Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 3

Meaning:  O Lord Shiva! You are the creator of the nectar-like Vedas. Can the speech of even Brihaspati, the teacher of the Devas, amaze you? (Even though I am aware of this fact) O Puramathan! My intellect is engaged in singing this hymn thinking that by the merit of singing your glories I am purifying my speech.     

Reflections: Pushpadanta establishes that Lord Shiva is Brahman who had created the Vedas.

The scriptures tell us that Brahman had created the Vedas:

Brahma Sutra (1.1.3): “Brahman is the source of the scriptures (The Vedas).”

Swetaswatara Upanishad (6.18): “In the beginning, the Lord (Brahman) had created Brahma (Its creator aspect) and revealed the Vedas to him.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.4.10): “As smoke comes out from a fire kindled with wet fuel, similarly the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, the Athrvangirasa, history, mythology, various branches of Knowledge, the Upanishads, verses, aphorisms, elucidations, and explanations are like the exhaled breath of this infinite Reality, the Supreme Self, Brahman. Indeed, It breathed forth all of these.”

The Vedas consist of life-giving or life-explaining ultimate truths. These have been expressed in beautiful poetic ways. Pushpadanta is aware of the fact that Lord Shiva as Brahman has created the Vedas, and so no one’s praises of Lord Shiva will amaze Him. Even the glories of Lord Shiva sung by Brihaspati, the teacher of the devas, who is most intelligent, and well-versed in speech, will not amaze Him. But, then why Pushpadanta is engaged in composing this Shiva Mahimna Stotra to describe Lord Shiva’s glories? Definitely, this singing will not amaze Lord Shiva.

Pushpadanta himself gives his reason. He says he was just trying to purify his speech by singing the glories of the Lord. What is the ‘punya’ (merit) of singing Lord’s Glories? To me, it is the result of an effort to fill the mind with positive and uplifting thoughts. It is the result of an acceptance of Ultimate Reality and the humbling surrender of the little ego of the body-mind to that Reality. Whatever we have in our mind, that is what we say, and we act accordingly. If our minds are filled with positive and uplifting thoughts, then our speech and actions also reflect these ideas. This way, we can get rid of impure thoughts, speech, and actions from us. This is the process of purification. Spiritual teachers give an example of an inkpot. Suppose it is filled with old dirty ink. One way to clean it is to keep pouring pure water into the pot and eventually, it will be cleaned. Pushpadanta says that he wants to purify his speech by singing the glories of Lord Shiva and that is the motive he has in his mind for composing this hymn. Indirectly, we also get a hint to purify our speech by singing this Shiva Mahimna Stotra.    

M. asked Sri Ramakrishna, “How can we fix our minds on God?”

Sri Ramakrishna answered, “Repeat God’s name, and sing His/Her glories, and keep holy company; and now and then visit God’s devotees and holy men….” He also told M. to go in solitude and by reflecting upon ‘what is real and what is unreal’, realize that ‘God alone is real, the Eternal Substance and all else is unreal, means impermanent. Then, withdraw the mind from all the impermanent objects of the world.

The very first thing Sri Ramakrishna said is to repeat God’s name and sing God’s glory. It really helps to focus the mind on God. When the mind gets purified, consequently the speech and the actions also get purified.

In Kaivalyashtakam 5, it has been said:

“God is always residing where the devotees sing God’s name with devotion. Therefore, ‘repeating God’s name is enough’.

Sant Kabira says:

“The mouth which is not repeating Rama (God’s name), that mouth is filled with dirt. So, O My Brother! Sing Rama, Govinda, Hari (God’s names).”

When we are not repeating God’s name, we are talking about useless things and many times talking trash. When our mind is filled with spiritual consciousness, we are aware of what we are talking about, and we will not say meaningless or harmful words.

Let us sing God’s glories to purify our minds, speech, and actions.

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 2

Meaning: (and O Lord Shiva!) Your glories are beyond the reach of the mind and the speech. Even the scriptures, being astonished by Your incomprehensible form, establish You by negating everything else through ‘Neti Neti”. Who can describe Your glories? Who can tell how many virtues You have? Who can make You a subject of comprehension? But, when You manifest with your divine form, whose mind and speech do not get attracted to You?

Reflections: The thoughts of the shloka -1 continue in this one.

Pushpadanta says that the glories of Lord Shiva as Brahman, the Absolute, the Formless and devoid of qualities, the Infinite, are beyond the comprehension of the mind and speech. Even the scriptures are aware that whatever they describe makes the Brahman limited. That is why the scriptures humbly establish Brahman by negating anything that is perceived through the mind and the senses, saying ‘Neti, Neti’, meaning ‘not this, not this’.

Some people think that the Lord is infinite but has virtues, auspicious qualities, called ‘Gunas’. Shri Pushpadanta says that who can even describe the ‘Gunas’ of the Lord. The Lord has infinitely many virtues. No one can sing the full glories of the Lord. 

Brahman cannot be an object of study, because It is the subject. Because I am different from a lamp, I can study the lamp. In that case, I am the ‘subject’ and the lamp is an ‘object’.  But, when I want to know Brahman, the problem arises. In this case, both the subject and the object are the same. Since ‘I’ is Brahman, It cannot separate itself from Brahman to know.

Kenopanishad (1.4-9) says, “Know that That alone is Brahman

“which cannot be expressed by the speech, but by which the speech functions,

“which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which the mind apprehends,

“which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by which the eye perceives,                                       

“which cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the ear hears,

“which cannot be activated by the vital forces, but by which the vital forces become active,

“and not the one that people worship.”

Kenopanishad tells that Brahman is not the symbol that people worship.

However, when the same Brahman manifests in the universe with a form, like the form of Lord Shiva, then It naturally attracts the minds and the hearts of the devotees. This divine form is enchanting. Devotees get attracted to the Incarnations of God, the spiritual teachers, and the devotees from whom Brahman manifests.

Sri Ramakrishna used to salute, saying, “Bhagavata, Bhakta, Bhagavan”, meaning, “Scriptures, Devotees, Lord”.  If we read and reflect upon the scriptures, it uncovers our inner divinity that is hidden by ignorance. The Lord dwells in the hearts of the devotees. Thus, when we meet the devotees, we feel the presence of God.  The Incarnations are one hundred percent manifestations of God. Devotees who are around the Incarnations feel that they are living with God.  

Thus, Pushpadanta says that even though Lord Shiva, as Brahman, is infinite and indescribable, his mind, like the other devotees’ minds, gets attracted to Him.

In the next shloka, Pushpadanta gives a reason why he is trying to describe Lord Shiva’s virtues even though they cannot be described.

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 43

Meaning: This Shiva Mahimna hymn has been sung by Pushpadanta. It is Lord Shiva’s favorite hymn. It removes all impurities. Lord Mahesha (Shiva) becomes greatly pleased with the person who memorizes this hymn and recites it regularly with a focused mind.

Reflections: This is the last shloka of Shiva Mahimna Stotra. The recitation of this great hymn purifies our minds and gives us an experience of Lord Shiva’s presence.

How do the impurities of our mind go away by the recitation of this hymn?

Impurities are thoughts. For example, hatred is not good. A mind filled with hatred is an impure mind. The root problem of the hatred is an ignorance that there is only One Existences, Brahman, which is manifesting through various forms.

We hate a person or an object in the world because that person or an object is an obstacle, in some sense, in our mental plan of deriving worldly happiness. We forget that whether we like it or dislike it, that person or an object is also Brahman. Only because of my limited mental selfish plan for worldly happiness we had created these divisions of likes and dislikes. By reciting Shiva Mahimna Stotra and reflecting upon its meaning, we establish the fact in our mind that Lord Shiva as Brahman is appearing in various forms. This establishes ‘Oneness’ in our thoughts, speech, and actions. Simultaneously, we understand and accept the fact that hatred is caused because of a lack of awareness of Oneness and also because of our selfish idea of worldly happiness created by this ignorance. The more we advance towards Oneness, the more we develop love and acceptance of all and the hatred will get lesser and lesser. This is how we purify our minds from hatred. Similarly, by reciting Shiva Mahimna Stotra, by the grace of Lord Shiva, we can purify our minds from all other impurities.

Here is another way to look at this process of purity. Impurities are thoughts in the mind created by fundamental ignorance of Ultimate Reality. By reciting Shiva Mahimna Stotra and reflecting on its meaning, we fill our minds with pure thoughts. When we fill our minds with more and more pure thoughts and do not feed the impure thoughts, the impure thoughts will eventually die and go away from our minds. When our minds become pure, Lord Shiva shines in our hearts.

Lord Shiva loves all. But, if we develop a love for Lord Shiva by reciting His hymn, and thinking about His glories, then we can experience Lord Shiva’s love in our life. Through this, our life becomes meaningful and gets filled with inner bliss.   

As a young boy, during my summer vacation, I used to go to our village house in Pij, Gujarat, India. In this village, there was a Shiva temple in a very serene environment having a lake and bilva trees around. I used to go there often in the morning and recite this Shiva Mahimna Stotra eleven times in the temple. It was a very uplifting experience. I have a deep memory of these recitations. The mind easily gets uplifted if we recite it with devotion and reflect upon the meanings of the shlokas.

This concluding shloka encourages us to memorize the hymn and recite it regularly. Once we memorize it, then we don’t need a book to carry with us. We enjoy singing it anytime, anywhere.

May Lord Shiva bless us all and give us knowledge and devotion. Om Namah Shivaya. 

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 32

Meaning: O Lord Shiva! If in the inkpot of an ocean, there is an ink equal to the blue mountain and Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, takes a pen made from a branch of a celestial tree and describes your glories forever on the earth using it as a paper, even then your glories will not come to an end.

Reflections: Pushpadanta’s poetic imagination has fully blossomed in this shloka.

I have mentioned it in the introduction, but I will cite it here again to remember how Sri Ramakrishna’s mind was uplifted by this shloka and made him go into spiritual ecstasy. This was recorded by Swami Saradananda in his book¹.

“One day, the Master (Sri Ramakrishna) entered one of the Shiva temples of Dakshineswar and began to recite the Shiva Mahimna, a hymn in praise of the Deity. He was beside himself in ecstasy as he recited the following verse: “O Lord! Imagine if the ink is prepared by dissolving a blue mountain into an ocean, the biggest branch of the celestial tree becomes the pen to write, and the earth the writing paper, and if by taking all these things, Saraswati, the goddess of Learning, writes your glories forever, even then she cannot describe your glories.”

“While the Master was reciting the above verse, he intensely felt the glory of Shiva in his heart, and he lost himself. He forgot the hymn, the Sanskrit language of the hymn, the order of the verses, and so on, and repeatedly cried aloud, “O Lord, how can I express Your infinite glory?” Tears poured down his cheeks, chest, and clothes, finally dampening the floor.”

We generally are so busy with our work, and enjoyment, or our minds are filled with worries that we missed the wonders presented around us. People who focus their minds on the mysteries of life and the world, get filled with awe being touched with the infinite divine power. If we stop running around with our routines, sit quietly for a while in solitude, and reflect upon ‘what makes me see, hear, touch, taste, and smell?’ or ‘how my heart and the digestive system work in the body?’, or ‘what makes me think?’, we will be filled with wonder.

In an article written by Rachel Tompa², we get an idea of how scientists’ minds realize this wonderful divine power and how limited is our comprehension.

She writes, “If you ask Christof Koch, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and President of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, how close we are to understanding our own brains, he scoffs.

“We don’t even understand the brain of a worm,” Koch said.

The lab roundworm, more technically known as Caenorhabditis elegans, houses 302 neurons and 7,000 connections between those neurons in its microscopic body. Researchers have painstakingly mapped and described all those connections in recent years. And we still don’t fully understand how they all work synergistically to give rise to the worm’s behaviors.

We, humans, have approximately 86 billion neurons in our brains, woven together by an estimated 100 trillion connections, or synapses. It’s a daunting task to understand the details of how those cells work, let alone how they come together to make up our sensory systems, our behavior, our consciousness.”

Let us think about how this earth, sun, and other planets are rotating and creating an environment for us to live. If the sun comes closer to the earth, everything on earth will be burnt. If the sun goes away from the Earth, then everything on Earth will be frozen to death. When we think how this divine power is manifesting itself and functioning through us all, we find it is mind-boggling.   

Anything we touch with our mouth is considered ‘jhutha’ or polluted. Sri Ramakrishna said that Brahman has not become ‘jhutja’ because we cannot describe Brahman. Whatever we describe becomes limited.

Taittiriya Upanishad (2.9) says:

One who realizes Brahman finds that the mind and speech fall short to comprehend or describe Brahman.

Swami Vivekananda reflected this thought in his following line which the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna sing every day:

“I salute again and again the Lord (Brahman) who is beyond the comprehension of the mind and the speech.”

The bottom line is that the glories of the Lord (Brahman) cannot be described fully. They are infinite.

[1. Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play by Swami Saradananda, translated by Swami Chetanananda, page 487.

2. Rachel Tompa is Senior Writer at the Allen Institute. She covers news from all scientific divisions at the Institute. Get in touch at rachelt@alleninstitute.org.]

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 30

Meaning:  I salute again and again your form of Brahma filled with the abundance of rajas to create the universe, your form of Rudra filled with the abundance of tamas to dissolve the universe, and your form of Vishnu filled with the abundance of sattva to preserve the universe for the happiness of people. I salute again and again to self-luminous Shiva, your serene and peaceful form, who is beyond the three gunas and the final goal of all, which is liberation.

Reflections: According to the Vedanta, Brahman is the Ultimate Reality of the universe. The Power of Brahman is called Maya, Prakriti, Avidya, or Shakti. Technically there are differences between them, but in general, they are fundamentally the same.

Sri Ramakrishna, again and again, said that Brahman and Shakti are the same. When inactive, we refer to It as Brahman, and when It is engaged in the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe, we refer to It as Shakti. The same power appears in the form of Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Mahesha (the dissolver). 

Sri Ramakrishna said that as fire is unmanifested in the wood, Shakti is unmanifested in the Brahman. He also said that as fire and its burning power, milk and its whiteness, a snake and its wriggling movement, and a jewel and its luster are inseparable, so are Brahman and Shakti.  

This Shakti or Prakriti is made of three gunas, namely sattva, rajas, and tamas. When the three gunas are balanced, then Prakriti merges into Brahman and remains unmanifest. The imbalance of the three gunas makes the universe function.

These thoughts have been clearly mentioned in the scriptures. The Brahma Sutra (1.1.2) says that ‘Brahman is the only cause of creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe’.

Actually, Brahman is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Infinite, and devoid of any qualities. However, It appears as the universe because of Its delusive power Maya.

In Viveka Chudamani, Sri Shankaracharya calls the power of Brahman as Avidya or Maya.

“Avidya or Maya is the power of the Lord. It is Unmanifested when It is inactive. It is beginningless, supreme, and made up of three gunas; sattva, rajas, and tamas. Wise people realize Its existence by Its effects. It brings forth this whole universe.” Viveka Chudamani – 108

In Shri Durga Saptashati (11.11) Rishi says, “O Narayani (All-Pervading Mother)! You are the power to create, preserve, and dissolve the universe. You are the support of the three gunas (sattva, raja, and tamas) and you have all the virtues. I salute you.”

In the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna mentions that Brahman is the cause of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe and Its power is Prakriti.

Shri Krishna said, “My inferior Prakriti consists of eight things: Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and ego.

“O Arjuna! With My superior Prakriti, the Indwelling Spirit, the universe is sustained.

“Know that these two Prakritis of mine are the cause of all beings. I am the origin of the entire universe and also its dissolution.” (Bhagavad Gita 7.4-6)

In the following shloka, Shri Krishna mentions the cyclical nature of the universe; it appears, sustains, dissolves, and appears again and the cycle goes on.

Shri Krishna said, “O Arjuna! At the end (time of dissolution) of the cycle of the universe, all beings enter into My Prakriti and at the beginning of a cycle I generate them again.” (Bhagavad Gita 9.7)

Because of Rajas, people have a desire for progeny, and we have creation. Because of Sattva, parents have love in their hearts, and children are being nourished. Because of Tamas, there is the dissolution of the universe in order to recycle the universe.

The same thing applies to the whole universe. That is why, Pushpadanta wrote in this shloka that with the abundance of Rajas, the power of Shiva as Brahman, creates the universe. He called this power or form of Shiva “Bhava”, and “Bhavaya” means ‘to Bhava’. The Sanskrit root of this word is “Bhu” which means ‘to be born’. He said, ‘I salute to Bhavaya’.

With the abundance of Sattva, the power of Brahman sustains the universe. This power or form is called “Mrida” or “Mruda”, and “Mridaya” means ‘to Mrida’. The Sanskrit root of the word is “Mrida” or “Mruda” and its meaning is ‘one which gives joy’. Out of joy, the power of Brahman preserves the universe. That is why Pushpadanta says, ‘I salute to Mridaya’.

With the abundance of Tamas, the power of Brahman dissolves the universe to create the universe again. This power or form is called, “Haraya”.  The Sanskrit root of the word is “Hara”, one who takes away everything. Pushpadanta says that ‘I salute to Haraya’. Devotees say “Om Namah Parvatipataye Hara, Hara, Mahadeva Hara”. Meaning, “O Lord Shiva, the husband of Parvati, please take away all our problems, sufferings, and ignorance.”

Brahman is beyond the three gunas. When all three gunas are balanced, then the Prakriti merges into Brahman, and so does the universe. Only Self-luminous Brahman remains. In the fourteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says that when one goes beyond the three gunas, one merges with the Lord. This is the ultimate goal of all beings. We have to make spiritual efforts to control tamas by rajas, rajas by sattva, and then go beyond the three gunas knowing that ‘I am Atman. I am the witness consciousness, and I am beyond the three gunas.’ Pushpadanta calls this form as “Shiva”,  and “Shivaya” means ‘to Shiva’. The meaning of Shiva is ‘one who is auspicious. Pushpadanta says, ‘I salute to Shiva who is auspicious and beyond the three gunas’.    

We have to see Shiva or Brahman in everything. Also, we have to learn about three gunas and how to go beyond the three gunas from the Bhagavad Gita, especially from chapters 14^th, 17^th, and 18^th.  

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 29

Meaning: O Lord who loves to live in the forests (enjoys solitude)! Salutation to thee who is very near and is very far. O destroyer of the god of lust! Salutation to thee who is very subtle and huge. O Lord with three eyes! Salutation to thee who is the oldest and the youngest. Salutation to thee who has become all and salutation to the one who has been addressed indirectly or directly in the form of all.

Reflections: Pushpadanta tells in different ways that Lord Shiva is not limited to His form.  He is infinite Brahman.

Pushpadanta has a mastery over the words and an absolute command of the Sanskrit poetic meters. His thinking is very logical, and his heart is filled with love for Lord Shiva.  This shloka reflects all these talents. He is giving us a convincing visual picture of how Lord Shiva is everything in this universe.  

Pushpadanta says, “I salute to Shiva who is very near to us and is very far.” Lord Shiva is very near to us. As Atman or inner consciousness, Lord Shiva is our true identity. He is the support of our existence. Just as gold is the reality behind any golden ornament, or clay is the reality behind any clay toy, Lord Shiva as Atman is the ultimate reality of our existence. Due to ignorance of our divine nature, we assume that we are finite and made out of body and mind. Thus, Lord Shiva is closer than our body-mind existence.

On the other hand, Lord Shiva is omnipresent and is everywhere in the universe and is beyond the universe. Lord Shiva resides everywhere in the universe which we can perceive through our most powerful telescope and is beyond those boundaries. There is another way to look at the statement ‘Lord Shiva is far’. Because Lord Shiva is so close to us, we don’t realize Him, and we look for Him outside further and further away. Many times, we miss the values of the people and things which are close to us. We take them for granted. Thus, Lord Shiva is far. This way, Brahman covers the span of the mind. Far and near depends on the state of the mind. 

Pushpadanta says, “I salute Lord Shiva who is most subtle and is also huge.” Scientists have shown us that there is tremendous power in an atom. This is the power of Brahman. Also, Brahman is bigger than the universe. Brahman is beyond the boundaries of our telescopes. Pushpadanta is giving us a visual idea of what Brahman is.  This way Brahman covers all of the space and beyond the space.

Pushpadanta says, “I salute Lord Shiva who is the oldest and who is also the youngest.” Brahman is the ultimate cause of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe. Thus, Brahman is beyond the creation of the universe and hence is the most ancient one. On the other hand, Brahman is something that is just born. This way, Brahman covers all the time and beyond the time.

Finally, Pushpadanta says, “I salute Brahman who has become everything.” The highest realization of God is to feel the presence of God inside us and outside us in everything.

In the beginning, it is difficult to see God in something that looks bad, cruel, horrible, impure, unrighteous, etc. That is why, in the beginning, we have to see God in something that is good, unselfish, pure, loving, peaceful, holy, righteous, etc. When we get spiritually mature, then we will realize that God is manifesting through everything. God is manifesting directly through goodness, unselfishness, purity, kindness, righteousness, holiness, etc., and indirectly through bad acts, selfishness, impurity, cruelty, unrighteousness, etc. It is like pristine Ganga water coming out from the Himalayas is Ganga water and the polluted dirty water of Ganga is also Ganga water. When the dirty Ganga water is purified, it will not be different from the pristine Ganga water.

Pushpadanta is telling us that there is only God which is manifesting through everything and there is only one Power of God which is working through all. Pushpadanta calls this God Lord Shiva and salutes Him.

In this shloka, Pushpadanta gave us four names of Lord Shiva:

 Priyadava means Shiva who loves quiet forests. Shiva loves meditation. Hence, He enjoys solitude. He is teaching us to seek solitude. Sri Ramakrishna emphasized going into solitude often and sincerely praying to God for knowledge and devotion. Along with prayer, we have to think about what is permanent in this universe and what is impermanent. Sri Ramakrishna said that God or Brahman is only permanent and everything else is impermanent. Let us learn from Shiva to get absorbed in the meditation focusing our mind on Brahman. Once we learn how to keep our mind focused on Atman or Brahman in solitude, we can do it in the midst of a city street filled with activities and noises.

Smarahara means Shiva who has destroyed the god of lust.  Bhagavad Gita says that lust, anger, and greed are the three doors to hell, meaning the low life. Sri Ramakrishna emphasized getting rid of ‘lust and greed’. Anger follows lust and greed. God created lust for progeny, to continue Its creation. But, beyond that lust brings the mind down to the body and cannot let it think something higher. Lust makes people slaves, and they suffer immensely. Sri Ramakrishna said that after one or two children, the husband and wife should focus their minds on the ultimate goal of life, God-realization, and help each other to attain this goal. This will bring inner peace, bliss, fulfillment, awareness of God in all, love for all, fearlessness, and freedom from all bondages. Lord Shiva taught us to burn lust so that it cannot deviate our mind from our ultimate goal. It is not easy to control lust and one should not boast about controlling it. There are examples of people in the scriptures who thought they had controlled lust and then became victims of it.  We have to pray to God for strength to control lust and keep our minds in the spiritual consciousness.  We read in the scriptures that usually Lord Shiva meditates, but when He is not meditating, He and Mother Parvati spend time in spiritual conversations.   

Trinayana means Shiva with three eyes, having the third eye of Knowledge. With spiritual development one develops a divine intuition. This makes the seeker see the hidden Reality which others cannot see. This intuition also leads the seeker to pure thoughts, speech, and actions which help realize God. With the third eye of Knowledge of Brahman, Lord Shiva burnt the god of lust. It is also called an inner vision of Ultimate Reality.

Sarvasmai means Shiva who is manifesting through all the forms. Tat means ‘that’ which is incomprehensible, and idam means ‘this’ which is comprehensible. Both these are nothing but Lord Shiva (Brahman).  Pushpadanta says ‘I salute to this Shiva who has become everything’.    

This shloka tells us that Lord Shiva is no one else but Brahman, and how we can see Him in everything.

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 26

Meaning: Intellectually developed people make you limited by saying that ‘You are sun, moon, wind, fire, water, sky, earth, and soul’. But, in this universe, we do not know anything which is not You.

Reflections:  Hindus know that God is only one, called Brahman, and Brahman is infinite, formless, and free from all qualities. Since it is difficult to meditate on the formless Brahman initially, seekers of God are encouraged to meditate on various forms of Brahman (God) endowed with qualities according to one’s liking. There is total freedom in selecting the forms and qualities of God. That is why the Hindu religion has reached mythology. However, all the seekers of God are reminded again and again that these forms are limited, and they are just the representations of the infinite Brahman. This will prevent them to be fanatics about the particular forms of God. Pushpadanta, in this shloka, addresses this point in a very poetic way.

There are several lists of gods and goddesses available in Hinduism. One of the lists talks about eight manifestations of Brahman, namely, five elements (space, wind, fire, water, and earth), two illumined objects (sun, and moon, which are considered as the eyes of Brahman), and Atman (the inner consciousness). In Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says that wherever one sees special power manifesting through a person or an object, one should know that it is the ‘Power of Lord Krishna’, meaning the power of Brahman. One can meditate first on that manifestation and then develop a way to meditate on the infinite, formless, and qualityless Brahman.        

In this shloka, Pushpadanta poetically says that Lord Shiva as Brahman is not only the eight manifestations, but there is nothing in the universe that is not Brahman. Brahman is what we perceive in the universe and is beyond what we perceive. Actually, one who is searching for Brahman is not different from Brahman. Out of ignorance one separates oneself from Brahman and then looks for Brahman.  

No one can describe Brahman. Whatever we describe becomes limited. Brahman is infinite and unlimited. Sri Ramakrishna says that everything in the universe has become ‘jhutha’ except Brahman. Whatever touches our mouth is considered ‘jhutha’. We think that we can describe all the objects and beings in the universe because they are limited. But Brahman is even beyond our comprehension because our mind is limited. Again, Sri Ramakrishna says that one cannot put ten gallons of milk in a one-gallon container.  

The truth that ‘Brahman has become everything’ has been mentioned all over in the Hindu scriptures. The following are a couple of examples:

Ishopanishad, line 1 of mantra 1, says:

“ALL THIS – whatever exists in this changing universe – should be covered by the Lord.”

Lord Shri Krishna, identifying himself with Brahman, says the following in the Bhagavad Gita:

“O Arjuna! There exists nothing whatever higher than I am. All is strung on Me (Brahman) as a row of gems on a thread.” (Gita 7.7).

“One who sees Me (Brahman) everywhere and sees everything in Me, to that person I am never lost, nor he/she is ever lost to Me.” (Gita 6.30).

 “At the end of many births, the person of wisdom, realizing that ‘Vasudeva (Brahman) is all’, worships Me (Brahman). Rare indeed to find such a great soul.” (Gita 7.19).

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 12

Meaning:  The famous Ravana acquired great strength by worshipping Lord Shiva. But, with that strength, he started to shake your abode, Kailash. However, when you gently pressed the tip of your toe (on Ravana’s head), Ravana could not find a place even in Patala, the lowest plane in the universe. Truly, a wicked person loses a sense of right and wrong when he/she acquires wealth and power.

Reflections: Ravana worshipped Lord Shiva and acquired great strength and wealth. But he forgot that all his glories came from Lord Shiva. At one point he wanted to apply the same strength against Lord Shiva and started shaking Kailash, Lord Shiva’s abode. Lord Shiva gently pressed the tip of his toe and with that force, Ravana went down and down in space and became a laughable person. Pushpadanta writes that a wicked person really gets deluded by wealth and strength, and loses the sense of right and wrong. Wicked people have no sense of gratitude, and they learn their lessons the hard way.  

Question: We know that when one realizes God, one gets liberated. Ravana performed severe austerities and realized Lord Shiva, but why then did he bring his own destruction?  

This is my understanding:

Answer:  God is called a “Kalpataru”, the wish-fulfilling tree. Ravana had a desire to conquer the world and acquire all the wealth of the world. With that desire in mind, he intensely performed austerity, much more than any ordinary person can perform. God must fulfill his desire. But that desire led him to destructive ideas which brought destruction of himself, his followers, and his kingdom. 

The theory of Karma says that if we have a desire, then we will act accordingly, and we must go through the consequences of our actions. However, if we have a desire for knowledge of the Ultimate Reality and love for God, then this desire will liberate us from all other worldly desires, and make us free from all our bondages.  

People whose minds are filled with tamas and rajas have desires to harm people or to acquire worldly gain. Many of them pray to God to fulfill their desires. The power which creates, preserves, and dissolves the universe gives strength to these people to fulfill their desires, but then they must suffer the consequences of their actions.  Therefore, if we do not want to suffer anymore, and want to be liberated from all our bondages and experience infinite bliss within, then we must pray to God for Knowledge and Devotion.

One more lesson we learn from this shloka is to recognize all the help we have received and to be thankful to all who have helped us.  Parents help us to grow, teachers help us to learn, and many people and objects of the world help us in various ways to survive, work, and for our achievements. We must recognize this help, be thankful to all, and do our best to return this favor in some way. Even if we live a decent life grounded by morality and spirituality, then all who have helped us will be happy for the sacrifices they have made for us.

The ego is the main obstacle to recognizing other people’s help. It wants to boast thinking that ‘I have done everything by myself’. Developing a sense of gratitude does not make us smaller, but it makes us humble, and it adds up to our self-dignity and awareness of reality.   

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 10

Meaning: O Girisha (Shiva)! To measure your glories which appeared as a luminous pillar, Brahma went above, and Vishnu went below. Thus, they made lots of effort. But they could not measure your glories. Then, being filled with devotion and faith, when they sang your glories, you revealed yourself to them. A prayer filled with devotion and faith definitely leads to the realization of the Lord.

Reflections:  This shloka tells us that no one can fully comprehend Brahman, the absolute aspect of God, even the divine forms Brahma, and Vishnu.

The story goes that a dispute arose between Brahma and Vishnu about ‘who is greater’. Each one claimed that he was greater. Brahma said that he is greater because he creates the universe and Vishnu said that he is greater because he preserves the universe and Brahma has been born from his navel. The dispute could not be resolved, and it became intense. Out of anger, each one threw a weapon at the other. Lord Shiva stopped both the weapons and thus stopped great destruction, and He appeared as the infinite luminous pillar.

Brahma had not created that pillar and Vishnu had not seen it before. Both were amazed by its luminosity and infinite nature. Both planned to check out the source of the pillar. Brahma went above and Vishnu went below. But they could not find its end and its source. They felt ashamed of their boasting. They found something higher than them. Finally, both forgot about their fight, their hearts got filled with faith and devotion, and with folded hands, they asked this divine force to reveal itself.  At that time, Brahman appeared in the form of Shiva and told that Brahman is the Ultimate Reality of the universe and It appears as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.   

We can learn from this that we boast about our worldly achievements and think that we are great. But, when we think of the infinite power and glories of God manifesting in the universe, then we look very timid. For example, when we see Himalayas, or an ocean, or Grand Canyon, or think of the infinite sky filled with planets, stars, and galaxies, or the infinite time, then we realize that we are nothing more than an ant or a very tiny creature walking on earth having a big ego which has a very little value.

Here is a practical way to reduce our ego, pain, problems, and quarrels in our life. Suppose I am sitting in a chair in my study room and a camera is showing only me. I occupy the whole picture. Then, the camera moves further away and shows me sitting in the whole room. Then, it keeps moving away showing me in my house, in the whole block, in the city, in the country, on the earth, and so on. Then, the camera goes out into space where the whole earth becomes like a green pea and then may become a small dot. In this infinite space, what is my existence? It is ridiculous that we walked around with a big worldly ego having achieved something which looks trivial in infinite time. In this perspective, our existence, our pain, problems, and quarrels in our life become insignificant, and we realize that we had mentally magnified them more than their actual reality. Thus, we get a proper understanding and inner strength to go through the adversities of life.  

Now, let us look at it from the Vedantic point of view. A being with body and mind is an extremely limited person, but as an Atman, each individual is not different than Brahman. When we realize our true divine Self, Atman, then we become infinite by being one with the whole universe.          

This shloka also teaches us that if we sincerely pray to God with faith and devotion, then God reveals Its nature.   

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 7

Note: Last week, in a summer camp, I taught ‘Introduction of Shiva Mahimna Stotra’ to 8th and 9th-grade students along with a few high school seniors and alumni. I had five periods, and each was forty-five minutes long. For the introduction, I selected nine shlokas out of the forty-three shlokas of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra, namely, 1, 7, 10, 12, 26, 29, 30, 32, and 43. Therefore, I have decided to talk about these shlokas first and then fill in the other shlokas later. In the last blog, I covered the ‘Introduction’, ‘Pranam Mantra’, and ‘Shloka 1’ of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra. Here is the Shloka 7 of the stotra.

Meaning: Three Vedas, Sankhya, Yoga, Shaivite sect, Vaishnava’s sect, and others have described several paths to realize God. People say that ‘this path or that path is the best or more helpful’. But, as the ocean is the one destination of all the rivers’ water, all these various religious paths, created to match various likings of the people, straight or difficult they appear, they all lead to You (One God).

Reflections:  There is only one God and people worship It with various names and forms. Sri Ramakrishna says that mothers cook dishes according to the digestive capacity and the liking of the children. Similarly, God has created all these religious paths to suit the needs of the people. It is futile to try to prove that one path is better than the other. I love my mother, but I cannot tell my neighbor that ‘my mother is the best and he/she should love only my mother’. My neighbor will say that he/she loves his/her mother and thinks that she is great. In essence, mothers are different, but the ‘motherhood’ is the same. 

Rig Veda says, “Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanti”, Truth is one, sages call It by various names. Sri Ramakrishna says that follow the path you like to realize God, but do not think that your path is the only right path, and all other paths are wrong. If we sincerely follow our path, we can realize God. Even if our path has some mistakes, if we are sincere and open-minded, then God will correct all our mistakes and guide us in the right direction. Only politicians and religious fanatics who are interested in power and other worldly benefits guide people into religious fights and differences. They are not really interested in realizing God. We hope people understand this truth that God is one and all paths lead to the same God. This way we can avoid hatred created in the name of religion.

As I had mentioned in the last blog, Swami Vivekananda, in his famous speech given on September 11, 1893, at the Chicago World Parliament of Religions, quoted this shloka saying:

“I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: ‘As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee’.”