If the ink were a black mountain in the inkwell of the ocean, the pen a branch of the best of heavenly trees, and the page the whole earth; and if Śāradā herself took them and wrote for all time — even then, O Lord, she would not reach the end of your qualities.
From the Śiva Mahimnaḥ Stotram, the hymn “on the greatness of Śiva”. Tradition says the gandharva Puṣpadanta composed it to win back Śiva's favour.
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Original text
असितगिरिसमं स्यात् कज्जलं सिन्धुपात्रे
सुरतरुवरशाखा लेखनी पत्रमुर्वी ।
लिखति यदि गृहीत्वा शारदा सर्वकालं
तदपि तव गुणानामीश पारं न याति ॥
asita-giri-samaṃ syāt kajjalaṃ sindhu-pātre
sura-taru-vara-śākhā lekhanī patram urvī |
likhati yadi gṛhītvā śāradā sarva-kālaṃ
tad api tava guṇānām īśa pāraṃ na yāti ||
Translation
If the ink were a black mountain in the inkwell of the ocean, the pen a branch of the best of heavenly trees, and the page the whole earth; and if Śāradā herself took them and wrote for all time — even then, O Lord, she would not reach the end of your qualities.
Translation by: Om Namah Shivay
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