Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 31

Meaning: O Giver of Boons (Lord Shiva): I cannot imagine that on one hand I have my mind with limited knowledge, strength, and grasping power, and it is filled with five kinds of troubles, and on the other hand there are Your eternal infinite glories which surpass all the boundaries of the virtues. I was bewildered by this contrast. But, being compelled by my devotion to you, I have offered these flowers of shlokas at Your feet.                                                                                             

Reflections:  Pushpadanta offered the flowers of the Shiva Mahimna Shlokas at the feet of Lord Shiva.

Three important things about flowers:

The flowers have three important things: honey, fragrance, and beauty.

Those who enjoy the poetic aspects of the hymn, they are appreciating the beauty of the hymn.

Those who go a little deeper into the meaning of the shlokas of the hymn, they are enjoying the beauty and the fragrance.

Those who have gone much deeper into spirituality, enjoy the subtle meanings of these shlokas, and due to their devotion, they experience the presence of the Saguna and the Nirguna aspects of Lord Shiva and get immersed in it. This is like drinking the honey of this hymn. They enjoy the beauty, fragrance, and the honey.

The Contrast:

Shri Pushpadanta, in the initial shlokas of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra, has said that even Brahma cannot describe Lord Shiva’s infinite glories. He said that if each one is describing His glories according to one’s limited perception, his attempt to write this hymn is not an exception. Pushpadanta said that even Brahma’s description of Lord Shiva’s glories cannot amaze Him. Hence, through the composition of Shiva Mahimna Shlokas, he is not trying to please Lord Shiva, but simply trying to purify his speech.

After composing several shlokas of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra, Shri Pushpadanta realizes the contrast between Lord Shiva’s infinite glories and virtues and his own mind with limited capacity and various agitations. Actually, Shri Pushpadanta, by talking about his mind, is talking about the minds of most of the devotees. He points out the five agitations or five causes of suffering described in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras (2.3 – 9).

The Five Kleshas:

Patanjali Yogasutra (2.3) says:

“The five ‘kleshas’ or the causes of suffering are (i) Ignorance, (ii) Ego, (iii) Attachment, (iv) Aversion and, (v) Clinging to life.

(i) Ignorance:  Not knowing that an individual’s true identity is Atman (Existene-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute) is ignorance. It is the cause of all our suffering. Actually, it is the only cause of all our suffering. Atman is blissful. Still, we feel miserable because of our ignorance, hallucinations, and delusions.

(ii) Ego:  Because of ignorance, one thinks that ‘I am only this body and mind’. This develops an ego, an existence of an individual consisting of only body and mind separate from the Atman. This is a ‘second-level cause’ of our suffering.

(iii) Attachment: The ego brings attachment to the sense-objects which give pleasures to the senses and the deluded mind. The deluded mind thinks that the sense-pleasures alone can give happiness. Hence it craves for the sense-pleasures. These desires become the cause of many sufferings.

(iv) Aversion: Attachment and aversion or hatred go together. The deluded mind likes the objects that give joy and dislikes or hates the ones that don’t give joy or give suffering. Both attachment and aversion cause suffering.

(v) Clinging to life: Out of ignorance, one thinks that ‘I am a person with this body-mind frame. There is nothing like Atman.’ Then, one thinks that only sense-pleasures make me happy and therefore the only goal of my life is to get as many sense-pleasures as possible. This brings clinging to the body, mind, and worldly objects. This clinging to life creates fear of losing body, mind, and worldly objects, which is the fear of death. This fear of death constantly causes pain to the person.

Love overpowers Thinking:

Pushpadanta compares Lord Shiva’s serene and peaceful mind which is mainly absorbed in meditation with his limited mind with five agitations. Thinking about this contrast he feels ashamed about his attempt to compose a hymn to describe the infinite glories of Lord Shiva. Upon reflection, he finds that he is neither trying to describe Lord Shiva’s glories nor trying to please Him. He is just expressing his love for Lord Shiva. His love for Lord Shiva compelled him to write these shlokas to offer at His feet as flowers.

It seems that the next shloka-32 concludes the Shiva Mahimna Stotra stating how difficult it is to describe the infinite glories of Lord Shiva. The remaining shlokas (32 – 43) are either added later or written to glorify this Stotra.