The Shiva Purana is one of the classical Indian scriptures that most fully and comprehensively reflect philosophy. religion and practice of yoga of one of the main branches of Hinduism - Shaivism. Consisting of various parts and legends that were formed over a long period of time - from ancient times to the late Middle Ages, the Shiva Purana, despite many editions, plot and semantic variations and even some contradictions within the text, is unusually harmonious and harmonious in its main task — definitions of Shiva as the highest cosmic principle. the source of creation and the ultimate goal of spiritual progress for man, the Purana contains descriptions of the various forms of Lord Shiva, his companions, manifestations and incarnations, gives recommendations on external religious rites in his honor, individual and collective rituals, talks about images for meditation and other internal spiritual practices. Various stories are given from the world of gods, people (holy sages, heroes, ordinary laymen and sinners) and other creatures inhabiting various worlds. It tells about the process of creation of the universe, its basic principles of functioning and cyclic destruction. It tells about all kinds of events with the participation of Lord Shiva and his eternal energy wife Devi, as well as other main gods of Hinduism - Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu. The first volume of the publication includes “Shiva Purana - Mahatmya” - a section glorifying this work in various forms ; "Vidyeshvara - Samhita" and two parts of "Rudra - Samhita" ("Creation" and the section of stories about Sati).