O, Destroyer of Three Cities of the demons, thinking that my speech may become purified by this act, my intellect (Buddhi) has become prepared to sing your greatness. Who can praise this type of greatness of yours? With how many qualities is it composed? Whose subject of description can it be ? And yet even then whose mind and speech are not attached to your this new Saguna form ? (2) मधुस्फीता वाचः परममृतं निर्मितवतः तव ब्रह्मन.ह किं वागपि सुरगुरोर्विस्मयपदम.ह । मम त्वेतां वाणीं गुणकथनपुण्येन भवतः पुनामीत्यर्थे.अस्मिन.ह पुरमथन बुद्धिर्व्यवसिता ॥ ३॥ O, Paramaatmaa (Greatest Soul), as you are the very creator of speech of the Vedas, which is like highest type of nectar and as sweet as honey, how can even the speech of Brahaspati (Guru, or spiritual guide of gods) surprise you ? (ie, the speech of even Brahaspati is worthless before you). Even the Vedas also, having become surprised, confirm your greatness by only saying `Neti', `Neti' (not this, not this) while describing you. Hence, (thinking like this ) I begin this prayer. If it is so, I should not be an exception. Hence, if persons with very limited intellect ( and I am one of them ) try to offer you a prayer, their attempt deserve your special favour. Let its recitation be beneficial to you as well! The recital of this stotra is very beneficial, and Shri Ramakrishna, one of the famous saints of the nineteenth century, went into samadhi just by reciting a few verses from this hymn. The legend has some basis since the name of the author is mentioned in verse number 38 of the stotraM. Lord Shiva became pleased by this StotraM, and returned Pushhpadanta's divine powers. This very prayer became well known as the `Shiva Mahimna Stotra'. In this prayer he sung the greatness of the Lord. He then designed a prayer to Lord Shiva for forgiveness. The thief Pushhpadanta, not knowing this, walked on the Shiva Nirmaalya, and by that he incurred the wrath of Lord Shiva and lost the divine power of invisibility. Shiva Nirmaalya consists of the Bilva leaves, flowers, et cetera which have been used in worshipping Lord Shiva. He tried very hard to capture the thief, but in vain, because the Gandharvas have divine power to remain invisible.įinally the king spread the Shiva Nirmaalya in his garden. One day a Gandharva (Singer in the court of Indra, the Lord of the Heaven) named Pushhpadanta being fascinated by the beautiful flowers, began to steal them, as a consequence of which king Chitraratha could not offer flowers to Lord Shiva. These flowers were used every day by the king in worshipping Lord Shiva. There were beautiful flowers in this garden. The legend about the circumstances leading to the composition of this Stotra is as follows.Ī king named Chitraratha had constructed a nice garden. The Shiva Mahimna Stotra is very popular among the devotees of Lord Shiva and is considered one of the best among all Stotras (or Stutis) offered to Lord Shiva. This Page is courtesy of Sanskrit Documents List.