1-Brahm Puraan,   2-Padm Puraan,  3-Vishnu Puraan,  4-Shiv Puraan,  5-Bhaagvat Puraan,
6-Naarad Puraan,  7-Maarkandeya Puraan,  8-Agni Puraan,  9-Bhavishya Puraan,
10-Brahm Vaivart Puraan,  11-Ling Puraan,   12-Varaah Puraan, 13-Skand Puraan,
14-Vaaman Puraan,  15-Koorm Puraan,  16-Matsya Puraan,  17-Garud Puraan,  18-Brahmaand Puraan
 

1-Maaheshwar Khand

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(p 7) By whose permission Brahmaa Jee creates this world, and Vishnu maintains it, and who himself destroys it by the name of Kaal Rudra, I bow to that Pinaak-Dhaaree Bhagavaan Shankar. There are four types of Puraan - Mahaa Puraan, Upa-Puraan, Ati-Puraan and Puraan and all four types of Puraan are in 18 number each. Their names are found thus --

(p 8) Skand Puraan is the largest Puraan among all Puraan. It is divided in 7 parts. It contains 81,100 Shlok. There is some variation in the names of its parts' names and in their contents. 7 parts are found with the following names - (1) Maaheshwar Khand,  (2) Vaishnav Khand,  (3) Braahm Khand, (4) Kaashee Khand,  (5) Revaa Khand,  (6) Taapee Khand, and (7) Prabhaas Khand. According to Naarad Puraan the following are the 7 parts - (1) Maaheshwar Khand, (2) Vaishnav Khand, (3) Braahm Khnad, (4) Kaashee Khand, (5) Avantee Khand, (6) Naagar Khand, and (7) Prabhaas Khand. Even these Khand are subdivided.

Besides. there is a separate Skand Puraan which is like a Sanhitaa. Shankar Sanhitaa's "Haalaasya Mahaatmya" writes about it that - "Shruti Saar Skand Puraan is divided into 6 Sanhitaa and 50 Khand. Its Sanhitaa's names are - Sanat Kumaar Sanhitaa (36,000 Shlok),  Soot Sanhitaa (6,000 Shlok), Shankar Sanhitaa (30,000 Shlok),  Vaishnav Sanhitaa (5,000,Shlok),  Brahm Sanhitaa (3,000 Shlok),  and Saur Sanhitaa (1,000 Shlok). Thus adding these numbers, the total  number of shlok comes to 81,000 Shlok in full Skand Puraan. Among these Sanhitaa, the first 3 Sanhitaa (Sanat Kumaar, Soot and Shankar) are available in Nepal.

Greatness of Shiv and Daksh's Jealousy With Shiv

Naimish Aranya Teerth is the best Teerth among all Teerth and is different from all other Teerth. In the fdays of yore, once Shaunak etc Rishi organized a Yagya which was to continue for a long time. One day the disciple of Ved Vyaas Jee, Lomash Muni, came there with the desire to see those Rishi. All Rishi got very happy to see him and welcomed him. After Lomash Muni had sat down comfortably, all the Rishi present there requested him to tell about Shiv Dharm. Lomash Jee started telling them like thus --

Lomash Jee said - "Shiv's greatness has been described in 18 Puraan, that is why it is not possible to describe it here in full. Who will recite only "Shiv" this 2-letter word, they will attain both Swarg and Moksh, there is no doubt about it. Because he gives all types of things to all people that is why he is called "Sarv". Who destroyed Daksh's Yagya for the welfare of others, burnt Kaam Dev, freed King Shwet from trouble, who can describe his greatness?" Rishi asked - "Hey Muni, How Shiv drank poison? How he destroyed Daksh's Yagya, please tell us all this, we want to listen to them."

Lomash Jee said - "Hay Muni, In the olden days, Prajaapati Daksh married his daughter Satee to Mahaatmaa Shankar at the ordere of Brahmaa Jee. Once wandering around, Daksh Jee came to Naimish Aranya. The Muni who lived there, honored him. All Devtaa, Asur etc also greeted him, but Shiv did not greet him. Noticing this Daksh got very angry. He could not tolerate his insult and he immediately started speaking to him rudely - Even these devtaa and Asur greeted me, Braahman also bow me, but this Shankar does not bow to me. He is only the Lord of Bhoot and Pret, still he considers himself so great [that he does not feel the need to greet me]. So I curse him today. Listen to me O Braahman - "From today I prohibit him from all Yagya." Hearing this Nandee got very angry, he said - "My Lord has been deprived from Yagya's share. All the Yagya, Daan, Tap and different types of Teerth become holy just because of whose name, why did he [Daksh] curse to the same Shiv? O wicked minded Daksh, Who maintains the whole world, you cursed the same Shiv?"

Mahaadev said to Nandee - "O Nandee, You should not be angry with Braahman. I myself am the Yagya, I myself am the Yagya doer, and I myself am the Yagya Aachaarya, that is why I am always busy in doing Yagya. For the same reason, I am Omnipresent, and that is why I am not in anything and I am not bound to anything. If you see with this perspective, I am even outside of all Yagya." When Shiv consoled Nandee like this, Nandee got quieted and Daksh went to his place still filled with rage, but he could not forget this incident. He was always on fire recollecting this incident. he started defaming Shiv.

Once Daksh himself organized a big Yagya in which he invited many Devtaa, Rishhi, Apsaraa etc - Agastya, Kashyap, Atri, Vaamdev, Bhrigu, Dadheechi, Ved Vyaas, Bharadwaaj, Gautam etc Rishi came there. All Devtaa, Lokpaal, Vidyaadhar Gandharv, Kinnar also came there. Brahmaa Jee came there from Brahm Lok, and Vishnu Jee came from Vaikunth Lok. Indra came with Indraanee, Chandramaa came with Rohinee and Varun Dev came with his wife. Kuber came on his Pushpak Vimaan. Vaayu Dev came on his Mrig, Agni Dev came on his goat. Nirriti, the direction Lord of Nairritya, came on the shoulders of his Pret. In this way all Devtaa came to attend Daksh's Yagya. Daksh welcomed all of them and offered them appropriate dwelling places to each of them.

Daksh's Yagya

(p 11) Daksh's Yagya started in Kanakhal. He appointed Bhrigu Rishi as his Ritwij. Daksh Jee took Deekshaa of Yagya with his wife and the Yagya started in auspicious Muhoort with auspicious Mantra. As the Yagya was to start Dadheechi said - "Prajaapati, All big Devtaa, Rishi and Maharshi are present here, but this Yagya is somewhat not looking complete without Shankar Bhagvaan. Without whom even all auspicious things convert in inauspicious, or with the presence of whom even inauspicious things change to auspicious. Why has he not come here yet? Daksh, You yourself go with Vishnu and Indra, and bring him here. His presence will make everything holy." Hearing this Daksh filled with rage and said very impatiently - "The chief of all Devtaa is Vishnu, who lives in Sanaatan Dharm, who is present in all Ved, Upanishad and Yagya, that Vishnu is already here. Pitaamaha Brahmaa Jee has also come here from Satya Lok, and all great Rishi like yourself are also here. While all these are here, then why do we need Rudra here? What do we have to do with Rudra? You all can make my Yagya successful. Start the Yagya and make it a success."

Dadheechi said - "This is a great injustice in the community of holy Rishhi and Devtaa that Bhagvaan Shiv is not invited in this Yagya. There is a possibility of great hurdles in this Yagya without him." Saying this Dadheechi got up from his seat, walked out of the Yagyashaalaa and went away to his Aashram. Daksh Jee said smilingly - "Braahman, Dadheechi loves Shiv very much, that is why he has gone from here. You all observe Vaidik traditions, Vishnu, You are the Lord of everything, you are here, pleases tart the Yagya and make it a success." And all Rishi started the Yagya.

Satee Goes to Daksh's Yagya

At this time, Daksh's daughter Satee was sitting on Gandhmaadan Parvat with her friends. She saw Chandramaa gong somewhere with Rohinee. She said to her friend Vijayaa - "Go and ask Chandramaa, where is he going to?" Vijayaa went to Chandramaa and asked him where was he going to, He told her that he was going to attend Daksh's Yagya. Hearing this Vijayaa got very happy as well as surprised. She came back to Satee and told her everything. Satee thought why my father has not invited me in this Yagya? Even my mother has forgotten me? Let me go to Shankar Jee and ask him the reason of this. So she went to Shankar Jee. He was sitting amidst his Paarshad - Chand, Mund, Baan, Bhringee, Nandee, Mahaakaal, Mahaa Raudram Mahaa Mund, Mahaa Shiraa, Dhoomraaksh, Dhoomraketu, Dhoomrapaad and many others. They all are Veetaraag and they all have won their Indriyaan. As Satee arrived there, Shiv welcomed her and asked the reason of her coming here.

Satee said - "Dev, My father is doing a Yagya, why are you not going there in that Yagya? Hey Sadaashiv, Even though you have not been invited there, still you can go there at my equest." Shiv said politely - "Kalyaanee, Whosoever Rishi, Devtaa, Asur, Gandharv are honorable in your father's mind, they all have reached there. Who go to others' house uninvited, they get insulted greater than death infliction. If even Indra goes uninvited, he also becomes low there, that is why you should also not go to Daksh's house." Hearing this Satee got irritated and said - "Hey Swaamee, By whom all Yagya get complete, that Devtaa is you only, still my wicked father has not invited you, why, I wish to know all this, that is why I want to go there just now. I want to know whether he has any good feelings about you or bad feelings abut you, so please permit me to go there." Maheshwar said - "If this is so, You may take this Nandee and go there. Take various Pramath Gan and go there. I permit you." So by the order of Shiv Satee left for her father's house with 60,000 Rudra Gan. When she had gone, Shiv Jee said - "Insulted by her father, now Satee will never come back here."

Daksh's Yagya Destruction

Satee came to her father's house and went directly to Yagya Shaalaa, got down from Nandee and cast a look at the whole place. She got very happy to see all her relations there, she bowed to her parents and asked her father - "With whichever this whole Universe gets holy, why did you not invite him?" Then she asked Rishi - "Bhrigu Jee, Don't you know Shiv Jee? Kashyap Jee, What about you? And Atri, Vashishth, and Kanv Jee, do you also not know the greatness of Maheshwar? Indra, What is your Dharm now? Brahmaa Jee, Don't you know the powers of Mahaadev?"

Daksh Jee said - "Nothing is going to happen by your talks. We don't need you, whether you stay or go. First of all why have you come here? Your husband who is known as Shiv (auspicious) is in fact inauspicious, he is not even from a noble family, he is the king of Bhoot, Pishaach and Pret, that is why we have not included him in this Yagya."

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