shivashiva-mahimna-stotrapushpadantamahadeva

Asita Giri Samam Syat

असितगिरिसमं स्यात् in English · English

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

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

This is the thirty-second verse of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra, one of the most famous and beloved verses in all of Sanskrit devotional poetry. It paints an unforgettable image: even if the ocean were the inkpot, a mountain of ink, the wish-fulfilling tree the pen and the earth the paper, and Goddess Saraswati wrote forever — the glories of Shiva could never be fully described. It is a sublime declaration of the infinitude of the Divine.

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.

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The Mantra

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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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asita-giri-samaṃ🔊Equal to (the size of) the dark mountain (Mount Meru's black peak / a mountain of collyrium)

syāt🔊Were it to be; if it should be

kajjalaṃ🔊Ink, lamp-black, collyrium

sindhu-pātre🔊With the ocean as the inkpot / vessel

sura-taru-vara-śākhā🔊A branch of the celestial wish-fulfilling tree (Kalpavriksha) as the pen

lekhanī🔊Pen, writing instrument

patram urvī🔊The earth itself as the writing sheet (paper)

likhati yadi🔊If (she) were to write

gṛhītvā🔊Having taken (these up)

śāradā🔊Sharada — Goddess Saraswati, goddess of learning and speech

sarvakālaṃ🔊For all time, eternally, forever

tadapi🔊Even then, even so

tava guṇānām🔊Of your virtues / glories / attributes

īśa🔊O Lord (Ishvara, Shiva)

pāraṃ na yāti🔊Would not reach the end / would never be exhausted

Benefits of Chanting असितगिरिसमं स्यात्

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

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

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

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

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Brings peace and expansiveness of mind through contemplation of the boundless

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

How to Chant असितगिरिसमं स्यात्

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 असितगिरिसमं स्यात् written in the English 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.