Ravana as we all know was a learned man. He was so obessed with his powers that he thought of lifting the Mount Kailash –the abode of his guru –Shiva. He even managed to do it, Shiva was annoyed and but He put it back in place by pressing it with his toe. Ravana realised his folly and he composed and sung the famous Shiv-Tandav Stotra in praise of Shiva. Shiva, as he is known for his benovelence got impressed by his intense tapas and granted him the boon of indestructability.
He also betowed him with the most powerful weapon – the chandrahas. Shiv Tandav stotra sings praises of shiva’s beauty and power. It is a unique example of Hindu devotional poetry and its recitation creates rolling waves of resounding beauty.
Those who read Shiva Tandav Stotra at the end of every worship or, read it after worship of Lo rd Shiva on the Pradosh day, They are said to receive the blessings of Lord Shiva, and of god of wealth.
Here is Shiva Tandava Stotra. Listen to it and chant along.
शिवताण्डवस्तोत्रम्
जटाटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थले गलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजङ्गतुङ्गमालिकाम् |
डमड्डमड्डमड्डमन्निनादवड्डमर्वयं चकार चण्डताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम् ||१||
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 garland, and the Damaru drum making the sound of Damat Damat Damat Damat, Lord Shiva did the auspicious dance of Tandava and may He shower prosperity on us all.
जटाकटाहसंभ्रमभ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरी-विलोलवीचिवल्लरीविराजमानमूर्धनि |
धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलल्ललाटपट्टपावके किशोरचन्द्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम ||२||
I have a very deep interest in Lord Shiva, whose head is glorified by the rows of moving waves of the celestial river Ganga, agitating in the deep well of his hair-locks, and who has the brilliant fire flaming on the surface of his forehead, and who has the crescent moon as a jewel on his head.
धराधरेन्द्रनंदिनीविलासबन्धुबन्धुर स्फुरद्दिगन्तसन्ततिप्रमोदमानमानसे |
कृपाकटाक्षधोरणीनिरुद्धदुर्धरापदि क्वचिद्दिगम्बरे( क्वचिच्चिदंबरे) मनो विनोदमेतु वस्तुनि ||३||
May my mind seek happiness in the Lord Shiva, 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-persuasive (the directions are his clothes).
लताभुजङ्गपिङ्गलस्फुरत्फणामणिप्रभा कदम्बकुङ्कुमद्रवप्रलिप्तदिग्वधूमुखे |
मदान्धसिन्धुरस्फुरत्त्वगुत्तरीयमेदुरे मनो विनोदमद्भुतं बिभर्तु भूतभर्तरि ||४||
May I seek wonderful pleasure in Lord Shiva, 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.
सहस्रलोचनप्रभृत्यशेषलेखशेखर प्रसूनधूलिधोरणी विधूसराङ्घ्रिपीठभूः |
भुजङ्गराजमालया निबद्धजाटजूटक श्रियै चिराय जायतां चकोरबन्धुशेखरः ||५||
May Lord Shiva 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.
ललाटचत्वरज्वलद्धनञ्जयस्फुलिङ्गभा- निपीतपञ्चसायकं नमन्निलिम्पनायकम् |
सुधामयूखलेखया विराजमानशेखरं महाकपालिसम्पदेशिरोजटालमस्तु नः ||६||
May we get the wealth of Siddhis from Shiva’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
करालभालपट्टिकाधगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वल- द्धनञ्जयाहुतीकृतप्रचण्डपञ्चसायके |
धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीकुचाग्रचित्रपत्रक – प्रकल्पनैकशिल्पिनि त्रिलोचने रतिर्मम |||७||
My interest is in Lord Shiva, 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 who is the sole expert artist of drawing decorative lines on the tips of breasts of Parvati, the daughter of the mountain king.
नवीनमेघमण्डली निरुद्धदुर्धरस्फुरत्- कुहूनिशीथिनीतमः प्रबन्धबद्धकन्धरः |
निलिम्पनिर्झरीधरस्तनोतु कृत्तिसिन्धुरः कलानिधानबन्धुरः श्रियं जगद्धुरंधरः ||८||
May Lord Shiva 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.
प्रफुल्लनीलपङ्कजप्रपञ्चकालिमप्रभा-वलम्बिकण्ठकन्दलीरुचिप्रबद्धकन्धरम् |
स्मरच्छिदं पुरच्छिदं भवच्छिदं मखच्छिदं गजच्छिदांधकच्छिदं तमंतकच्छिदं भजे ||९||
I pray to Lord Shiva, 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.
अखर्व( अगर्व) सर्वमङ्गलाकलाकदंबमञ्जरी रसप्रवाहमाधुरी विजृंभणामधुव्रतम् |
स्मरान्तकं पुरान्तकं भवान्तकं मखान्तकं गजान्तकान्धकान्तकं तमन्तकान्तकं भजे ||१०||
I pray to Lord Shiva, 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.
जयत्वदभ्रविभ्रमभ्रमद्भुजङ्गमश्वस- द्विनिर्गमत्क्रमस्फुरत्करालभालहव्यवाट् |
धिमिद्धिमिद्धिमिध्वनन्मृदङ्गतुङ्गमङ्गल- ध्वनिक्रमप्रवर्तित प्रचण्डताण्डवः शिवः ||११||
Lord Shiva, whose dance of Tandava 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.
स्पृषद्विचित्रतल्पयोर्भुजङ्गमौक्तिकस्रजोर्- गरिष्ठरत्नलोष्ठयोः सुहृद्विपक्षपक्षयोः |
तृष्णारविन्दचक्षुषोः प्रजामहीमहेन्द्रयोः समप्रवृत्तिकः ( समं प्रवर्तयन्मनः) कदा सदाशिवं भजे ||१२||
When will I worship Lord Sadasiva (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
कदा निलिम्पनिर्झरीनिकुञ्जकोटरे वसन् विमुक्तदुर्मतिः सदा शिरः स्थमञ्जलिं वहन् |
विमुक्तलोललोचनो ललामभाललग्नकः शिवेति मंत्रमुच्चरन् कदा सुखी भवाम्यहम् ||१३||
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 Shiva and devoted in the God with glorious forehead with vibrating eyes.
इदम् हि नित्यमेवमुक्तमुत्तमोत्तमं स्तवं पठन्स्मरन्ब्रुवन्नरो विशुद्धिमेतिसंततम् |
हरे गुरौ सुभक्तिमाशु याति नान्यथा गतिं विमोहनं हि देहिनां सुशङ्करस्य चिंतनम् ||१४||
Whoever reads, remembers and says this best stotra as it is said here, gets purified for ever, and obtains devotion in the great Guru Shiva. For this devotion, there is no other way. Just the mere thought of Lord Shiva indeed removes the delusion.
पूजावसानसमये दशवक्त्रगीतं यः शंभुपूजनपरं पठति प्रदोषे |
तस्य स्थिरां रथगजेन्द्रतुरङ्गयुक्तां लक्ष्मीं सदैव सुमुखिं प्रददाति शंभुः ||१५||
In the evening, after sunset, at the end of Puja, whoever utters this stotra dedicated to the worship of Shiva, Lord Shiva blessed him with very stable Lakshmi (prosperity) with all the richness of chariots, elephants and horses.
इति श्रीरावण- कृतम् शिव- ताण्डव- स्तोत्रम् सम्पूर्णम्
Thus ends the Shiva-Tandava Stotra written by Ravana.
The word-meanings and translation have been kindly provided by Dr. Sarasvati Mohan (samskrt@aol.com) and her students at Samskrit Academy, San Jose CA, USA. She teaches samskrit in the Bay area. The typing of these was done by Sarada Kalisetty.
~courtesy Archana Sharma
