Greatness of Shiva : Mahimnastava of Pushpadanta with commentary

MAHIMNASTAVA. Ti

15 Even Smara! whose world-conquering arrows? Are never discharged in vain midst Devas, Asuras* and men When taking Thee to be like any other Deva* Met with death’. It is not good to attack the self-controlled.

1 The God of love Kama.

2 With his arrows he stirs up passion in men and women.

3 Enemies of the Devas.

4 Though Shiva is greater than any of them.

5 The Asura Taraka excluded all the Devas from heaven. They went to Brahma. He said that as the Asura had acquired his greatness through His grace He conld not take it upon himself to destroy him. For one does not destroy the tree which one has planted with one’s own hand. He however suggested a plan in which the aid of Smara was to be invoked, and that was that Shiva Who was given up to Yoga should be tempted to unite with Parvati, of which union a son would be born who would destroy the Asura. Indra asked Kama to go with his wife Rati and his companion Vasanta (the spring) to Shiva’s abode Mount Kailasa. On their arrival and under the influence of the three Devas the season of Spring appeared on the mountain to the great surprise of the Rishis there. KaAma standing behind a tree shot an arrow at Shiva in Yoga at the moment that His wife Parvati was putting flowers in His hand having done the hermitage service for the day. As Her hand touched His, Kama let fly his shaft of passion. Shiva feeling of a sudden passion and loss of seed wondered what was it that thus distracted Him from His Yoga and looking round saw Kama behind a tree. In anger His third eye flashed fire which consumed Kama to ashes. Shiva’s seed was thrown into Fire who unable to retain it threw it into Ganga who in turn threw it into a reed forest where Kartikeya called the Reed-born (Shara-janma) was born. He became the leader of the celestial hosts and the Destroyer of the Asura as Brahma intended. The hymn points out however that Kama was wrong in thinking he might play with impunity with Shiva as with any other, for He is the great Deva and the self-controlled. And yet Kama in part succeeded though at the risk of his own lifeso dangerous it is to tempt the self-controlled.