Shiv Tandav Stotram
Also written: Shiva Tandava Stotram · Shiva Tandava Stotra · Shiv Tandav Stotra · Ravana Stotra · Jatatavi Galajjala
The Śiva Tāṇḍava Stotram is a Sanskrit hymn that pictures Śiva in his fierce, joyful dance: the Gaṅgā tumbling through his matted hair, the serpent around his neck, the fire on his forehead and the ḍamaru beating time. Its long, rolling compounds are built to sound like the drum they describe.
Tradition attributes it to Rāvaṇa, the king of Laṅkā and a great devotee of Śiva. In the well-known story he tried to lift Mount Kailāsa, Śiva pressed the mountain down with a toe, and Rāvaṇa, pinned beneath it, sang in praise until Śiva was pleased. The hymn itself is not found in the Rāmāyaṇa or the Purāṇas; it has come down as an independent stotra, and its real date and author are not known.
Printed versions differ a little. This page follows the reading most often printed and recited: thirteen verses of praise in the quick pañcacāmara metre, followed by two closing verses on the fruit of recitation, fifteen in all. Some editions insert two more verses before the closing ones (beginning “nilimpanātha-nāgarī…” and “pracaṇḍa-vāḍavānala…”), making seventeen, and a few differ in single words.
Devotees recite it in the evening, on Mondays, on pradoṣa and on Mahāśivarātri, often aloud and at speed, as an offering of sound to the dancing Lord.
The full text
- 1जटाटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थलेगलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजङ्गतुङ्गमालिकाम् ।डमड्डमड्डमड्डमन्निनादवड्डमर्वयंचकार चण्डताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम् ॥ १ ॥jaṭāṭavīgalajjalapravāhapāvitasthalegale’valambya lambitāṃ bhujaṅgatuṅgamālikām |ḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamanninādavaḍḍamarvayaṃcakāra caṇḍatāṇḍavaṃ tanotu naḥ śivaḥ śivam || 1 ||
On ground made pure by the water streaming from the forest of his matted hair, with a great serpent hanging as a garland at his neck, Śiva danced his fierce tāṇḍava to the “ḍamaḍ-ḍamaḍ” of his drum. May that Śiva spread blessing over us.
- 2जटाकटाहसम्भ्रमभ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरी-विलोलवीचिवल्लरीविराजमानमूर्धनि ।धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलल्ललाटपट्टपावकेकिशोरचन्द्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम ॥ २ ॥jaṭākaṭāhasambhramabhramannilimpanirjharī-vilolavīcivallarīvirājamānamūrdhani |dhagaddhagaddhagajjvalallalāṭapaṭṭapāvakekiśoracandraśekhare ratiḥ pratikṣaṇaṃ mama || 2 ||
His head is bright with the restless waves of the heavenly river whirling in the cauldron of his locks; fire blazes on the broad plane of his forehead; the young moon is his crest. May my love for him grow at every moment.
- 3धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीविलासबन्धुबन्धुर-स्फुरद्दिगन्तसन्ततिप्रमोदमानमानसे ।कृपाकटाक्षधोरणीनिरुद्धदुर्धरापदिक्वचिद्दिगम्बरे मनो विनोदमेतु वस्तुनि ॥ ३ ॥dharādharendranandinīvilāsabandhubandhura-sphuraddigantasantatipramodamānamānase |kṛpākaṭākṣadhoraṇīniruddhadurdharāpadikvaciddigambare mano vinodametu vastuni || 3 ||
He is the playful companion of the mountain king's daughter, and his heart rejoices as her radiance lights up every direction; a stream of his kind glances holds back the hardest misfortune. In that sky-clad Lord may my mind find its delight.
- 4जटाभुजङ्गपिङ्गलस्फुरत्फणामणिप्रभा-कदम्बकुङ्कुमद्रवप्रलिप्तदिग्वधूमुखे ।मदान्धसिन्धुरस्फुरत्त्वगुत्तरीयमेदुरेमनो विनोदमद्भुतं बिभर्तु भूतभर्तरि ॥ ४ ॥jaṭābhujaṅgapiṅgalasphuratphaṇāmaṇiprabhā-kadambakuṅkumadravapraliptadigvadhūmukhe |madāndhasindhurasphurattvaguttarīyameduremano vinodamadbhutaṃ bibhartu bhūtabhartari || 4 ||
The tawny glow from the jewels on the hoods of the serpents in his hair paints the faces of the directions as if with saffron, and the hide of a rut-maddened elephant is his shining upper cloth. In that Lord of all beings may my mind hold a wondrous joy.
- 5सहस्रलोचनप्रभृत्यशेषलेखशेखर-प्रसूनधूलिधोरणीविधूसराङ्घ्रिपीठभूः ।भुजङ्गराजमालया निबद्धजाटजूटकःश्रियै चिराय जायतां चकोरबन्धुशेखरः ॥ ५ ॥sahasralocanaprabhṛtyaśeṣalekhaśekhara-prasūnadhūlidhoraṇīvidhūsarāṅghripīṭhabhūḥ |bhujaṅgarājamālayā nibaddhajāṭajūṭakaḥśriyai cirāya jāyatāṃ cakorabandhuśekharaḥ || 5 ||
The ground beneath his footstool is grey with pollen falling from the flowers on the heads of Indra and all the gods as they bow; his matted locks are bound with the king of serpents. May he who wears the moon as his crest grant us lasting good fortune.
- 6ललाटचत्वरज्वलद्धनञ्जयस्फुलिङ्गभा-निपीतपञ्चसायकं नमन्निलिम्पनायकम् ।सुधामयूखलेखया विराजमानशेखरंमहाकपालिसम्पदेशिरोजटालमस्तु नः ॥ ६ ॥lalāṭacatvarajvaladdhanañjayasphuliṅgabhā-nipītapañcasāyakaṃ namannilimpanāyakam |sudhāmayūkhalekhayā virājamānaśekharaṃmahākapālisampadeśirojaṭālamastu naḥ || 6 ||
The sparks of the fire burning on his forehead consumed Kāma, the god of the five arrows; the leaders of the gods bow to him; the crescent of the nectar-rayed moon adorns his crest. May that great skull-bearing Lord of the matted locks be our wealth.
- 7करालभालपट्टिकाधगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वल-द्धनञ्जयाहुतीकृतप्रचण्डपञ्चसायके ।धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीकुचाग्रचित्रपत्रक-प्रकल्पनैकशिल्पिनि त्रिलोचने रतिर्मम ॥ ७ ॥karālabhālapaṭṭikādhagaddhagaddhagajjvala-ddhanañjayāhutīkṛtapracaṇḍapañcasāyake |dharādharendranandinīkucāgracitrapatraka-prakalpanaikaśilpini trilocane ratirmama || 7 ||
In the fire blazing on his dread forehead he offered up the mighty Kāma as an oblation; and he alone is the artist who paints the ornamental designs on Pārvatī, daughter of the mountain king. In that three-eyed Lord is my love.
- 8नवीनमेघमण्डलीनिरुद्धदुर्धरस्फुरत्-कुहूनिशीथिनीतमःप्रबन्धबद्धकन्धरः ।निलिम्पनिर्झरीधरस्तनोतु कृत्तिसिन्धुरःकलानिधानबन्धुरः श्रियं जगद्धुरन्धरः ॥ ८ ॥navīnameghamaṇḍalīniruddhadurdharasphurat-kuhūniśīthinītamaḥprabandhabaddhakandharaḥ |nilimpanirjharīdharastanotu kṛttisindhuraḥkalānidhānabandhuraḥ śriyaṃ jagaddhurandharaḥ || 8 ||
His neck is dark as the midnight of a new-moon night thickly covered by fresh clouds. He carries the heavenly river, wears the elephant's hide, is lovely with the moon, and bears the burden of the world. May he spread good fortune for us.
- 9प्रफुल्लनीलपङ्कजप्रपञ्चकालिमप्रभा-वलम्बिकण्ठकन्दलीरुचिप्रबद्धकन्धरम् ।स्मरच्छिदं पुरच्छिदं भवच्छिदं मखच्छिदंगजच्छिदान्धकच्छिदं तमन्तकच्छिदं भजे ॥ ९ ॥praphullanīlapaṅkajaprapañcakālimaprabhā-valambikaṇṭhakandalīruciprabaddhakandharam |smaracchidaṃ puracchidaṃ bhavacchidaṃ makhacchidaṃgajacchidāndhakacchidaṃ tamantakacchidaṃ bhaje || 9 ||
His throat carries the dark lustre of a spread of full-blown blue lotuses. I worship him who cut down Kāma, the three cities, the bondage of worldly existence, Dakṣa's sacrifice, the elephant demon, Andhaka, and Death himself.
- 10अखर्वसर्वमङ्गलाकलाकदम्बमञ्जरी-रसप्रवाहमाधुरीविजृम्भणामधुव्रतम् ।स्मरान्तकं पुरान्तकं भवान्तकं मखान्तकंगजान्तकान्धकान्तकं तमन्तकान्तकं भजे ॥ १० ॥akharvasarvamaṅgalākalākadambamañjarī-rasapravāhamādhurīvijṛmbhaṇāmadhuvratam |smarāntakaṃ purāntakaṃ bhavāntakaṃ makhāntakaṃgajāntakāndhakāntakaṃ tamantakāntakaṃ bhaje || 10 ||
He is the bee that drinks the flowing sweetness from the blossom-cluster of the arts of the all-auspicious Goddess. I worship him, the ender of Kāma, of the three cities, of worldly existence, of the sacrifice, of the elephant demon, of Andhaka, and of Death.
- 11जयत्वदभ्रविभ्रमभ्रमद्भुजङ्गमश्वस-द्विनिर्गमत्क्रमस्फुरत्करालभालहव्यवाट् ।धिमिद्धिमिद्धिमिध्वनन्मृदङ्गतुङ्गमङ्गल-ध्वनिक्रमप्रवर्तितप्रचण्डताण्डवः शिवः ॥ ११ ॥jayatvadabhravibhramabhramadbhujaṅgamaśvasa-dvinirgamatkramasphuratkarālabhālahavyavāṭ |dhimiddhimiddhimidhvananmṛdaṅgatuṅgamaṅgala-dhvanikramapravartitapracaṇḍatāṇḍavaḥ śivaḥ || 11 ||
Victory to Śiva, whose forehead fire flares higher with the hissing breath of the serpents whirling about him, and whose fierce tāṇḍava moves in step with the high, auspicious “dhimid-dhimid” of the mṛdaṅga drum.
- 12दृषद्विचित्रतल्पयोर्भुजङ्गमौक्तिकस्रजो-र्गरिष्ठरत्नलोष्ठयोः सुहृद्विपक्षपक्षयोः ।तृणारविन्दचक्षुषोः प्रजामहीमहेन्द्रयोःसमप्रवृत्तिकः कदा सदाशिवं भजाम्यहम् ॥ १२ ॥dṛṣadvicitratalpayorbhujaṅgamauktikasrajo-rgariṣṭharatnaloṣṭhayoḥ suhṛdvipakṣapakṣayoḥ |tṛṇāravindacakṣuṣoḥ prajāmahīmahendrayoḥsamapravṛttikaḥ kadā sadāśivaṃ bhajāmyaham || 12 ||
When shall I worship Sadāśiva with an even mind — seeing no difference between a stone and a fine bed, a snake and a string of pearls, a precious gem and a clod of earth, friend and foe, a blade of grass and a lotus-eyed beauty, a common subject and an emperor?
- 13कदा निलिम्पनिर्झरीनिकुञ्जकोटरे वसन्विमुक्तदुर्मतिः सदा शिरःस्थमञ्जलिं वहन् ।विमुक्तलोललोचनो ललामभाललग्नकःशिवेति मन्त्रमुच्चरन् कदा सुखी भवाम्यहम् ॥ १३ ॥kadā nilimpanirjharīnikuñjakoṭare vasanvimuktadurmatiḥ sadā śiraḥsthamañjaliṃ vahan |vimuktalolalocano lalāmabhālalagnakaḥśiveti mantramuccaran kadā sukhī bhavāmyaham || 13 ||
When shall I live in a hollow of a grove beside the heavenly Gaṅgā, free of wrong thinking, hands always joined above my head, eyes no longer restless, my mind fixed on the Lord of the beautiful brow, and be happy simply repeating the mantra “Śiva”?
- 14इमं हि नित्यमेवमुक्तमुत्तमोत्तमं स्तवंपठन्स्मरन्ब्रुवन्नरो विशुद्धिमेतिसन्ततम् ।हरे गुरौ सुभक्तिमाशु याति नान्यथा गतिंविमोहनं हि देहिनां सुशङ्करस्य चिन्तनम् ॥ १४ ॥imaṃ hi nityamevamuktamuttamottamaṃ stavaṃpaṭhansmaranbruvannaro viśuddhimetisantatam |hare gurau subhaktimāśu yāti nānyathā gatiṃvimohanaṃ hi dehināṃ suśaṅkarasya cintanam || 14 ||
The closing verses tell the fruit of recitation. Whoever regularly reads, remembers and recites this best of hymns as given here is said to stay ever pure and quickly gain devotion to Śiva, the teacher; there is no other way, for the very thought of Śaṅkara clears away the delusion of living beings.
- 15पूजावसानसमये दशवक्त्रगीतंयः शम्भुपूजनपरं पठति प्रदोषे ।तस्य स्थिरां रथगजेन्द्रतुरङ्गयुक्तांलक्ष्मीं सदैव सुमुखिं प्रददाति शम्भुः ॥ १५ ॥pūjāvasānasamaye daśavaktragītaṃyaḥ śambhupūjanaparaṃ paṭhati pradoṣe |tasya sthirāṃ rathagajendraturaṅgayuktāṃlakṣmīṃ sadaiva sumukhiṃ pradadāti śambhuḥ || 15 ||
The hymn ends in a different metre: whoever recites this song of the ten-faced Rāvaṇa at the close of worship in the evening pradoṣa hour, intent on the worship of Śambhu — to that person, the verse says, Śambhu gives lasting and gracious prosperity, with chariots, elephants and horses.
How and when it is recited
This is custom, not a rule of scripture.
- Traditionally recited in the evening, especially in the pradoṣa hour around sunset, which the last verse itself names.
- Often chanted at the end of Śiva worship, after offering water, bilva leaves and a lamp.
- Mondays, pradoṣa days, the month of Śrāvaṇa and Mahāśivarātri are favoured occasions.
- The metre is quick and drum-like; learn it slowly, line by line, before reciting at speed, so that the long compounds stay clear.
Verse by verse, explained
Source
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