Shiva Tandava Stotram

जटाऽटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थले गलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजङ्गतुङ्गमालिकाम्। डमड्डमड्डमड्डमन्निनादवड्डमर्वयं चकार चण्डताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम्

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

In plain words: Shiva, with a garland of serpents hung on his neck from forest-like matted hair where the Ganga flows, performs a fierce dance to the beat of his drum; may he bring us well-being.

जटाकटाहसम्भ्रमभ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरीविलोलवीचिवल्लरीविराजमानमूर्द्धनि। धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलल्ललाटपट्टपावके किशोरचन्द्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम

jaṭākaṭāhasambhramabhramannilimpanirjharīvilolavīcivallarīvirājamānamūrddhani| dhagaddhagaddhagajjvalallalāṭapaṭṭapāvake kiśoracandraśekhare ratiḥ pratikṣaṇaṃ mama

In plain words: My delight is always in Shiva: the Ganga's waves swirl in the locks on his head, fire blazes on his forehead, and he wears the young moon.

धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीविलासबन्धुबन्धुरस्फुरद्दिगन्तसन्ततिप्रमोदमानमानसे। कृपाकटाक्षधोरणीनिरुद्धदुर्धरापदि क्वचिद्दिगम्बरे मनो विनोदमेतु वस्तुनि

dharādharendranandinīvilāsabandhubandhurasphuraddigantasantatipramodamānamānase| kṛpākaṭākṣadhoraṇīniruddhadurdharāpadi kvaciddigambare mano vinodametu vastuni

In plain words: May my mind find joy in the one who wears the sky as his clothes, in whom the beloved of the king of mountains (Parvati) delights, and whose glance of mercy ends great troubles.

जटाभुजङ्गपिङ्गलस्फुरत्फणामणिप्रभाकदम्बकुङ्कुमद्रवप्रलिप्तदिग्वधूमुखे। मदान्धसिन्धुरासुरत्वगुत्तरीयमेदुरे मनो विनोदमद्भुतं बिभर्तु भूतभर्तरि

jaṭābhujaṅgapiṅgalasphuratphaṇāmaṇiprabhākadambakuṅkumadravapraliptadigvadhūmukhe| madāndhasindhurāsuratvaguttarīyamedure mano vinodamadbhutaṃ bibhartu bhūtabhartari

In plain words: May my mind find wonder in the lord of beings, whose matted hair glows with the jewels of serpents' hoods, who brightens the faces of the quarters, and who wears an elephant hide.

सहस्रलोचनप्रभृत्यशेषलेखशेखरप्रसूनधूलिधोरणीविधूसराङ्घ्रिपीठभूः। भुजङ्गराजमालया निबद्धजाटजूटकः श्रिये चिराय जायतां चकोरबन्धुशेखरः

sahasralocanaprabhṛtyaśeṣalekhaśekharaprasūnadhūlidhoraṇīvidhūsarāṅghripīṭhabhūḥ| bhujaṅgarājamālayā nibaddhajāṭajūṭakaḥ śriye cirāya jāyatāṃ cakorabandhuśekharaḥ

In plain words: May the moon-crowned Shiva, whose footstool is grey with the pollen of flowers from the heads of Indra and all the gods, and whose hair is bound by a serpent king, grant prosperity for a long time.

ललाटचत्वरज्वलद्धनञ्जयस्फुलिङ्गभानिपीतपञ्चसायकं नमन्निलिम्पनायकम्। सुधामयूखलेखया विराजमानशेखरं महः कपालि सम्पदे सरिज्जटालमस्तु नः

lalāṭacatvarajvaladdhanañjayasphuliṅgabhānipītapañcasāyakaṃ namannilimpanāyakam| sudhāmayūkhalekhayā virājamānaśekharaṃ mahaḥ kapāli sampade sarijjaṭālamastu naḥ

In plain words: May the light that burnt the god of love with the fire of his forehead, that is bowed to by the king of the gods and shines with the crescent moon, give us wealth.

करालभालपट्टिकाधगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलद्धनञ्जयाहुतीकृतप्रचण्डपञ्चसायके। धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीकुचाग्रचित्रपत्रकप्रकल्पनैकशिल्पिनि त्रिलोचने रतिर्मम

karālabhālapaṭṭikādhagaddhagaddhagajjvaladdhanañjayāhutīkṛtapracaṇḍapañcasāyake| dharādharendranandinīkucāgracitrapatrakaprakalpanaikaśilpini trilocane ratirmama

In plain words: My delight is in the three-eyed one, the single artist who draws designs on the breast of Parvati, and who burned Kama in the fire of his terrible forehead.

नवीनमेघमण्डलीनिरुद्धदुर्धरस्फुरत्कुहूनिशीथिनीतमःप्रबन्धबद्धकन्धरः। निलिम्पनिर्झरीधरस्तनोतु कृत्तिसिन्धुरः कलानिधानबन्धुरः श्रियं जगद्धुरन्धरः

navīnameghamaṇḍalīniruddhadurdharasphuratkuhūniśīthinītamaḥprabandhabaddhakandharaḥ | nilimpanirjharīdharastanotu kṛttisindhuraḥ kalānidhānabandhuraḥ śriyaṃ jagaddhurandharaḥ

In plain words: May Shiva, whose neck is dark like a night of new moon covered by clouds, who bears the Ganga, wears an elephant hide, is a treasury of the arts and bears the burden of the world, give us prosperity.

प्रफुल्लनीलपङ्कजप्रपञ्चकालिमप्रभाऽवलम्बिकण्ठकन्दलीरुचिप्रबद्धकन्धरम्। स्मरच्छिदं पुरच्छिदं भवच्छिदं मखच्छिदं गजच्छिदान्धकच्छिदं तमन्तकच्छिदं भजे

praphullanīlapaṅkajaprapañcakālimaprabhā'valambikaṇṭhakandalīruciprabaddhakandharam| smaracchidaṃ puracchidaṃ bhavacchidaṃ makhacchidaṃ gajacchidāndhakacchidaṃ tamantakacchidaṃ bhaje

In plain words: I worship the one whose neck is dark like a field of blue lotuses, the destroyer of Kama, of the three cities (Tripura), of worldly bondage, of the sacrifice (of Daksha), of the elephant demon, of Andhaka and of Yama.

अखर्वसर्वमङ्गलाकलाकदम्बमञ्जरीरसप्रवाहमाधुरीविजृम्भणामधुव्रतम्। स्मरान्तकं पुरान्तकं भवान्तकं मखान्तकं गजान्तकान्धकान्तकं तमन्तकान्तकं भजे

akharvasarvamaṅgalākalākadambamañjarīrasapravāhamādhurīvijṛmbhaṇāmadhuvratam| smarāntakaṃ purāntakaṃ bhavāntakaṃ makhāntakaṃ gajāntakāndhakāntakaṃ tamantakāntakaṃ bhaje

In plain words: I worship the one who is like a bee on the flowers of all auspicious arts, and the destroyer of the same: of Kama, Tripura, worldly bondage, the sacrifice, the elephant demon, Andhaka and of Death itself.

जयत्वदभ्रविभ्रमभ्रमद्भुजङ्गमश्वसद्विनिर्गमत्क्रमस्फुरत्करालभालहव्यवाट्। धिमिद्धिमिद्धिमिद्ध्वनन्मृदङ्गतुङ्गमङ्गलध्वनिक्रमप्रवर्तितप्रचण्डताण्डवः शिवः

jayatvadabhravibhramabhramadbhujaṅgamaśvasadvinirgamatkramasphuratkarālabhālahavyavāṭ| dhimiddhimiddhimiddhvananmṛdaṅgatuṅgamaṅgaladhvanikramapravartitapracaṇḍatāṇḍavaḥ śivaḥ

In plain words: Victory to Shiva, whose fierce dance is set by the sound of the drums, with serpents hissing and the fire of his forehead flaring. (approximate)

दृषद्विचित्रतल्पयोर्भुजङ्गमौक्तिकस्रजोर्गरिष्ठरत्नलोष्ठयोः सुहृद्विपक्षपक्षयोः। तृणारविन्दचक्षुषोः प्रजामहीमहेन्द्रयोः समप्रवृत्तिकः कदा सदाशिवं भजाम्यहम्

dṛṣadvicitratalpayorbhujaṅgamauktikasrajorgariṣṭharatnaloṣṭhayoḥ suhṛdvipakṣapakṣayoḥ| tṛṇāravindacakṣuṣoḥ prajāmahīmahendrayoḥ samapravṛttikaḥ kadā sadāśivaṃ bhajāmyaham

In plain words: When shall I worship Sadashiva with an even mind towards a stone or a soft bed, a serpent or a pearl garland, a jewel or a clod of earth, friend or foe, grass or a lotus-eye, a subject or a king?

कदा निलिम्पनिर्झरीनिकुञ्जकोटरे वसन् विमुक्तदुर्मतिः सदा शिरःस्थमञ्जलिं वहन्। विमुक्तलोललोचनाललामभाललग्नकं शिवेति मन्त्रमुच्चरन् कदा सुखी भवाम्यहम्

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

In plain words: When shall I be happy, living in a cave on the bank of the heavenly river, free of wrong thoughts, hands folded on my head, eyes free of restlessness, uttering the mantra "Shiva"? (approximate)

निलिम्पनाथनागरीकदम्बमौलमल्लिकानिगुम्फनिर्भरक्षरन्मधूष्णिकामनोहरः। तनोतु नो मनोमुदं विनोदिनीमहर्निशं परश्रियः परं पदं तदङ्गजत्विषां चयः

nilimpanāthanāgarīkadambamaulamallikānigumphanirbharakṣaranmadhūṣṇikāmanoharaḥ | tanotu no manomudaṃ vinodinīmaharniśaṃ paraśriyaḥ paraṃ padaṃ tadaṅgajatviṣāṃ cayaḥ

In plain words: May the shining of Shiva, the sweet honey from the jasmine garlands of the heavenly women, give joy to our minds day and night. (approximate)

प्रचण्डवाडवानलप्रभाशुभप्रचारणी महाष्टसिद्धिकामिनीजनाऽवहूतजल्पना। विमुक्तवामलोचनाविवाहकालिकध्वनिः शिवेति मन्त्रभूषणा जगज्जयाय जायताम्

pracaṇḍavāḍavānalaprabhāśubhapracāraṇī mahāṣṭasiddhikāminījanā'vahūtajalpanā| vimuktavāmalocanāvivāhakālikadhvaniḥ śiveti mantrabhūṣaṇā jagajjayāya jāyatām

In plain words: May the mantra "Shiva", the ornament of the world, bring victory to the world. (approximate: the verse is a difficult compound)