Greatness of Shiva : Mahimnastava of Pushpadanta with commentary

i2 MAHIMNASTAVA.,

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By the stamping of Thy feet the safety of the earth came in sudden peril,

By the movement of Thy arms strong like iron rods,

The stars in the ether were scattered,

Lashed by Thy loosened hair the heavens were troubled.

Verily Thou did’st finely dance, But to trouble the world in order to save it What mystery is this ? 2

1 Some Rakshasas having worshipped Brahma asked Him to grant them the power to destroy the whole world, BrahmA half assenting half unwilling bade them wait some other time. The other Devas hearing this became afraid and went and spoke to Shiva. The latter then danced in order to delay the granting of this boon by Brahma and to distract the Jatter and thus to save the world. But his dancing was so mighty that though done to protect the world its very existence was threatened. The meaning of this incident is explained by another. Some Rakskasas went to the territory of a King and began destroying a village there. The King sent his army against them to protect the villagers, But this same army was a trouble to them with its extortions and so forth. But while the army was a trouble to the villagers yet it did good to the kingdom which was threatened by the Rakshasas. Such is the nature of things that it is not possible to do good without some accompanying evil, When we look at the whole swé specie aeternitatis what we thought to be evil when considered as a fact detached from its surroundings is no longer seen to be such when taken as part of a whole which is working for good. So with the dance of Shiva.

2 Vamaiva vibhuta. Shiva’s Vibhuta (Lordliness) is Vama (contrary) to what we see in ordinary human actions, The action of the Lord seems full of contradiction as instanced by His troubling the world to save it. See last note.