Namaste.
The Siva Gita is a text of Vedantic Saivism that comes to us from the latter portion (uttara kanda) of the Padma Purana. In many ways, it is a text not unlike the Bhagavad-Gita, except that it is not as well known and was translated into English for the first time in 1997. In the Siva Gita, the teacher is Lord Siva and the disciple is Sri Rama, and the narrator is the bard Suta.
The Siva Gita begins with episode from the Ramayana epic, where Rama is despondent over the loss of Sita. At this time, Rama is visited by Sage Agastya, and Sage Agastya prescribes to Rama that he should observe a special vow called the Pasupata vrata. By observing this vow Agastya promises that Rama shall have a vision of Lord Siva, and will receive the Pasupata arrow without which Ravana cannot be defeated. Rama performs the vow and at the end of four months receives a divine vision of Siva. Siva presents Rama with the Pasupata arrow, and Rama in turn asks Lord Siva a series of questions. The dialogue between Sri Rama and Lord Siva makes up the bulk of the Siva Gita.
I will post some extracts from this beautiful text, which I am currently reading, as time permits.
OM Namah Sivaya.
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