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 (Singer in the court of Indra, the Lord
of the Heaven) named Pushhpadanta being fascinated by
the beautiful flowers, began to steal them, as a consequence
of which king Chitraratha could not offer owers 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 Stotram, and returned
Pushhpadanta's divine powers.
The
recital of this stotra is very benefcial, and Shri Ramakrishna,
one of the famous saints of the nineteenth century, went
into samadhi just by reciting a few verses from this hymn.
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