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shivashiva-mahimna-stotrapushpadantamahadeva

අසිතගිරිසමං ස්යාත්

Asita Giri Samam Syat in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Pradosha Kaal, Mondays, Maha Shivaratri, and during Shiva worship or study·📜 Shiva Mahimna Stotra, verse 32
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Origin & Story

Shiva Mahimna Stotra, verse 32 · Pushpadanta (king of the Gandharvas) · Ancient / classical (a widely recited Shaiva hymn)

Toward the close of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra, the Gandharva poet Pushpadanta — having extolled Shiva through many verses — confesses the impossibility of ever completing his praise. In this celebrated verse he summons the grandest images he can conceive: the ocean as inkpot, a mountain of ink, the wish-tree as pen, the earth as paper and Saraswati as the writer, only to declare that even these could never reach the end of the Lord's glory.

As told in scripture

This verse is treasured by devotees as the supreme expression of Shiva's infinitude; tradition holds that contemplating it dissolves intellectual pride and awakens humble devotion, the very mood that won Pushpadanta release from his curse through this hymn.

The Mantra

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අසිතගිරිසමං ස්යාත් කජ්ජලං සින්ධුපාත්රේ සුරතරුවරශාඛා ලේඛනී පත්රමුර්වී . ලිඛති යදි ගෘහීත්වා ශාරදා සර්වකාලං තදපි තව ගුණානාමීශ පාරං යාති ..

asitagirisamaṃ syāt kajjalaṃ sindhupātre surataruvaraśākhā lekhanī patramurvī | likhati yadi gṛhītvā śāradā sarvakālaṃ tadapi tava guṇānāmīśa pāraṃ na yāti ||

Meaning:Were the ink as vast as the dark mountain, the ocean the inkpot, a branch of the celestial wish-tree the pen, and the whole earth the writing sheet — and were Goddess Sharada (Saraswati) herself to write with them for all eternity — even then, O Lord, the end of your glories would never be reached.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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අසිතගිරිසමං🔊asita-giri-samaṃEqual to (the size of) the dark mountain (Mount Meru's black peak / a mountain of collyrium)
ස්යාත්🔊syātWere it to be; if it should be
කජ්ජලං🔊kajjalaṃInk, lamp-black, collyrium
සින්ධුපාත්රේ🔊sindhu-pātreWith the ocean as the inkpot / vessel
සුරතරුවරශාඛා🔊sura-taru-vara-śākhāA branch of the celestial wish-fulfilling tree (Kalpavriksha) as the pen
ලේඛනී🔊lekhanīPen, writing instrument
පත්රම් උර්වී🔊patram urvīThe earth itself as the writing sheet (paper)
ලිඛති යදි🔊likhati yadiIf (she) were to write
ගෘහීත්වා🔊gṛhītvāHaving taken (these up)
ශාරදා🔊śāradāSharada — Goddess Saraswati, goddess of learning and speech
සර්වකාලං🔊sarvakālaṃFor all time, eternally, forever
තදපි🔊tadapiEven then, even so
තව ගුණානාම්🔊tava guṇānāmOf your virtues / glories / attributes
ඊශ🔊īśaO Lord (Ishvara, Shiva)
පාරං න යාති🔊pāraṃ na yātiWould not reach the end / would never be exhausted

Benefits of Chanting Asita Giri Samam Syat

Evokes awe and devotion through its sublime image of Shiva's infinite glory

A cherished standalone verse, often quoted to convey the limitlessness of the Divine

Recitation is believed to deepen bhakti and dissolve the ego's pride in knowledge

Invokes both Shiva and Goddess Sharada (Saraswati), uniting devotion and learning

Brings peace and expansiveness of mind through contemplation of the boundless

Forms the climactic praise of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra, the foremost hymn to Shiva

How to Chant Asita Giri Samam Syat

Repetitions1times
Best TimePradosha Kaal, Mondays, Maha Shivaratri, and during Shiva worship or study

Recite this verse slowly, allowing its grand imagery to unfold in the mind as a meditation on Shiva's boundlessness. It is often chanted near the conclusion of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra; it may also be recited on its own before a Shiva Linga, or invoked by students and seekers of wisdom (as it praises Goddess Sharada). Pair it with the full stotra for the complete blessing.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Asita Giri Samam Syat written in the Sinhala script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.
Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.
It is verse 32 of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra and one of the most quoted verses in Sanskrit literature for its breathtaking image: even if the ocean were the inkwell, a mountain the ink, the celestial tree the pen and the earth the paper, and Saraswati wrote eternally, Shiva's glories could never be fully written. It beautifully expresses the infinitude of God.
Sharada is a name of Goddess Saraswati, the deity of speech, learning and the arts. The verse imagines even she — the supreme power of expression — being unable to exhaust the praise of Shiva, however long she writes.
'Asita-giri' (dark mountain) conveys an immeasurably huge quantity of ink. Together with the ocean as inkpot and the earth as paper, the verse stacks cosmic-scale images to show that no measure of effort could capture the endless glory of the Lord.
Yes. Because of its self-contained beauty and meaning, it is frequently recited and quoted on its own. Within worship, it is chanted as part of the complete Shiva Mahimna Stotra near its conclusion.

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