Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was the youngest son of Debendranath Tagore, a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, which was a new religious sect in nineteenth-century Bengal and which attempted a revival of the ultimate monistic basis of Hinduism as laid down in the Upanishads. He was educated at home; and although at seventeen he was sent to England for formal schooling, he did not finish his studies there. In his mature years, in addition to his many-sided literary activities, he managed the family estates, a project which brought him into close touch with common humanity and increased his interest in social reforms. He also started an experimental school at Shantiniketan where he tried his Upanishadic ideals of education. From time to time he participated in the Indian nationalist movement, though in his own non-sentimental and visionary way; and Gandhi, the political father of modern India, was his devoted friend. Tagore was knighted by the ruling British Government in 1915, but within a few years he resigned the honour as a protest against British policies in India.

Tagore had early success as a writer in his native Bengal. With his translations of some of his poems he became rapidly known in the West. In fact his fame attained a luminous height, taking him across continents on lecture tours and tours of friendship. For the world he became the voice of India’s spiritual heritage; and for India, especially for Bengal, he became a great living institution.

SIVA-MAHIMNAH STOTRAM
HYMN TO THE GLORY OF LORD SHIVA

Om Namah Shivaya

Introduction

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. The legend about the circumstances leading to the composition of this Stotra is as follows.

A king named Chitraratha had constructed a nice garden . There were beautiful flowers in this garden . These flowers were used every day by the king in worshipping Lord Shiva.

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 . He tried very hard to capture the thief, but in vain, because the Gandharvas have divine power to remain invisible.

Finally the king spread the Shiva Nirmaalya in his garden . Shiva Nirmaalya consists of the Bilva leaves, flowers, etc. which have been used in worshipping Lord Shiva . The Shiva Nirmaalya is considered holy.

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 . He then designed a prayer to Lord Shiva for forgiveness. In this prayer he sung the greatness of the Lord.

This very prayer became well known as the ‘Shiva Mahimna Stotra’. Lord Shiva became pleased by this Stotra, and returned Pushhpadanta’s divine powers.

The legend has some basis since the name of the author is mentioned in verse number 38 of the stotram. The recital of this stotra is very beneficial, therefore let its recitation be beneficial to all beings!

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. 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. (1)

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.

Your greatness is beyond the reach of mind and speech. 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)

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.

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. (3)

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 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. (4)

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.

To fulfill what desire, assuming what form, with what instruments, support and material does that Creator create the three worlds? This kind of futile argumentation about You whose divine nature is beyond the reach of intellect, makes the perverted vociferous, and brings delusion to men. (5)

Text 6

ajanmano lokah kimavayava vanto’pi jagatam
adhisthataram kim bhavavidhir-anadritya bhavati,
anisho va kuryad bhuvana janane kah parikaro
yato mandastvam praty-amaravara samsherata ime.

O Lord of gods! Can the worlds be without origin, though they have bodies? Is their creation possible with out a creator? Who else but God can initiate the creation of the worlds? Because they are fools they raise doubts about Your existence. (6)

Text 7

trayi sankhyam yogah pasupati matam vaishnavamiti
prabhinne prasthane paramidamadah pathyamiti ca,
rucinam vaicitryad riju kutila nana pathajusham
nrinameko gamyas tvamsasi payasa marnava iva.

Different paths (to realization) arc enjoined by the three Vedas, by Sankhya, Yoga, Pashupata (Shaiva) (doctrine and Vaishnava Shastras. People follow different paths, straight or crooked, according to their temperament, depending on which they consider best, or most appropriate–and reach You alone just as rivers enter the ocean. (7)

Text 8

mahokshah khatvangam parashu-rajinam bhasma haninah
kapalam cetiyat tava varada tantro pakaranam,
surastam tamriddhim dadhati tu bhavad bhru pranihitam
na hi svatma ramam vishaya mriga trishna bhramayati.

O Giver of boons! A great bull, a wooden hand rest, an axe, a tiger skin, ashes, serpents, a human skull and other such things–these are all You own, though simply by casting Your eyes on gods You gave them great treasures which they enjoy. Indeed one whose delight is in the Self cannot be deluded by the mirage of sense objects. (8)

Text 9

dhruvam kascit sarvam sakala mapara stva dhruva midam
paro dhrau vyadhrauvye jagati gadati vyasta vishaye,
samaste’pye tasmin puramathana tair vismita iva
stuvan jihremi tvam na khalu nanu dhrishta mukharata.

O Destroyer of the demon Pura, some say that the whole universe is eternal while others say that all is transi tory. Others still, hold that it is eternal and non-eternal — having different characteristics. Bewildered by all this, I do not feel ashamed to praise You; indeed my loquacity is an indication of my boldness. (9)

Text 10

tavaisvaryam yatnad yadupari virincir-hari-radhah
paricchettum yatav anala manala skandha vapushah,
tato bhakti sraddha bhara-guru-grinad-bhyam girisha yat
svayam tasthe tabhyam tava kim anuvrittir na phalati.

0 Girisha, when You took the form of a pillar of fire, Brahma trying from above and Vishnu trying from below failed to measure You. Afterwards, when they praised You with great faith and devotion, You revealed yourself to them of Your own accord; does not surrender to You bear fruit? (10)

जात पवनसुत देवन्ह देखा। जानैं कहुँ बल बुद्धि बिसेषा।।
सुरसा नाम अहिन्ह कै माता। पठइन्हि आइ कही तेहिं बाता।।
आजु सुरन्ह मोहि दीन्ह अहारा। सुनत बचन कह पवनकुमारा।।
राम काजु करि फिरि मैं आवौं। सीता कइ सुधि प्रभुहि सुनावौं।।
तब तव बदन पैठिहउँ आई। सत्य कहउँ मोहि जान दे माई।।
कबनेहुँ जतन देइ नहिं जाना। ग्रससि न मोहि कहेउ हनुमाना।।
जोजन भरि तेहिं बदनु पसारा। कपि तनु कीन्ह दुगुन बिस्तारा।।
सोरह जोजन मुख तेहिं ठयऊ। तुरत पवनसुत बत्तिस भयऊ।।
जस जस सुरसा बदनु बढ़ावा। तासु दून कपि रूप देखावा।।
सत जोजन तेहिं आनन कीन्हा। अति लघु रूप पवनसुत लीन्हा।।
बदन पइठि पुनि बाहेर आवा। मागा बिदा ताहि सिरु नावा।।
मोहि सुरन्ह जेहि लागि पठावा। बुधि बल मरमु तोर मै पावा।।
दो0-राम काजु सबु करिहहु तुम्ह बल बुद्धि निधान।
आसिष देह गई सो हरषि चलेउ हनुमान।।2।।
–*–*–
निसिचरि एक सिंधु महुँ रहई। करि माया नभु के खग गहई।।
जीव जंतु जे गगन उड़ाहीं। जल बिलोकि तिन्ह कै परिछाहीं।।
गहइ छाहँ सक सो न उड़ाई। एहि बिधि सदा गगनचर खाई।।
सोइ छल हनूमान कहँ कीन्हा। तासु कपटु कपि तुरतहिं चीन्हा।।
ताहि मारि मारुतसुत बीरा। बारिधि पार गयउ मतिधीरा।।
तहाँ जाइ देखी बन सोभा। गुंजत चंचरीक मधु लोभा।।
नाना तरु फल फूल सुहाए। खग मृग बृंद देखि मन भाए।।
सैल बिसाल देखि एक आगें। ता पर धाइ चढेउ भय त्यागें।।
उमा न कछु कपि कै अधिकाई। प्रभु प्रताप जो कालहि खाई।।
गिरि पर चढि लंका तेहिं देखी। कहि न जाइ अति दुर्ग बिसेषी।।
अति उतंग जलनिधि चहु पासा। कनक कोट कर परम प्रकासा।।
छं=कनक कोट बिचित्र मनि कृत सुंदरायतना घना।
चउहट्ट हट्ट सुबट्ट बीथीं चारु पुर बहु बिधि बना।।
गज बाजि खच्चर निकर पदचर रथ बरूथिन्ह को गनै।।
बहुरूप निसिचर जूथ अतिबल सेन बरनत नहिं बनै।।1।।
बन बाग उपबन बाटिका सर कूप बापीं सोहहीं।
नर नाग सुर गंधर्ब कन्या रूप मुनि मन मोहहीं।।
कहुँ माल देह बिसाल सैल समान अतिबल गर्जहीं।
नाना अखारेन्ह भिरहिं बहु बिधि एक एकन्ह तर्जहीं।।2।।
करि जतन भट कोटिन्ह बिकट तन नगर चहुँ दिसि रच्छहीं।
कहुँ महिष मानषु धेनु खर अज खल निसाचर भच्छहीं।।
एहि लागि तुलसीदास इन्ह की कथा कछु एक है कही।
रघुबीर सर तीरथ सरीरन्हि त्यागि गति पैहहिं सही।।3।।
दो0-पुर रखवारे देखि बहु कपि मन कीन्ह बिचार।
अति लघु रूप धरौं निसि नगर करौं पइसार।।3।।

सुन्दर काण्ड