Shriipuspadanta uvaaca

Venerable (shri) Puspadanta -lit. "flower-toothed"-- (puspadantah) said (uvaaca):

  Mahimnah paaram te paramaviduso yadyasadrishii
Stutirbrahmaadiinaamapi tadavasannaastvayi girah /
Athaavaacyah sarvah svamatiparinaamaavadhi grinan
Mamaapyesa stotre hara nirapavaadah parikarah //1//

Paraphrase (Pr): If (yádi) the praise (stutih) (performed) by someone, who does not know (avidusah) at all (param) the limits or extension (paaram) of Your (te) greatness (mahimnah), is improper (asadrishii); so (tád) even (ápi) the invocations in praise (girah) of You (tváyi) (uttered) by Brahmaa (brahmaa), etc. --aadi-- (aadiinaam) (would have) declined and decayed (avasannaah). Moreover (átha), (if) everyone (sárvah) who extols (You) (grinan) according (avadhí) to the development (parinaama) of their own (svá) intelligence (matí) cannot be blamed or reproached (avaacyah); (therefore,) oh Hara --Shivá-- (hara), this (esah) "Parikara" --a long series of epithets or adjectives-- (in honor of You) (parikarah) (written) by me (máma) in the hymn (stotre) cannot be censored (nirapavaadah) either (ápi). (1)

Critique (Cr):  Mahimna is a poetic praise of Lord Shiva in Sanskrit. It is very essential that one must have a little background in Hindu philosophy and mythology in order to grasp and appreciate this ancient composition, which has both religious as well as cultural significance. Shiva, praised in Mahimna with complete devotion, is both “saguna” and “nirguna” i.e., a Deity and the Ultimate Principle. He is the combination of Hindu Trinity: Brahma (creator), Vishnu (protector) and Mahesh (destroyer). Philosophically, He is Mulatattva, i.e. the ultimate source of the universe. Upanishadas depict  Him as Rudraadhipati as the guarantor of reward achived by anyone who has performed a Yajdnya, a ritual of worshipping Holy Fire. Mythically, He is Mahadeva, i.e. the supreme God or head of the Hindu pantheon. Philosophically, He is beyond attributes; while mythically, He is both compassionate (karuna-sagar dayalu) and enraged (krodhi); knive (bhola) and omniscient (sarvadjnya). Symbolically, He is Ardhanarinateshwar, i.e. having a combined form of half male and half female; represented by Shivapinda, consisting of “Linga” (phallus) and “Yoni” (vagina). His better half is Uma who is Adishakti, i.e. root force (or universal energy).  Although Their union is the genesis of life force or the Creation, Shiva is also supposed to be Madanantaka, i.e. the destroyer of cupid and Jitendriya, i.e. the One having full mental and physical control over mind and body. Mythology depicts Him as the resident of Mount Kailas (Mt. Everest) Who likes to wander around crematories. Although the whitest, brightest and puriest, He smears Himslef with “Bhasma” i.e. ashes of the burned cadavers. An ascetic Mahayogi, His body is so hot that He holds the great river of Bhagirathi (the Ganges) on head, Shashi (the Moon) on forehead, and Phani (a venomous cobra) around His neck as coolants. This earns Him well known epithets such as Gangadhara, Shashidhara, Phanidhara, among thousands of His other names.  A hermit though, He is expert in all types of Kala (arts). Pleased easily He is (Samba); as quickly He gets angry (krodhi), too! These apparent contradictions disappear once we realize the ancient tradition of Vaidic (Hindu) culture where scholars, yogis and Acharyas (teachers) tried to explain to general masses mystical principles of various philosophies employing prevalent myths or creating new ones.