if any such translation is present for Shiva Purana. If yes then please provide me the links.
3 Answers
As I far as I know, the only unabridged translation of the Shiva Purana is the four-volume translation published by Motilal Banarsidass. Here is a link to the table of conents.
The translation is available online on DSpace, the digital repository of the West Bengal Public Library Network. Here are the links to all four volumes:
Note that DSpace breaks each book up into 80-page chunks.
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Thanks a lot Keshav, but what do you mean by Shiv Purana has some interpolations. Can you give some examples.– AbyNov 27, 2014 at 10:23
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@Aby Interpolations are passages that are not part of the original text, and instead were inserted into the text by later people. That's why scholars construct critical editions, so that they can try to restore the original text as best they can. A likely example would be any passage in the Shiva Purana that references Ganesha, since Ganesha only became popular later on. Nov 27, 2014 at 10:26
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Hmm, I think you are correct in that sense. While reading in Hindi, I also felt like some things were introduced later and which contradict to what was stated earlier. That was also one of a reason I wanted to read in verse by verse format so that I can be sure that the book I have read is not an imposter.– AbyNov 27, 2014 at 11:09
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But as far as Lord Ganesha is concerned, I don't think we have much of him in this book except for elephant-head incident or praying to him before destroying Tripur but i think that should be ok as per the most famous authenticated story of Lord Ganesha that we know. Or do you mean to say that even these stories were a later addition.– AbyNov 27, 2014 at 11:10
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@Aby What I'm saying is that the famous story of Ganesha is true, but it may not have originally been told in the Shiva Purana. Later people may have inserted things like the story of Ganesha's birth and the like into the Shiva Purana, just because Ganesha is the son of Shiva and they thought that the story of Shiva's son had to be told in a Purana that was about Shiva. Nov 27, 2014 at 16:22
Unabridged Shiva Maha Purana is now available in text searchable format on archive.org. This is the same Motilal Banarsidas Edition. Download PDF with text format.
if you want to read Shiva Maha Purana in Sanskrit with English translation, read Shiva Purana on Indian Scriptures. This version is not text searchable. BTW, Indianscriptures is very good site if you want to read scriptures in both Sanskrit and English.
Additionally, if you are interested you can read complete Linga Maha Purana in text searchable format there.
Visit Indian Scriptures, if you want read in both Sanskrit and English.
The following is the full English translation of the Shiva Purana including an interwoven glossary. It contains over 600,000 words and starts with a Mahatmya, extolling the greatness of the Shiva-purana. It cross-references the Sanskrit original text and includes romanized orginal names using the IAST transliteration scheme.