Pushpa danta's Shiva mahima stotram

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Ramarao,

What a wonderful rendering (English) of Pushpadanta's Shiva mahima!

This helps people who have no knowledge of Sanskrit to recite and go

to Siva sannidhyam.

I read the translation( given below) extracted from the international

Gita society .But it appears to be not so effective to me.I very much

appreciate your devotion for Shiva which caused you to attempt this

rendering..

Regards,

Jabalimuni

 

Siva Mahimna Stotra

 

 

Hymn of Greatness

By Sage Pushpadanta

If the praise of Thee by one who is ignorant of the extent of Thy

greatness be unbecoming, then the praises of even BrahmÄ and others

are inadequate for Thee. And if all remain unblamable by praising

Thee according to their intellectual powers, then even this attempt

on my part to compose a hymn is free from any blemish. ||1||

Thy greatness is beyond the reach of mind and speech. Who will praise

That which even the Vedas describe with trepidation by the method

of 'not this, not this'? †" How many qualities does That possess?

And can be perceived by whom? Yet to the form taken later, whose mind

and speech do not turn? ||2||

O Brahman! Does the praise of even Brihaspati cause any wonderment to

Thee who art the Author of the nectar like sweet Vedas? O Destroyer

of Tripura, the thought that by praising Thy glories I shall purify

my speech has prompted me to undertake this work. ||3||

O Giver of boons, in refutation of Thy Divinity which is described by

the three Vedas, which creates, preserves and destroys the world, and

which is divided into three bodies according to the different

qualities, some thick headed persons offer arguments, which are

pleasing to the ignorant but in reality hateful. ||4||

To fulfill what desire, having what body with what instruments,

support, and materials does that Creator indeed create the three

worlds? This kind of vain argument with regard to Thee, whose Divine

nature is beyond vociferous, is to the delusion of mankind. ||5||

O Lord of Gods, can the worlds be without origin though they have

parts? Is creation of the worlds possible without a Creator? Who else

but God can begin the creation of the worlds? Because they are fools,

they raise doubts as regards Thy existence. ||6||

There are different paths of realization as enjoined by the three

Vedas, SÄnkhyÄ, Yoga and PÄÅ›upata doctrine and Vaishnava

Å›Ästras . Persons following different paths †" straight or crooked

according as they consider that this path is best or that one is

proper due to the difference in temperaments, reach Thee alone just

as rivers enter the ocean. ||7||

O Giver of boons, a great bull, a wooden club, an axe, a tiger skin,

ashes, a human skull and the like - these are Thy sole possessions,

though by the mere casting of eyes Thou gave the gods great treasures

which they enjoy. Indeed, the mirage of sense †" objects cannot

delude one whose delight is in the Self. ||8||

O Destroyer of Pura some say that the whole universe is eternal,

while others say that all is transitory. Yet others maintain that all

these are eternal and non-eternal †" having different

characteristics. Bewildered, as it were by them I do not feel ashamed

to praise Thee. Indeed this garrulity indicates my audacity. ||9||

O GirÄ«Å›a, BrahmÄ trying above and, Vishnu trying below failed to

measure Thee who took the form of a Pillar of Fire. Afterwards when

they praised Thee with great devotion and faith, Thou revealed

Thyself to them of thy own accord, indicating whether Thy worship can

go without bearing result. ||10||

O Destroyer of Tripura, that the ten-headed RÄvana, after riding the

three worlds of any trace of enemies, remained with arms eager for

fresh war is due to the fact of his having great devotion to Thee

devotion which prompted him to offer his heads as lotuses to Thy

feet. ||11||

When RÄvana extended the valour of his arms whose strength was

obtained by worshipping Thee - to KailÄsa, Thy abode, Thou moved the

tip of Thy toe, and he did not get a resting place even in the nether

world. Verily, when affluent the wicked becomes deluded. ||12||

O Giver of boons, that BÄna, who had the three worlds at his

command, put to shade the wealth of Indra is not to be wondered at -

he being the worshipper of Thy feet. What prosperity does not result

from bowing down the head to Thee? ||13||

O Three eyed one, it is not that the dark stain on the throat of Thee

who drank poison as an act of favor to gods and demons at their being

panicky at the threatened destruction of the universe all on a

sudden, has not beautified Thee. Even deformity is admirable in one

who is given to freeing the worlds of fear. ||14||

O Lord, the God of love whose arrows do not fail anywhere in the

world of gods, demons and men but are always successful became simply

an object of memory by looking upon Thee as an ordinary god. For an

insult to the self controlled does not conduce to good. ||15||

 

In order to save the world when Thou danced, the earth wondered at

the striking of Thy feet, whether it would not come to sudden end; so

felt the spatial region along with the planets, oppressed by the

movement of Thy iron-cube like arms; and the heaven became then

miserable - its side being struck by Thy waving matted hair. Ah, Thy

very mightiness is the cause of trouble. ||16||

The river which pervades the sky and whose foams look all the more

beautiful because of stars and planets, seems no more than a drop of

water when on Thy head. That again has turned the world into islands

surrounded by waters. And by this should be inferred how vast is Thy

divine body. ||17||

When Thou wanted to burn the three cities which were but a piece of

straw, the earth was Thy chariot, BrahmÄ Thy charioteer, the great

mountain Meru Thy bow, the sun and the moon the wheels of Thy

chariot, Vishnu Thy arrow why this paraphernalia? The Lord is not

dependent on others - He was playing with things at his command.

||18||

O Destroyer of Tripura, Hari rooted out his lotus eye to make

deficiency when one flower was missing in his offering of a thousand

lotuses to Thy feet; this great devotion transformed into a discus is

alert in protecting the three worlds. ||19||

The sacrifice being destroyed Thou ever remainest the connecting link

between the sacrificers and the fruit of the sacrifice. When does the

destroyed sacrifice bear fruit, if not accompanied by the worship of

the Lord? Therefore knowing Thee to be the giver of fruits and

putting faith in the Vedas, people become resolute about the

performance of sacrifical rites. ||20||

Thou Giver of refuge, even the sacrifice where Daksha, the Lord of

creation expert in sacrifices was the sacrificer, Rishis were

priests, gods were supervisors, was destroyed by Thee though Thou art

bent upon giving fruits of the sacrifices. Surely the sacrifices

cause injury to the sacrificers in the absence of devotion. ||21||

O Lord, the fury of Thee who became a hunter with a bow in hand has

not as yet left BrahmÄ though, keenly pierced by Thy arrow and

terror stricken, he has fled to the sky. ||22||

O Destroyer of Tripura, O Giver of boons even on seeing in front the

god of love, bow in hand burnt like a straw in a trice by Thee, if

PÄrvatÄ« proud of Her beauty thinks that Thou art under Her

fascination, because She was allowed to occupy half of Thy body on

account of austerities, ah, surely the young women are under

delusion. ||23||

O Destroyer of the God of love, O Giver of boons, Thy play is in

cremation grounds, Thy companions are the ghosts, Thou besmearest Thy

body with the ashes of burnt bodies and human skulls are Thy garlands

all Thy conduct indeed is thus full of evil. But Thou conduces to the

great good of those who remember Thee. ||24||

Thou art indeed that unspeakable truth which the Yogis realize

through meditation on the Self, on controlling the breath according

to the scriptural directions, and realize which they shed tears of

thrilling joy and swimming as it were in a pool of nectar, enjoy

inner bliss. ||25||

The wise hold this limiting opinion about Thee - Thou art the Sun,

Thou art the Moon, Thou art the Fire, Thou art the Air, Thou art the

Water, Thou art the space, thou art the Earth and Thou art the Self.

But we do not know that thing which Thou art not. ||26||

O Giver of refuge, with the three letters A, U, M indicating the

three Vedas, the three states, the three worlds and the three Gods,

the word OM mentions Thee separately. United by the subtle sound the

word OM collectively mentions Thee - Thy Absolute Transcendent State.

||27||

O Lord, Bhava, Åšarva , Rudra, PaÅ›upati, Ugra, MahÄdeva, BhÄ«ma,

and ĪśÄna †" these eight names are mentioned even in the Vedas.

To Thee who art beloved and effulgent I bow down. ||28||

O Lover of solitude, my salutations to Thee who are very near as also

very far, far away. O Destroyer of the god of love my salutations to

Thee who art the minutest as also the largest. O Three eyed One, my

salutations to Thee who art the oldest as also the youngest. This is

my salutations to thee who art all as also transcending all. ||29||

Salutations to BrahmÄ in whom Rajas preponderates for the creation

of the universe, salutation to Rudra in whom Tamas preponderates for

the destruction of the same. Salutation to Vishnu in whom Sattva

preponderates for giving happiness to the people, Salutation to Åšiva

who is effulgent and beyond the three attributes. ||30||

O Giver of boons, why is my ill-developed mind subject to misery and

where is Thy Divinity - eternal and possessing infinite virtues?

Though terror stricken because of this, I am forced by my devotion to

offer this hymn at Thy feet. ||31||

O Lord if the blue mountain be the ink, the ocean the ink-pot, the

branch of the heavenly tree be pen, the earth the writing leaf, and

by taking these if the Goddess of Learning writes for eternity, even

then the limit of Thy virtues will not be reached. ||32||

 

The best of the Gandharvas, Pushpadanta by name, composed in great

devotion this beautiful hymn of the Lord, who is worshipped by

demons, gods and the best of sages, whose praises have been sung who

has got the moon on His forehead and who is attributeless. ||33||

The person who with purified heart and in great devotion always reads

this beautiful hymn to Åšiva becomes like Åšiva after death in the

abode of Åšiva, and while in this world gets much wealth, long life,

many children as also fame. ||34||

There is no God better than Åšiva, there is no hymn better than the

Hymn on The Greatness of Åšiva, there is no sacred word better than

the name of Åšiva, there is nothing better to be known than the real

nature of spiritual teacher. ||35||

Getting initiation into the spiritual life, charity, austerity,

pilgrimage, knowledge of the scriptures the performance of

sacrificial rites - these do not give one-sixteenth part of the merit

that is got by reciting the Hymn on the Greatness Of Åšiva. ||36||

The Lord of Gandharvas, Pushpadanta by name is the servant of the

great God who has the crescent moon on His forehead. Fallen from his

glory due to the anger of the Lord, he composed this very beautiful

Hymn on the Greatness Of Åšiva to regain His favor. ||37||

After worshipping Åšiva, who is adored by Gods and who grants heaven

and liberation, if one with single minded devotion and folded palms

reads the unfailing hymn composed by Pushpadanta, one goes to Åšiva,

being worshipped by Kinnaras. ||38||

This unparalleled, sacred hymn composed by Pushpadanta and describing

the glory of God is all very fascinating from start to finish. ||39||

This hymnal worship is offered to the feet of Åšiva. May the ever -

propitious Lord of Gods be pleased with me at this. ||40||

O Lord, I do not know the true nature of Thy being - of what kind

Thou art. Of whatever nature Thou mayest be, O Great God to That my

salutation again and again. ||41||

The person who reads this hymn once, twice or thrice is glorified in

the abode of Åšiva, being freed from all sins. ||42||

If a person learns by heart, reads or keeps in the home this hymn,

which came out of the lips of Pushpadanta and which destroys sins and

is dear to Åšiva, Åšiva the Lord of creation becomes very pleased.

||43||

Here ends the Hymn on the Greatness of Åšiva composed by Pushpadanta.

Translation extracted from: International Gita Society.