The story behind Shiv Mahimna stotra is as follows.
Pushpa danta was a Gandharva (a musician for the Gods). He would visit and enjoy the Garden of the King Chitraratha. He enjoyed the gardens and the flowers immensely and subsequently started stealing flowers from the Garden. King Chitraratha could not catch him because he had the power to become invisible. So King Chitraratha spread Bilipatra on the garden. Pushpadanta not realizing it, stepped into the garden and was caught. Since the bilipatra is something offered to Shiv as oblation, Shiv was displeased. The result of this transgression was he could no longer remain invisible. Pushpadanta wanted to have the powers to remain invisible again and he prayed to Sada shiv and created the Shiv Mahimna.
Reciting the Shiv Mahimna 11 times is called the laghu rudri and reciting it 108 times is called Maharudri.
The interpretation : King Chitraratha refers to the creation of all 3 universes ( gross, subtle and causal). It is called chitra ratha because this entire creation is nothing more than an imagination or picture created by God but appears eternal (referring to the motion like effect of the picture).
Pushpadanta refers to Atma or Purusha (not the soul). This is the pure consciousness present throughout creation, invisible to all. He was enjoying the “garden” or creation but he made the mistake of walking in the garden with Bilipatra. Bilipatra with its 3 leaflets refers to the three gunas. This is why we offer Bilipatra to the Shiv linga meaning we offer all our gunas to Sada Shiv. Thus enmeshed with the three Gunas, he immediately incurred the wrath of Sada Shiv and was forced to become visible in the creation in the form of a human or jiva. The only way back was by getting the blessings of Sada Shiva.
For the advanced Yogi, who has reached the Agna chakra, using the word Pushpa has a deeper significance. In Sanskrit, Poo or Pu means unfolding. Thus with the development of pure ego or Purusha (this is way beyond the 5 koshas or the three bodies – gross, subtle and causal), the three lokas or universes unfold. The word danta or teeth or mouth is used to depict the brahma randhra. It is the mouth of God, the site of creation of the universe. As per Yogananda Maharaj, when the sperm meets the ovum, the point of entry becomes the medulla oblangata. (The agna chakra). For someone who is familiar with neuro anatomy, the medulla has a “mouth” or groove.
The only way back for the jiva or individual is by the grace of Sada Shiv. With the grace of Sada Shiv, the individual first realizes himself to be the Purusha or Atma present in all creation and then much later realizes the Purusha is the same as Sada Shiv. Please see elsewhere for more details about Atma or Purusha. The word atma or purusha is <strong>not</strong> the individual soul.
Bhavin