The number of slokas in the various editions varies from 81,000 up to 100,000.
The printed edition of the former contains 81,000 verses spread over 1671 chapters.
1) Mahesvarakhanda
Introduction; greatness Skanda;story of Daksayajna and its destruction;fruits of worshipping the Sivalinga; storyof Devendra; Samudramathana (churningof milky ocean to get amrta or nectar); story of Parvati and her marriage to Siva;birth of Kumara (Skanda or Sanmukhaor Karttikeya or Subrahmanya); Kumara's fighting with Tarakasura and killing him;greatness of Vasudeva; story of the Pandavas; descriptions of several places of pilgrimage.
2) Vaisnavakhanda
Story of Varahavatara (Boar-incarnation) rescuing Bhudevi or Mother Earth; story of Kamala and Srinivasa or Venkatesa; legends of Bharadvaja and Markandeya; greatness (eulogy) of Purusottama of Puri; Ambarisa's episode; other episodes such as those of Indradyumna, Jaimini, Narada, and Nilakantha; description of Narasimha; passage to Brahmaloka; details concerning the rathayatra of Jagannatha of Puri; story of Daksinamurti; Dasavataras; greatness of Badari (place of pilgrimage); about some rituals and the method of observing ekadasi; importance of Bhagavata; sacredness of the months Karttika and Magha (October-November and January-February).
3) Brahmakhanda
This khanda deals mainly with the following places of pilgrimage: Setu (Dhanuskoti); Chakratirtha (near Ramesvara); Brahmakunda (near Gaya); Ramatirtha (near Gaya); Laksmitirtha (on the banks of Godavari river); Sankhatirtha(in Kururksetra).
Greatness of Ramanatha Siva ofRamesvaram; philosophical principles;method of going on a pilgrimage; on the four varnas and asramas: on temples; dharma as described in the smrtis; eulogyof dana (gifts); duties of a vaisnava.
Greatness of Siva and his panchaksari mantra (namas-sivaya); sacredness of Gokarna (place of pilgrimage dedicated to Siva) and the Sivaratri festival; on the rudraksi beads.
4) Kasikhanda
Stories of pativratas (wives devoted to their husbands); the Saptarisis (the Seven Great Sages); story of Dhruva; description of Tapoloka; eulogy of Varanasi; story of the deliverance of a devil.
5) Avantikhanda
Story of the Mahakala forest; a beautiful hymn of Siva; the vratas (religious observances) of Naga Pancami and Gauri; description of some more pilgrim centres; story of the king Dundhumara.
6) Nagarakhanda
Manifestation of Siva as the Siva Linga; story of the king Harischandra; Visvamitra's extraordinary feats including sending the king Trisanku to heaven; greatness of Hatakesvara (on the bank of the Godavari); other centres like Visnupada (Gaya), Gokarna, Varanasi, Dwarka, Avanti and Vrindavan; description of sacred rivers Ganga, Narmada and Sarasvati.
7) Prabhasakhanda
Several legends connected with some ancient personalities like Somesa, Visvesa, Siddhesvara, Narakesvara, Samvartesa and Nidhisvara.