Shiv Tandav Stotram

✺About the stotra

✺Verses 1–5: The dance and the dancer

1. जटाऽटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थले गलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजङ्गतुङ्गमालिकाम्। डमड्डमड्डमड्डमन्निनादवड्डमर्वयं चकार चण्डताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम् ॥१॥

   jaṭā'ṭavīgalajjalapravāhapāvitasthale gale'valambya lambitāṃ bhujaṅgatuṅgamālikām | ḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamanninādavaḍḍamarvayaṃ cakāra caṇḍatāṇḍavaṃ tanotu naḥ śivaḥ śivam ||1 ||

   Meaning: With the stream of water flowing from the forest of his matted locks purifying the ground, with a lofty garland of serpents hanging from his neck, Shiva danced the fierce Tandava to the drum's resounding 'ḍamaḍ ḍamaḍ ḍamaḍ'. May that Shiva spread auspiciousness upon us.

2. जटाकटाहसम्भ्रमभ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरीविलोलवीचिवल्लरीविराजमानमूर्द्धनि। धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलल्ललाटपट्टपावके किशोरचन्द्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम ॥२॥

   jaṭākaṭāhasambhramabhramannilimpanirjharīvilolavīcivallarīvirājamānamūrddhani | dhagaddhagaddhagajjvalallalāṭapaṭṭapāvake kiśoracandraśekhare ratiḥ pratikṣaṇaṃ mama ||2 ||

   Meaning: My delight is ever in him whose head shines with the restless creeper-like waves of the celestial river whirling in the cauldron of his matted hair, on the plate of whose forehead fire blazes 'dhagad dhagad', and who wears the young crescent moon on his crest.

3. धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीविलासबन्धुबन्धुरस्फुरद्दिगन्तसन्ततिप्रमोदमानमानसे। कृपाकटाक्षधोरणीनिरुद्धदुर्धरापदि क्वचिद्दिगम्बरे मनो विनोदमेतु वस्तुनि ॥३॥

   dharādharendranandinīvilāsabandhubandhurasphuraddigantasantatipramodamānamānase | kṛpākaṭākṣadhoraṇīniruddhadurdharāpadi kvaciddigambare mano vinodametu vastuni ||3 ||

   Meaning: May my mind find joy in that Digambara, the sky-clad Lord, companion in the graceful play of the Mountain King's daughter, whose heart delights in the whole shining expanse of the directions, and whose stream of compassionate glances holds back even the hardest misfortunes.

4. जटाभुजङ्गपिङ्गलस्फुरत्फणामणिप्रभाकदम्बकुङ्कुमद्रवप्रलिप्तदिग्वधूमुखे। मदान्धसिन्धुरासुरत्वगुत्तरीयमेदुरे मनो विनोदमद्भुतं बिभर्तु भूतभर्तरि ॥४॥

   jaṭābhujaṅgapiṅgalasphuratphaṇāmaṇiprabhākadambakuṅkumadravapraliptadigvadhūmukhe | madāndhasindhurāsuratvaguttarīyamedure mano vinodamadbhutaṃ bibhartu bhūtabhartari ||4 ||

   Meaning: May my mind find wondrous delight in the Lord of all beings, where the glow of the jewels on the hoods of the tawny serpents in his hair paints the faces of the maidens of the directions as if with saffron, and who is wrapped in the glossy hide of the maddened elephant-demon as his upper garment.

5. सहस्रलोचनप्रभृत्यशेषलेखशेखरप्रसूनधूलिधोरणीविधूसराङ्घ्रिपीठभूः। भुजङ्गराजमालया निबद्धजाटजूटकः श्रिये चिराय जायतां चकोरबन्धुशेखरः ॥५॥

   sahasralocanaprabhṛtyaśeṣalekhaśekharaprasūnadhūlidhoraṇīvidhūsarāṅghripīṭhabhūḥ | bhujaṅgarājamālayā nibaddhajāṭajūṭakaḥ śriye cirāya jāyatāṃ cakorabandhuśekharaḥ ||5 ||

   Meaning: May he whose crest bears the moon, friend of the chakora bird, whose matted hair is bound with a garland of the king of serpents, and whose footstool is grey with the pollen falling in streams from the flowers on the heads of Indra and all the gods, grant us lasting prosperity.

✺Verses 6–10: The destroyer of Kama and Death

1. ललाटचत्वरज्वलद्धनञ्जयस्फुलिङ्गभानिपीतपञ्चसायकं नमन्निलिम्पनायकम्। सुधामयूखलेखया विराजमानशेखरं महः कपालि सम्पदे सरिज्जटालमस्तु नः ॥६॥

   lalāṭacatvarajvaladdhanañjayasphuliṅgabhānipītapañcasāyakaṃ namannilimpanāyakam | sudhāmayūkhalekhayā virājamānaśekharaṃ mahaḥ kapāli sampade sarijjaṭālamastu naḥ ||6 ||

   Meaning: May that radiant Kapali with river-bearing locks grant us prosperity: he who consumed the five-arrowed god of love with the sparks of fire blazing on the courtyard of his forehead, to whom the lord of the gods bows, and whose crest shines with the crescent of the nectar-rayed moon.

2. करालभालपट्टिकाधगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलद्धनञ्जयाहुतीकृतप्रचण्डपञ्चसायके। धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीकुचाग्रचित्रपत्रकप्रकल्पनैकशिल्पिनि त्रिलोचने रतिर्मम ॥७॥

   karālabhālapaṭṭikādhagaddhagaddhagajjvaladdhanañjayāhutīkṛtapracaṇḍapañcasāyake | dharādharendranandinīkucāgracitrapatrakaprakalpanaikaśilpini trilocane ratirmama ||7 ||

   Meaning: My delight is in the Three-eyed One, who made the mighty five-arrowed Kama an offering into the fire blazing 'dhagad dhagad' on the terrible plate of his forehead, the one artist skilled in drawing ornamental designs upon the bosom of the Mountain King's daughter.

3. नवीनमेघमण्डलीनिरुद्धदुर्धरस्फुरत्कुहूनिशीथिनीतमःप्रबन्धबद्धकन्धरः। निलिम्पनिर्झरीधरस्तनोतु कृत्तिसिन्धुरः कलानिधानबन्धुरः श्रियं जगद्धुरन्धरः ॥८॥

   navīnameghamaṇḍalīniruddhadurdharasphuratkuhūniśīthinītamaḥprabandhabaddhakandharaḥ | nilimpanirjharīdharastanotu kṛttisindhuraḥ kalānidhānabandhuraḥ śriyaṃ jagaddhurandharaḥ ||8 ||

   Meaning: May he extend prosperity to us: he whose neck is dark as a new-moon midnight shut in by masses of fresh rain clouds, who bears the celestial river, who wears the elephant's hide, who is lovely with the moon, and who bears the burden of the world.

4. प्रफुल्लनीलपङ्कजप्रपञ्चकालिमप्रभाऽवलम्बिकण्ठकन्दलीरुचिप्रबद्धकन्धरम्। स्मरच्छिदं पुरच्छिदं भवच्छिदं मखच्छिदं गजच्छिदान्धकच्छिदं तमन्तकच्छिदं भजे ॥९॥

   praphullanīlapaṅkajaprapañcakālimaprabhā'valambikaṇṭhakandalīruciprabaddhakandharam | smaracchidaṃ puracchidaṃ bhavacchidaṃ makhacchidaṃ gajacchidāndhakacchidaṃ tamantakacchidaṃ bhaje ||9 ||

   Meaning: I worship him whose neck gleams with a darkness like that of full-blown blue lotuses spreading across the world; the destroyer of Kama, of the Tripura cities, of worldly bondage, of Daksha's sacrifice, of the elephant demon, of Andhaka, and of Death himself.

5. अखर्वसर्वमङ्गलाकलाकदम्बमञ्जरीरसप्रवाहमाधुरीविजृम्भणामधुव्रतम्। स्मरान्तकं पुरान्तकं भवान्तकं मखान्तकं गजान्तकान्धकान्तकं तमन्तकान्तकं भजे ॥१०॥

   akharvasarvamaṅgalākalākadambamañjarīrasapravāhamādhurīvijṛmbhaṇāmadhuvratam | smarāntakaṃ purāntakaṃ bhavāntakaṃ makhāntakaṃ gajāntakāndhakāntakaṃ tamantakāntakaṃ bhaje ||10 ||

   Meaning: I worship him who is the bee delighting in the sweet honey flowing from the cluster of blossoms that are the arts of the all-auspicious Goddess (Parvati); the ender of Kama, of Tripura, of worldly existence, of the sacrifice, of the elephant demon and Andhaka, and the ender of Death.

✺Verses 11–15: Longing for the Lord

1. जयत्वदभ्रविभ्रमभ्रमद्भुजङ्गमश्वसद्विनिर्गमत्क्रमस्फुरत्करालभालहव्यवाट्। धिमिद्धिमिद्धिमिद्ध्वनन्मृदङ्गतुङ्गमङ्गलध्वनिक्रमप्रवर्तितप्रचण्डताण्डवः शिवः ॥११॥

   jayatvadabhravibhramabhramadbhujaṅgamaśvasadvinirgamatkramasphuratkarālabhālahavyavāṭ | dhimiddhimiddhimiddhvananmṛdaṅgatuṅgamaṅgaladhvanikramapravartitapracaṇḍatāṇḍavaḥ śivaḥ ||11 ||

   Meaning: Victory to Shiva, whose fierce Tandava is set in motion by the rhythmic, auspicious, thundering beat of the mridanga, 'dhimid dhimid dhimid', and on whose terrible forehead the fire flares with the hissing breath of serpents whirling in wild circles.

2. दृषद्विचित्रतल्पयोर्भुजङ्गमौक्तिकस्रजोर्गरिष्ठरत्नलोष्ठयोः सुहृद्विपक्षपक्षयोः। तृणारविन्दचक्षुषोः प्रजामहीमहेन्द्रयोः समप्रवृत्तिकः कदा सदाशिवं भजाम्यहम् ॥१२॥

   dṛṣadvicitratalpayorbhujaṅgamauktikasrajorgariṣṭharatnaloṣṭhayoḥ suhṛdvipakṣapakṣayoḥ | tṛṇāravindacakṣuṣoḥ prajāmahīmahendrayoḥ samapravṛttikaḥ kadā sadāśivaṃ bhajāmyaham ||12 ||

   Meaning: When shall I worship Sadashiva with an equal mind towards a stone and a splendid bed, a serpent and a pearl necklace, a precious jewel and a clod of earth, friend and foe, a blade of grass and a lotus-eyed beauty, a common subject and an emperor?

3. कदा निलिम्पनिर्झरीनिकुञ्जकोटरे वसन् विमुक्तदुर्मतिः सदा शिरःस्थमञ्जलिं वहन्। विमुक्तलोललोचनाललामभाललग्नकं शिवेति मन्त्रमुच्चरन् कदा सुखी भवाम्यहम् ॥१३॥

   kadā nilimpanirjharīnikuñjakoṭare vasan vimuktadurmatiḥ sadā śiraḥsthamañjaliṃ vahan | vimuktalolalocanālalāmabhālalagnakaṃ śiveti mantramuccaran kadā sukhī bhavāmyaham ||13 ||

   Meaning: When shall I be happy, living in a hollow of the groves beside the celestial river, freed from evil thoughts, ever holding my joined palms above my head, my restless eyes fixed on the Lord with the beautiful brow, chanting the mantra 'Shiva'?

4. निलिम्पनाथनागरीकदम्बमौलमल्लिकानिगुम्फनिर्भरक्षरन्मधूष्णिकामनोहरः। तनोतु नो मनोमुदं विनोदिनीमहर्निशं परश्रियः परं पदं तदङ्गजत्विषां चयः ॥१४॥

   nilimpanāthanāgarīkadambamaulamallikānigumphanirbharakṣaranmadhūṣṇikāmanoharaḥ | tanotu no manomudaṃ vinodinīmaharniśaṃ paraśriyaḥ paraṃ padaṃ tadaṅgajatviṣāṃ cayaḥ ||14 ||

   Meaning: May the mass of radiance of his limbs, the supreme abode of the highest glory, lovely with the warm honey dripping from the jasmine garlands woven in the hair of the celestial maidens, bring joy to our minds day and night.

5. प्रचण्डवाडवानलप्रभाशुभप्रचारणी महाष्टसिद्धिकामिनीजनाऽवहूतजल्पना। विमुक्तवामलोचनाविवाहकालिकध्वनिः शिवेति मन्त्रभूषणा जगज्जयाय जायताम् ॥१५॥

   pracaṇḍavāḍavānalaprabhāśubhapracāraṇī mahāṣṭasiddhikāminījanā'vahūtajalpanā | vimuktavāmalocanāvivāhakālikadhvaniḥ śiveti mantrabhūṣaṇā jagajjayāya jāyatām ||15 ||

   Meaning: May the sound at the time of the divine wedding, adorned with the mantra 'Shiva', radiant and auspicious like the blazing submarine fire and echoing with the voices of the eight great siddhis calling as maidens, arise for the victory of the world.

✺Verses 16–17: The fruit of recitation (phalaśruti)

1. इमं हि नित्यमेवमुक्तमुत्तमोत्तमं स्तवं पठन्स्मरन्ब्रुवन्नरो विशुद्धिमेतिसन्ततम्। हरे गुरौ सुभक्तिमाशु याति नाऽन्यथा गतिं विमोहनं हि देहिनां सुशङ्करस्य चिन्तनम् ॥१६॥

   imaṃ hi nityamevamuktamuttamottamaṃ stavaṃ paṭhansmaranbruvannaro viśuddhimetisantatam | hare gurau subhaktimāśu yāti nā'nyathā gatiṃ vimohanaṃ hi dehināṃ suśaṅkarasya cintanam ||16 ||

   Meaning: Whoever daily reads, remembers or recites this supreme hymn as here given is purified for ever, and quickly gains true devotion to Hara, the Guru; there is no other way. For thinking of Shankara removes the delusion of embodied beings.

2. पूजावसानसमये दशवक्त्रगीतं यः शम्भुपूजनपरं पठति प्रदोषे। तस्य स्थिरां रथगजेन्द्रतुरङ्गयुक्तां लक्ष्मीं प्रसादसमये प्रददाति शम्भुः ॥

   pūjāvasānasamaye daśavaktragītaṃ yaḥ śambhupūjanaparaṃ paṭhati pradoṣe | tasya sthirāṃ rathagajendraturaṅgayuktāṃ lakṣmīṃ prasādasamaye pradadāti śambhuḥ ||

   Meaning: Whoever, at the end of worship in the evening of Pradosh, recites this song of the Ten-faced One (Ravana), devoted to the worship of Shambhu, to him Shambhu, when pleased, grants steady Lakshmi (prosperity), with chariots, elephants and horses.

✺Ravana and the legend of Kailash

✺Metre and style

✺Variant readings

Verse 3: 'kvacid digambare'

Some editions read 'kvacic cidambare' ('in Chidambara', the Lord of the hall of consciousness, associated with Nataraja at Chidambaram).

Verse 4: 'madāndha-sindhurāsura-tvag-uttarīya-medure'

Wikisource reads 'sindhurāsura' (elephant-demon); sanskritdocuments reads 'sindhura-sphurat-tvag' (the gleaming hide of the elephant) and notes the other reading.

Verse 5: 'śriye cirāya jāyatām'

sanskritdocuments prints 'śriyai'; both mean 'for prosperity'.

Verse 6, last line

Wikisource: 'mahaḥ kapāli sampade sarij-jaṭālam astu naḥ'. sanskritdocuments: 'mahākapāli sampade śiro jaṭālam astu naḥ' ('may the matted-haired head of the great Kapali bring us wealth'), with the Wikisource reading as a variant.

Verse 13, third line

Wikisource: 'vimukta-lola-locanā-lalāma-bhāla-lagnakaṃ'. sanskritdocuments: 'vilola-lola-locano lalāma-bhāla-lagnakaḥ'.

Verse 17, last line

Wikisource: 'lakṣmīṃ prasāda-samaye pradadāti śambhuḥ'. sanskritdocuments: 'lakṣmīṃ sadaiva sumukhīṃ pradadāti śambhuḥ' ('ever-gracious Lakshmi').

Additional verses

Some versions add 'namāmi pārvatīpatiṃ namāmi jāhnavīpatiṃ…' and 'rāvaṇena kṛtaṃ stotraṃ…', giving 18–19 verses. sanskritdocuments notes that versions of 15 to 19 verses circulate. Only the 17 verses common to both sources are given here.

✺How and when to recite

✺Benefits described in tradition

Questions pilgrims ask