Description of the nether worlds

पाताललोकवर्णनं नाम पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः
Description of the nether worlds – Chapter 15



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



दिवार्करश्मयो यत्र न भवन्ति विधोर्निशि |
न शीतमातपो यत्र मणितेजोऽत्र केवलम् || 29 ||
भक्ष्यभोजान्नपानानि भुज्यन्ते मुदितैर्भृशम् |
यत्र न ज्ञायते कालो गतोऽपि मुनिसत्तम || 30 ||
Where there are no sun rays nor moon at night, where (there is) no heat nor cold, only (light is the) brilliance of jewels (is) here (in the nether worlds).
Eatable food and drinks are enjoyed gladly in plenty (large amounts). Best of the sages, (those places are) where time is unknown (there is no concept of time), (including) even the past.



Demons including Daityas (progeny of Diti) and Danavas (progeny of Danu) live in Rasatala. Below the Patala are the hells.

Description of the nether worlds

पाताललोकवर्णनं नाम पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः
Description of the nether worlds – Chapter 15



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



अतलं वितलं चैव सुतलं च रसातलम् || 22 ||
तलं तलातलं चाग्र्यं पातालं सप्तमं मतम् |
भूमेरधः सप्त लोका इमे ज्ञेया विचक्षणैः || 23 ||
Atala and Vitala, Sutala and Rasatala, Tala (Mahatala), Talatala, and the main Patala, considered the seventh of these seven (nether) worlds below this world, should be known by the wise.

Importance of Purana

पुराणमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नाम त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः
Purana importance/greatness description Chapter 13


सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



ये शृण्वन्ति कथां शंभोः सदा भुवनपावनीम् |
ते मनुष्या न मन्तव्या रुद्रा एव न संशयः || 23 ||
Those who listen to Lord Shiva's stories, which always make the world holier, should not be considered human beings; undoubtedly they are like Rudras (the Shiva element).



Compare with



ये शृण्वन्ति मुने शैवं पुराणं शास्त्रमुत्तमम् |
ते मनुष्या न मन्तव्या रुद्रा एव न संशयः || 15 ||


from Chapter 1 of the importance section (taken from Skanda Purana) before Vidyeshwara Samhita.



पापं संक्षीयते नित्यं धर्मश्चैव विवर्धते |
पुराणश्रवणाज्ज्ञानी न संसारं प्रपद्यते || 37 ||
By listening to Purana, sins shrink continuously and Dharma increases, (and) a knowledgeable person does not come back to the material world (take rebirth).

Importance of Purana

पुराणमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नाम त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः
Purana importance/greatness description Chapter 13



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



ये शृण्वन्ति कथां शंभोः सदा भुवनपावनीम् |
ते मनुष्या न मन्तव्या रुद्रा एव न संशयः || 23 ||
Those who listen to Lord Shiva's stories, which always make the world holier, should not be considered human beings; undoubtedly they are like Rudras (the Shiva element).

Purana Importance

पुराणमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नाम त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः
Purana importance/greatness description Chapter 13



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



पुराणश्रवणाच्छंभोर्निष्पापो जायते नरः |
भुक्त्वा भोगान्सुविपुलाञ्छिवलोकमवाप्नुयात् || 20 ||
By listening to Shiva Purana, a man becomes free from sin. After enjoying a lot of pleasures, (he) attains Shivaloka.

Penance

तपोमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नाम द्वादशोऽध्यायः
Penance importance description Chapter 12



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



तपसा प्राप्यते स्वर्गस्तपसा प्राप्यते यशः |
तपसा प्राप्यते कामस्तपः सर्वार्थसाधनम् || 40 ||
By penance one gets heaven, by penance one gets fame, by penance one's desires are fulfilled. Penance is the means to achieve everything.

Ramayana has several instances mentioning the greatness of penance. Narada tells Himalaya that Parvati should practise penance and Lord Shiva can even change her future.



जौं तपु करै कुमारि तुम्हारी | भाविउ मेटि सकहिं त्रिपुरारी ||
Penance is said to be the basis for everything, the universe including creation, maintenance and destruction. The message in the first two of the following three lines also repeats in Ramayana.



तपबल रचई प्रपंचु विधाता | तपबल बिष्नु सकल जग त्राता ||
तपबल संभु करहिं संघारा | तपबल सेषु धरइ महिभारा ||
तप आधार सब सृष्टि भवानी | करहि जाई तपु अस जियँ जानी ||

Food Donation

अन्नदानमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नामैकादशोऽध्यायः
Importance of food donation Chapter 11



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



अन्नं प्रजापतिः साक्षादन्नं विष्णुः स्वयं हरः |
तस्मादन्नसमं दानं न भूतं न भविष्यति || 48 ||
कृत्वापि सुमहत्पापं यः पश्चादन्नदो भवेत् |
विमुक्तः सर्वपापेभ्यः स्वर्गलोकं स गच्छति || 49 ||
Food is Lord Brahma in visible form, food is Lord Vishnu, food is Lord Shiva himself. Therefore, there has never been and will never be donation as good as that of food.
If one becomes a donor of food even after commiting a grave sin, one gets liberated from all sins and goes to heaven.

Food Donation

अन्नदानमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नामैकादशोऽध्यायः
Importance of food donation Chapter 11



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



अन्नदः प्राणदः प्रोक्तः प्राणदश्चापि सर्वदः |
तस्मादन्नप्रदानेन सर्वदानफलं लभेत् || 25 ||
A donor of food is said to be a donor of life and a donor of life is (said to be) a donor of everything. Therefore, one who gives food gets the fruits of donating everything.

Food Donation

अन्नदानमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नामैकादशोऽध्यायः
Importance of food donation Chapter 11



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



सर्वेषामेव दानानामन्नदानं परं स्मृतम् |
सद्यः प्रीतिकरं हृद्यं बलबुद्धिविवर्धनम् || 17 ||
Of all kinds of donations, donation of food is considered to be the highest. (It is) immediately affection causing, pleasant, increases strength and intelligence.

Maya

शिवमायाप्रभाववर्णनं नाम चतुर्थोऽध्यायः
Description of the might of the illusory power of Lord Shiva – Chapter 4



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



ब्रह्मा च बहुवारं हि मोहितः शिवमायया |
अभवद्भोक्तुकामश्च स्वसुतायां परासु च || 27 ||
And Lord Brahma really many times (came) under the influence of Lord Shiva's illusory power and became desirous of his own daughter (Sandhya) as well as others' (daughters).



Only God himself has managed to scrape by with minimal influence of the illusory power.

Maya

शिवमायाप्रभाववर्णनं नाम चतुर्थोऽध्यायः
Description of the might of the illusory power of Lord Shiva – Chapter 4



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



शिवमायाप्रभावेणाभूद्धरि काममोहितः |
परस्त्रीधर्षणं चक्रे बहुवारं मुनीश्वर || 17 ||
By the might of Lord Shiva's illusory power, Lord Vishnu became confused/infatuated by desire. Great sage, (He) attacked/violated others' women many times.

Maya

शिवमायाप्रभाववर्णनं नाम चतुर्थोऽध्यायः
Description of the might of the illusory power of Lord Shiva – Chapter 4



सनत्कुमार उवाच |
Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)



तन्माया परमा दिव्या सर्वत्र व्यापिनी मुने |
तदधीनं जगत्सर्वं सदेवासुरमानुषम् || 15 ||
Sage, His divine, highest, illusory power (Maya) is all pervading. The whole universe is dependent on (subject to) it, including Devas, demons and humans.