(4) Shiv Mahimna Stotram - Text 5 Kimihah kimkayah sa khalu kimupaya stribhuvanam kimadharo dhata srijati kimupadana iti ca, atarkyaish varye tvay yanavasara duhstho hatadhiyah kutarko’yam kamshcin mukharayati mohaya jagatah. O Giver of boons! Some stupid people produce arguments–pleasing to the ignorant but in fact hateful– to refute Your Divinity, which creates, preserves and destroys the world, which is divided into three bodies (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) according to the three gunas, and which is described in the three Vedas. (3) Shiv Mahimna Stotram - Text 4 Tavaisvaryam yat taj jagadudaya raksa pralayakrit trayivastu vyastam tisrishu guna-bhinnasu tanushu, abhavyanam asmin varada ramaniyama ramanim vihantum vyakrosim vidadhata ihaike jadadhiyah. O Brahman! Do even Brihaspati’s praises cause wonder to You, the author of the nectar like sweet Vedas? 0 destroyer of the three cities, the thought that by praising Your glories I shall purify my speech has prompted me to undertake this work. Who can properly praise that which even the Vedas describe with trepidation, by means of’ ‘neti-neti / not this, not this’? How many qualities does He possess? By whom can He be perceived? Yet whose mind and speech do not turn to the form later taken by Him (saguna) (2) Shiv Mahimna Stotram - Text 3 Madhu sphita vacah paramam amritam nirmitavatas tava brahman kim vag api suraguror vismaya padam, mama tvetam vanim guna kathana punyena bhavatah punam ityarthe’smin puramathana buddhir vyavasita. Your greatness is beyond the reach of mind and speech. (1) Shiv Mahimna Stotram - Text 2 Atitah panthanam tava ca mahima vanmanasayor atad vyavrttya yam cakita mabhi dhatte shrutirapi, sa kasya stotavyah katividha gunah kasya vishayah pade tvarvacine patati na manah kasya na vacah. If no one can be blamed when they praise You according to their intellectual powers, then my attempt to compose a hymn cannot be reproached. The recital of this stotra is very beneficial, therefore let its recitation be beneficial to all beings! Shiv Mahimna Stotram - Text 1 mahimnah param te parama vidusho yadyasadrishi stutir brahma dina mapitadava sannastvayi girah, atha vacyah sarvah svamati parina mavadhi grinan mamapyeshah stotre hara nirapavadah parikarah Sri Pushpadanta said: If it is unseemly to praise You when ignorant of the extent of’ Your greatness, then even the praises of Brahma and others are inadequate. 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 Stotra, 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. which have been used in worshipping Lord Shiva. Shiva Nirmaalya consists of the Bilva leaves, flowers, etc. Finally the king spread the Shiva Nirmaalya in his garden. He tried very hard to capture the thief, but in vain, because the Gandharvas have divine power to remain invisible. One day a Gandharva (Heavenly Singer in the court of Indra, the Lord of the Heaven) named Pushhpadanta being fascinated by the beautiful flowers, began to stealthem, 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 Composition (Story of Pushpadanta) A king named Chitraratha had constructed a nice garden. The legend about the circumstances leading to the composition of this Stotra is as follows. Shree Varasiddhi Vinayaka Mandir - Shiva Mahimna Stotram 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.