13/02/2015
In honor of Maha Sivaratri which falls on Tuesday February 17th we will have special posts on the glory of Lord Siva subject to the condition that it must have been mentioned by Ramana Maharshi at least once.
What is Maha Sivaratri? ‘The day on which the ancient and wonderful linga of Arunachala took shape is the asterism of Ardra in the month of Mrigasira. And the day on which Vishnu and the other devas worshipped the Lord who emerged in the form of effulgence is the day of Maha Sivaratri.’
Kunju Swamigal reminiscences says ‘Ramakrishna Swami once took the permission of Sri Bhagavan to live on Bhiksha(alms) a tradition expected of monks. Being inexperienced and shy he walked to a street and shouted 'Bhiksha! Bhiksha!' One Lakshmi Ammal recognized him as a devotee and invited him into the house, washed his feet and served food. Then she asked him to recite Siva Puranam, which he did not know. She herself recited it, lighted camphor and prostrated before Ramakrishna Swami and asked him to eat. Swami was very embarrassed with his ignorance and he stopped going out for bhiksha. When Sri Bhagavan heard this, he said laughingly, “What to do? If you beg because of poverty, you will have to bend your knees, plead with others. He wanted to follow the tradition and he asked for bhikska in a dignified manner. Sadhus should be familiar with Siva Puranam and the songs from peria puranam. In the north you should recite the l5th Chapter of the Gita and Siva Mahimna Stotra. When you are offered bhiksha by someone, you must recite these before starting to eat."
What is Siva Mahimna Stotra referred by Ramana Maharshi here? It is a grand hymn in praise of Lord Siva. The author of this well-known scripture is Pushpadanta, a renowned Gandharva (heavenly musician) who wrote this hymn in order to calm down Śiva's wrath. Why was Śiva angry? Because Pushpadanta, while attempting to steal some flowers from a king's garden, happened to step on a particular "grass" sacred to Śiva. It is a long story really. However, the important thing in the present hymn is the detailed descriptions of a series of events associated with Śiva. It is also a hymn filled with devotion. That is why, it is highly recommended for Svādhyāya (Study and Recitation of Sacred Scriptures, by sages)
A copy of Siva Mahimna Stotra as translated by Gabriele Pradipika can be downloaded from the link given below with his kind permission. Verse 32 of the Siva Mahimna Stotra is instructive ‘O Lord, if the black mountain be the ink, the ocean the inkpot, the stout branch of the wish-fulfilling tree a pen, the earth the writing pad, and if taking these the Goddess of Learning (Saraswati) writes for eternity, even then Your virtues will remain unexhausted. (32)’
http://sriramanamaharshi.org/download/Siva_Mahimna_Stotram.pdf
