Mahiman
Mahiman, “greatness”
Yajña has other meanings too: see all meanings of Yajña. Prācīnabarhis has other meanings too: see all meanings of Prācīnabarhis.
Mahiman is the son of King Prācīnabarhis of the Sūrya-vaṃśa, born by the grace of Bhava (Bhagavān Śiva) from the dazzling splendour of his third eye, on the bank of the Gautamī. It was Mahiman who composed the well-known sacred stotra Mahimnaḥ. The place of his birth is Bhavatīrtha.
His birth
Brahmā tells Nārada of the glorious king Prācīnabarhis, chief of the kshatriyas, who carried on the Sūrya-vaṃśa and was master of every holy rite. He ruled for three and a half crores of years, and while he ruled no one was parted from loved ones, and there was no anguish, no illness, no famine and no quarrel among kin.
For the sake of a son the king performed a yajña, staying on the bank of the Gautamī, and Maheśvara granted him varas as he wished. With his wife, the king said to Bhava: “Give me a son.” Bhava said to him lovingly: “Look at my third eye.” When the king looked at Bhava’s eye, a son was born from its dazzling splendour, and he is well known as Mahiman.
The Mahimnaḥ stotra
Mahiman composed the well-known sacred stotra Mahimnaḥ, the stotra of the greatness of Śiva. Brahmā adds: what cannot be gained when Tripurāntaka is pleased? Hari, Brahmā and the other devas always follow him.
Bhavatīrtha
Because by the grace of Bhava a son named Mahiman was born to Prācīnabarhis on the Gautamī‘s bank, the place is called Bhavatīrtha. At the king’s request Bhava gave it pre-eminence among tīrthas, and by a holy bath and dāna there one gains all one desires. Seventy tīrthas are there, sacred and giving everything.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 83
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 83