O, Lord Shiva, remover of all types of miseries, what wonder is there, if the prayer to you, chanted by one who is ignorant about your greatness, is worthless! Because, even the utterance ( speech ) of Brahmaa and other gods is not able to fathom your merits ( ie, greatness ). Hence, if persons with very limited intellect ( and I am one of them ) try to offer you a prayer, their attempt deserve your special favor . If it is so, I should not be a exception . Hence, (thinking like this ) I begin this prayer .

अथ श्री शिवमहिम्नस्तोत्रम्‌॥

महिम्नः पारं ते परमविदुषो यद्यसदृशी
स्तुतिर्ब्रह्मादीनामपि तदवसन्नास्त्वयि गिरः ।
अथाऽवाच्यः सर्वः स्वमतिपरिणामावधि गृणन्‌
ममाप्येष स्तोत्रे हर निरपवादः परिकरः॥ १॥

O, Lord Shiva, remover of all types of miseries, what wonder is there, if the prayer to you, chanted by one who is ignorant about your greatness, is worthless! Because, even the utterance ( speech ) of Brahmaa and other gods is not able to fathom your merits ( ie, greatness ). Hence, if persons with very limited intellect ( and I am one of them ) try to offer you a prayer, their attempt deserve your special favor . If it is so, I should not be a exception . Hence, (thinking like this ) I begin this prayer .