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Shiva Tandava Stotram

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Shiva Tandava Stotram is a stotra (Hindu hymn) that describes the Hindu God Shiva's power and beauty. It is traditionally attributed to Ravana, the
rakshasa King of Lanka and devotee of Shiva. Both the ninth and tenth quatrains of this hymn conclude with lists of Shiva's epithets as destroyer,
even the destroyer of death itself. Alliteration and onomatopoeia create roiling waves of resounding beauty in this example of Hindu devotional
poetry.

In the final quatrain of the poem, after tiring of rampaging across the Earth, Ravana asks, "When will I be happy?" Because of the intensity of his
prayers and ascetic meditation, of which this hymn was an example, Ravana received from Shiva powers and a celestial sword.

Contents
1 Ravana
2 Text
3 Media adaptations
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Ravana
When Ravana was tired of rampaging across the earth, he returned to Shiva to request moksha, release from the bondage of endless rebirth. Lord
Shiva replied that he had granted Ravana the boon of indestructibility. Ravana's poignant cry in the final quatrain of poetry — "When will I be
happy?" is echoed by modern man in his quest for earthly fulfillment and ultimate liberation from its bondage.

A compelling and complex personality, Ravana is for many Hindus a legendary Rakshsa, a scholar of immense intelligence and the husband of one of
traditional five perfect women, Mandodari. Ravana married Maya's daughter, Mandodari, who was a very beautiful & righteous wife. He had a son by
her, named Meghanaada (which means the 'sound of the clouds' or the 'sound of thunder'). Meghanaada defeated Indra, the king of Devas, and earned
the title of 'Indrajit'. Ravana's great-grandfather was Brahma (God of Ultimate Knowledge). He had advanced knowledge of mathematics, science and
Ayurveda.

He was obsessed with his powers and was egoistic, and to display and prove his powers he was about to move Mount Kailash (the abode of Shiva who
was his ancestor God). He managed to lift the mountain but Shiva immediately placed it back just by pressing his toe crushing Ravana's fingers in the
process. That is when Ravana sings "Shiva Tandava Stotra" and he was spared and blessed with chandrahas (moon sword by Shiva) considered one of
the most powerful weapons according to sanatana.

Text
The stotra is in the Panchachaamara Chhanda. It has 16 syllables per line of the quatrain, with Laghu (short syllable) and Guru (long syllable)
characters alternating; the poetic meter is iambic octameter by definition.

साथिशवता व ो म्
ीगणेशाय नमः

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

जटाटवीगल ल वाहपािवत थले jaṭāṭavī-galajjala-pravāha-pāvita-sthale
गलेऽवल ल तां भुज तु मािलकाम् | gale 'valambya lambitāṃ bhujaṅga-tuṅga-mālikām ।
डम म म मि नादव मवयं ḍamaḍ ḍamaḍ ḍamaḍ ḍaman nināda-vaḍḍa-marvayaṃ
चकार च ता वं तनोतु नः िशवः िशवम् ||१|| cakāra chaṇḍa-tāṇḍavaṃ tanotu naḥ śivaḥ śivam ॥ 1॥

With his neck, consecrated by the flow of water flowing from the thick forest-like locks of hair, and on the neck, where the lofty snake is hanging like
a garland, and the Damaru drum making the sound of Damat Damat Damat Damat, Lord Śiva did the auspicious dance of Tandava and may He
shower prosperity on us all.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

जटाकटाहस म मि िल िनझरी jaṭā-kaṭā-hasambhrama-bhraman nilimpa-nirjharī
िवलोलवीिचव रीिवराजमानमू धिन | vilola-vīci-vallarī-virāja-māna-mūrdhani ।
धग ग ग ल लाटप पावके dhagad dhagad dhagaj jvalal lalāṭa-paṭṭa-pāvake
िकशोरच शेखरे रितः ित णं मम ||२|| kiśora-candraśekhare ratiḥ pratikṣaṇaṃ mama ॥ 2 ॥

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Devanagari Roman Transliteration

धराधरे नंिदनीिवलासब ु ब ु र dharādharendra-nandinī-vilāsa-bandhu-bandhura-
ु रि ग स ित मोदमानमानसे | sphurad diganta-santati-pramoda-māna-mānase ।
कृपाकटा धोरणीिन दु धरापिद kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-dhoraṇī-niruddha-durdharāpadi
िचि ग रे ( िच द रे ) मनो िवनोदमे तु व ु िन ||३|| kvacid digambare (kvacic cidambare) mano vinodametu vastuni ॥ 3 ॥

May my mind seek happiness in the Lord Śiva, in whose mind all the living beings of the glorious universe exist, who is the sportive companion of
Parvati (daughter of the mountain king), who controls invincible hardships with the flow of his compassionate look, who is all-pervasive (the
directions are his clothes).

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

जटाभु ज िप ल ु र णामिण भा jaṭā bhujaṅga piṅgalasphurat phaṇāmaṇiprabhā
कद कुङ्ु कम व िल िद धू मुखे | kadamba kuṅkuma drava pralip tadig vadhū mukhe ।
मदा िस ु र ु र गु रीयमेदुरे madāndha sindhuras phurat tvagut tarīyame dure
मनो िवनोदमद् ु भतं िबभतु भूतभत र ||४|| mano vinodamadbhutaṃ bibhartu bhūta bhartari ॥ 4 ॥

May I seek wonderful pleasure in Lord Śiva, who is supporter of all life, who with his creeping snake with reddish brown hood and with the luster of
his gem on it spreading out variegated colors on the beautiful faces of the maidens of directions, who is covered with a glittering upper garment
made of the skin of a huge intoxicated elephant.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

सह लोचन भृ शेषले खशेखर sahasralocana prabhṛtya śeṣalekha śekhara
सूनधूिलधोरणी िवधू सराङ् ि पीठभूः | prasūna dhūli dhoraṇī vidhūsarāṅghri pīṭhabhūḥ ।
भुज राजमालया िनब जाटजू टक bhujaṅga rājamālayā nibaddha jāṭajūṭaka
ि यै िचराय जायतां चकोरब ु शेखरः ||५|| śriyai cirāya jāyatāṃ cakora bandhuśekharaḥ ॥ 5 ॥

May Lord Śiva give us prosperity, who has the moon (relative of the Cakora bird) as his head-jewel, whose hair is tied by the red snake-garland,
whose foot-stool is grayed by the flow of dust from the flowers from the rows of heads of all the Gods, Indra/Vishnu and others.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

ललाटच र ल न य ु िल भा lalāṭa ca tvara jvalad dhanañjaya sphuliṅgabhā
िनपीतप सायकं नमि िल नायकम् | nipītapañca sāyakaṃ naman nilim panāyakam ।
सु धामयूखलेखया िवराजमानशेखरं sudhā mayū khale khayā virāja mānaśekharaṃ
महाकपािलस दे िशरोजटालम ु नः ||६|| mahākapā lisam padeśi rojaṭā lamastu naḥ ॥ 6 ॥

May we get the wealth of Siddhis from Śiva's locks of hair, which devoured the God of Love with the sparks of the fire flaming in His forehead, who
is bowed by all the celestial leaders, who is beautiful with a crescent moon

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

करालभालपि काधग ग ग ल karā labhāla paṭ ṭikā dhagad dhagad dhagaj jvalad
न या तीकृत च प सायके | dhanañjayā hutī kṛta pracaṇḍa pañca sāyake ।
धराधरे न नीकुचा िच प क dharā dharendra nandinī kucā graci tra patraka
क नै किश िन ि लोचने रितमम ||७|| prakalpanaika śilpini trilocane ratirmama ॥ 7 ॥

My interest is in Lord Śiva, who has three eyes, who has offered the powerful God of Love into the fire, flaming Dhagad Dhagad on the flat surface
of his forehead, and who is the one expert artist of creation accompanied by Parvati, the daughter of the mountain king.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

नवीनमे घम ली िन दु धर ु रत् navīna megha maṇḍalī niruddha dur dharasphurat
कु िनशीिथनीतमः ब ब क रः | kuhū niśīthinī tamaḥ prabandha baddha kandharaḥ ।
िनिल िनझरीधर नोतु कृि िस ु रः nilim panir jharī dharas tanotu kṛt tisindhuraḥ
कलािनधानब ु रः ि यं जगद् ु धरं धरः ||८|| kalā nidhāna bandhuraḥ śriyaṃ jagad dhuraṃ dharaḥ ॥ 8 ॥

May Lord Śiva give us prosperity, who bears the burden of this universe, who is lovely with the moon, who is red wearing the skin, who has the
celestial river Ganga, whose neck is dark as midnight of new moon night covered by many layers of clouds.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

फु नीलप ज प कािलम भा praphul lanī lapaṅkaja prapañcakā lima prabhā-
वल क क ली िच ब क रम् | -valam bikaṇṭha kandalī ruci prabaddha kandharam ।
र दं पु र दं भव दं मख दं smarac chidaṃ puracchidaṃ bhavacchidaṃ makhacchidaṃ
गज दां धक दं तम क दं भजे ||९|| gajacchidāṃ dhakachidaṃ tamaṃ takac chidaṃ bhaje ॥ 9 ॥

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I pray to Lord Śiva, whose neck is tied with the luster of the temples hanging on the neck with the glory of the fully bloomed blue lotuses which
looked like the blackness (sins) of the universe, who is the killer of Manmatha, who destroyed Tripuras, who destroyed the bonds of worldly life, who
destroyed the sacrifice, who destroyed the demon Andhaka, the destroyer of the elephants, and who controlled the God of death, Yama.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

अखव(अगव) सवम लाकलाकद म री akharva sarvamaṅgalā kalā kadaṃba mañjarī
रस वाहमाधु री िवजृ णामधु तम् | rasa pravā hamā dhurī vijṛṇbhaṇā madhu vratam ।
रा कं पुरा कं भवा कं मखा कं smarāntakaṃ purāntakaṃ bhavāntakaṃ makhāntakaṃ
गजा का का कं तम का कं भजे ||१०|| gajān takān dhakān takaṃ taman takān takaṃ bhaje ॥ 10 ॥

I pray to Lord Śiva, who has bees flying all over because of the sweet honey from the beautiful bunch of auspicious Kadamba flowers, who is the
killer of Manmatha, who destroyed Tripuras, who destroyed the bonds of worldly life, who destroyed the sacrifice, who destroyed the demon
Andhaka, the killer of the elephants, and who controlled the God of death, Yama.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

जय द िव म मद् ु भज म स jaya tvada bhravi bhrama bhramad bhujaṅga maśvasa
ि िनगम म ु र रालभालह वाट् | dvinir gamat kramasphurat karā labhāla ha vyavāṭ ।
िधिम िम िम न ृद तु म ल dhimid dhimid dhimi dhvanan mṛdaṅga tuṅga maṅgala
िन म वितत च ता वः िशवः ||११|| dhvani krama pravartita pracaṇḍa tāṇḍavaḥ śivaḥ ॥ 11 ॥

Lord Śiva, whose dance of Tāṇḍava is in tune with the series of loud sounds of drum making Dhimid Dhimid sounds, who has the fire on the great
forehead, the fire that is spreading out because of the breath of the snake wandering in whirling motion in the glorious sky.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

षि िच त योभुज मौ क जोर् dṛṣa dvici tratal payor bhujaṅga mauktikasrajor-
ग र र लो योः सु ि प प योः | gariṣṭha ratna loṣṭhayoḥ suhṛ dvi pakṣa pakṣayoḥ ।
तृ णारिव च ुषोः जामहीमहे योः tṛṇā ravinda cakṣuṣoḥ prajā mahī mahendrayoḥ
समं ि ितक: कदा सदािशवं भजा हम ||१२|| samapravṛ tikaḥ kadā sadāśivaṃ bhajamyaham ॥ 12 ॥

When will I worship Lord SadāŚiva (eternally auspicious) God, with equal vision towards the people and an emperor, and a blade of grass and
lotus-like eye, towards both friends and enemies, towards the valuable gem and some lump of dirt, towards a snake and a garland and towards
varied ways of the world.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

कदा िनिल िनझरीिनकु कोटरे वसन् kadā nilim panir jharī nikuñja koṭare vasan
िवमु दु मितः सदा िशरः थम िलं वहन् | vimukta durmatiḥ sadā śiraḥstha mañjaliṃ vahan ।
िवलोललोललोचनो ललामभालल कः vilola lola locano lalā mabhāla lagna kaḥ
िशवे ित मं मु रन् कदा सु खी भवा हम् ||१३|| śiveti mantra muccaran kadā sukhī bhavā myaham ॥ 13 ॥

When will I be happy, living in the hollow place near the celestial river, Ganga, carrying the folded hands on my head all the time, with my bad
thinking washed away, and uttering the mantra of Lord Śiva and devoted in the God with glorious forehead with vibrating eyes.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

िनिल नाथनागरी कद मौलम का- nilimpa nāthanāgarī kadamba maulamallikā-
िनगु फिनभ र धू कामनोहरः । nigumphanirbhakṣaranma dhūṣṇikāmanoharaḥ ।
तनोतु नो मनोमुदं िवनोिदनींमहिनशं tanotu no manomudaṃ vinodinīṃmahaniśaṃ
प र य परं पदं तद ज षां चयः ॥ १४॥ pariśraya paraṃ padaṃ tadaṅgajatviṣāṃ cayaḥ ॥ 14 ॥

Divine beauty of different parts of Lord Śiva which are enlightened by fragrance of the flowers decorating the twisted hair locks of angles may
always bless us with happiness and pleasure.[14]

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

च वाडवानल भाशु भ चारणी pracaṇḍa vāḍavānala prabhāśubhapracāraṇī
महा िस कािमनी जनाव त ज ना । mahāṣṭasiddhikāminī janāvahūta jalpanā ।
िवमु वाम लोचनो िववाहकािलक िनः vimukta vāma locano vivāhakālikadhvaniḥ
िशवे ित म भूषगो जग याय जायताम् ॥ १५॥ śiveti mantrabhūṣago jagajjayāya jāyatām ॥ 15 ॥

The Shakti (energy) which is capable of burning all the sins and spreading welfare of all and the pleasant sound produced by angles during
enchanting the pious Shiv mantra at the time of Shiv-Parvati Vivah may win over & destroy all the sufferings of the world.[15]

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

इमं िह िन मेवमु मु मो मं वं imaṃ hi nityamevamuktamuttamottamaṃ stavaṃ
पठ र ु व रो िवशु मे ितसं ततम् | paṭhansmaranbruvannaro viśuddhimetisaṃtatam |
हरे गुरौ सु भ माशु याित ना था गितं hare gurau subhaktimāśu yāti nānyathā gatiṃ

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िवमोहनं िह दे िहनां सु श र िचंतनम् ||१६|| vimohanaṃ hi dehināṃ suśaṅkarasya ciṃtanam ॥ 16 ॥

Whoever reads, remembers and says this best stotra as it is said here, gets purified for ever, and obtains devotion in the great Guru Śiva. For this
devotion, there is no other way. Just the mere thought of Lord Śiva indeed removes the delusion.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

पूजावसानसमये दशव गीतं pūjāvasāna samaye daśavaktragītaṃ
यः श ु पूजनपरं पठित दोषे | yaḥ śaṁbhupūjanaparaṃ paṭhati pradoṣe ।
त थरां रथगजे तु र यु ां tasya sthirāṃ rathagajendra turaṅgayuktāṃ
ल ीं सदै व सुमु खं ददाित श ुः ||१७|| lakṣmīṃ sadaiva sumukhiṃ pradadāti śaṁbhuḥ ॥ 17 ॥

In the evening, after sunset, at the end of Puja, whoever utters this stotra for 10 times sung by the one with the ten heads (Rāvaṇa), which is
dedicated to the worship of Śiva, Lord Śiva will indeed bless him with great Lakṣmī (prosperity) with all the richness of chariots, elephants and
horses.

Devanagari Roman Transliteration

इित ीरावण-कृतम् iti śrī rāvaṇa-kṛtam,
िशव-ता व- ो म् śivatāṇḍava stotraṃ,
स ूणम् sampūrnam,

Thus ends the Śiva-Tāṇḍava Stotra written by Śrī ′Rāvaṇa′.

Media adaptations
Parts of the stotra was recreated as a song in the following Indian films:

Luck (Hindi)
Oxygen (Marathi),
Baahubali: The Beginning (Telugu)
Lingaa (Tamil)
The Attacks of 26/11 (Hindi)
Shivaay (Hindi)

See also
Panchakshara Stotra

References

External links
Shiv Tandav Stotram Video (With Writing) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ-WoPkxpTA)
English translation and meaning. (http://sanskritdocuments.org/all_sa/shivTAND_meaning_sa.html)
Watch Video with meaning (http://kumarmohit.com/2008/10/04/shiv-tandav-strotam-with-meaning/)

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