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The composer of this holy hymn, the Psalm of lord Siva, is known as Puspadanta, a Gandharva by a race. The traditional story runs that Puspadanta was a staunch devotee of Siva. He had gained the capacity to become invisible at will, by grace of the Lord. He used to pluck flowers from the garden of a King, using his power of invisibility. The king was very much surprised at the vigilance of the guards. He, too, was a profound devotee of Siva. In order to catch the thief of the flowers, he scattered Siva- nirmalya (the flowers taken off from the idol of the Lord) in the garden, in the hope that the thief would lose his capacity to disappear by trading on these flowers. Puspadanta trod on the flowers unknowingly, and lost his power of invisibility. In order to regain that lost power the composed this hymns to please the Lord. The story of Puspadanta occurs in Kathasaritsagara and Brihatkathamanjari.
The story in Kathasaritsagara runs thus: Once, in order to please Parvati Lord Siva was telling her different types of interesting and new stories. Nandi, Siva's bull, was watching at the door to prohibit others to enter. Puspadanta was very dear to the Lord, he entered the door by the power of yoga, heard all the stories and narrated them to his wife Jaya. She told all the stories to Parvati. Parvati complained to Lord Siva, of telling stories already known to Jaya, stating them to be new. Lord Siva, through meditation, knew and revealed the mischievous behaviour of Puspadanta to his consort. Parvati became angry and cursed Puspadanta and Malyavana, an accomplice, to take birth as human beings on earth, at the request of Jaya she gave a boon that whenever they would meet at the Yaksa Supratika on Vindhyacala, Puspadanta would be free from the curse and Malyavana would also get rid of it. They would become Vararuci and Gunadhya respectively in future births. The seventh place named Agratara on the bank of river Ganga. There lived a Brahmana Govindatta, and his wife Agnidatta. A Son, Devadtta was born to them. The daughter of the king of Pratisthanapura was flowers from her teeth. He did not understand her suggestion, but when he entered the gana of Lord Siva, he became Puspadanta and Jaya became his wife.
References to Puspadanta are available in Mahabharata, Skandapurana, Lingapurana, Bhagavata Mahapurana, Mastyapurana and Amarakosa. All these references prove that the story of Puspadanta is very old, but his name is not mentioned anywhere in the history of stotra literature. Critics assert that the composer of this poem assumed this name in order to give importance to his creation.
A famous scholar, W. Norman Brown, has tried to emphasis that the composer of this hymn was a books. He indicates that in some manuscripts the name of the poet in mentioned as Grahila or Kumarilabhatta. The time of Kumarilabhatta was at the Ameresvara temple at Mandhata in the district of Nimada on the north bank of the river Narmada. The second digit of the year mentioned in that inscription being damaged and erased, the year is not clear. N. P. Chakravarty gives the period at between Samvat 1120 or 1220 A.D., and works out the possible date as either November 21, 1062 or October 27, 1163. This reference itself indicates that the date of the hymn is much before that date. One of the stanzas, i.e. Rathahksoni etc. appears in Somadeva's Yasastilaka (Kavyamala edition, part I, p.55), where he name of the composer has been said to be Grahila. The date of his work is A.D. 959, a determined by D. C. Bhattacharya. Another stanza occurs in Kavyamimansa of Rajshekhara (8/16). Its date has been ascertained to be the end of 9th or beginning of 10th century (880- 920 A.D.). The poem cited is Kimihah kimkayah etc. The learned scholar has also referred to the information given to him by Prof. V. Raghavana that the above-cited stanza also occurs in the commentary of Narayanakantha on Mrigendragana and the poet has been honoured by the title Siddhacudamani. The author belongs to the 10th century.
Lord Siva has universal appeal in India. From the snow-capped Himalayas in the north to the ocean washed shores of the south, he has been worshipped through the ages, by the householders as well as sannyasisn as the Lord of the animate and the inanimate. His fame as easy-to-be pleased God and also giver of boons, has naturally prompted poets and devotees to compose and sing hymns in His glory.
Siva-Mahimnah Stotram or the Hymn on the Greatness of Siva is considered as one of the best hymns in Sanskrit literature. It is grand in conception, sublime in diction, and uplifting in its influence. It goes without saying that persons who recite it after knowing its meaning will have great spiritual benefit.
Shiva-Mahimnah Stotram or the Hymn on the greatness of Shiva is considered by many to be the best of all the hymns found in Sanskrit literature. Sri Ramakrishna once went into Samadhi while repeating it. It is grand in conception, sublime in diction, and uplifting in its influence. Some of the Verses may fail to appeal to the modern people, but their cumulative effect on the mind of the readers is none the less. The very recital of this beautiful hymn raises one to a higher plane of existence. There are many persons who repeat it daily, though not fully understanding it, yet they derive immense benefit. It goes without saying that persons who recite it after knowing its meaning will have more spiritual advantage. For the benefit of those English-knowing people who have no deep knowledge of Sanskrit, we give this English translation.
Nobody knows definitely who is the author of this book. There is a legendary story that one Pushpadanta composed it to please Shiva whose wrath he incurred by treading on the flowers which were left after worshipping the Great Deity. The verse number 37 supports this legend. It might be that some devotee of Shiva wrote this hymn under this pseudonym. This is quite in keeping with the Indian spirit which makes a man shrink from the idea of seeing his name blazoned before the public. Whoever may be the author; doubtless he is immortalized in this hymn and will receive silent homage from the devotees of the Lord for all time to come.
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