shivapurANa-mAhAtmyam chapter 01, verse 01
॥शौनक उवाच॥
हे हे सूत महाप्राज्ञ सर्वसिद्धान्तवित्प्रभो।
आख्याहि मे कथासारं पुराणानां विशेषतः॥१॥
O!
knowledgeable Suta, You are a knower of different (all) doctrines**. Please
narrate to me the gist of the stories of Puranas**.
**सिद्धान्त = doctrines or theological
positions with regard to scriptures, there are five major siddhAntas: Shaiva,
with the major deity as Shiva; Shakta with the major deity as shakti or the
Mother Goddess; Kaumara, with the major deity as Kumara or Skanda; Vaishnava,
with the major deity as Vishnu; Saura, with the major deity as the Sun.). A
person well versed in all these doctrines is called as a सिद्धान्तवित्
(Siddhantavit)
**पुरा अपि नवं पुराणम् = That
which is new ispite of being old.
