Greatness of Shiva : Mahimnastava of Pushpadanta with commentary

16 MAHIMNASTAVA,

When the Lord of Creatures! overcome by sudden desire ?

For His own daughter*

So urgently desired to possess her*

That He changed into a stag

As she fled from Him in the form of a hind?

Thou did’st (in anger) bend Thy bow against Him

As He sped in fear to the heavenly spaces ;®

And Oh Lord the force’ of Thy hunter's hand

Has even now not yet released Him.®

I Brahma.

2 Here, Brahma is represented as being subject to the greatest of the passions of His creation but Shiva Whose praise is sung is the self-controlled Who is free of it. Brahma is associated with the Rajas Gua which is the cause of desirethe passion of mankind generally is shown in its collective unit, Brahma being treated as the Samasfti of mankind. Rajo Gunma acts by way of passion, and is here displayed in the acts of the Devata presiding over it. The incident is referred to in Linga Puraza and in Kali Puraza though in the latter with some variance. In the 7th century A.D. Kumiéarila in his Tantravartika (p. 189 Trans.) explains the incident symbolically as follows :-—

“The word Prajapati means one who protects all creatures ; as such it can be taken asa name of the sun; and it is an ordinary fact that towards the end of night the sun touches the dawn; as the early dawn is brought about by the sun it is spoken of as his daughter ; and it is the following of sun after dawn that has been described as Prajapati running affer his daughter.”

3 Sandhya.

4 Riramayiszum : indicating the intensity and urgency of His longing.

5 She in fear of Him changed into a hind whereupon not to be thwarted He changed into a stag.

6 According to Markandeya Puramza when pierced by an arrow He was changed into a star.

7 Rabhasa when used in the masculine gender means attachment, effort, love ; but in the neuter=force (Byadz Dict).

8 Shiva is represented as holding Parashu (axe), Mvrzga

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