Shiva Tandava Stotram meaning in English

जटाटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थले गलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजङ्गतुङ्गमालिकाम् । 

डमड्डमड्डमड्डमन्निनादवड्डमर्वयं चकार चण्डताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम् ॥१॥ 

From his forest-like dense matted hair,the pious Ganga is oozing out which is purifying the place. His engrossing neck is holding the hanging garland of lofty serpent.  His Damaru(musical instrument)is unceasingly fabricating air with Damad,Damad,Damad,Damad sound.Oh the Supreme Lord Shiva, the only performer of marvellous Tandava Dance, please extend the auspiciousness within us. 

जटाकटाहसम्भ्रमभ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरी_ विलोलवीचिवल्लरीविराजमानमूर्धनि । 

धगद्धगद्धगज्जलल्ललाटपट्टपावके किशोरचन्द्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम ॥२॥ 

His matted hair is like the large vessel revolving round and round and swrling within is the divine River Ganga. The tufts of his matted hair are swaying like the trailing vines.  He has got dazzling forehead on the surface of which is the blazing fire which is making Dhagad,Dhagad,Dhagad,Dhagad sound of burning.A crescent moon is shining on top of his head. This phenomenal sight of Tandava is streaming pleasure in me every now and then. 

धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीविलासबन्धुबन्धुर स्फुरद्दिगन्तसन्ततिप्रमोदमानमानसे । 

कृपाकटाक्षधोरणीनिरुद्धदुर्धरापदि क्वचिद्दिगम्बरे मनो विनोदमेतु वस्तुनि ॥३॥ 

The daughter of the Mountain King,the beautiful divine mother is his companion in his divine plays.The entire horizon is continuously trembling with the waves of Tandava and my mind is filling with ecstacy.   Whose tender compassionate side glance can withheld even the irresistible calamities,who is sky-clothed ie.eternally free and desireless sometimes creates the wish to materialize the divine plays just for his amusement and hence the Tandava. 

जटाभुजङ्गपिङ्गलस्फुरत्फणामणिप्रभा कदम्बकुङ्कुमद्रवप्रलिप्तदिग्वधूमुखे । 

मदान्धसिन्धुरस्फुरत्त्वगुत्तरीयमेदुरे मनो विनोदमद्‍भुतं बिभर्तु भूतभर्तरि ॥४॥ 

The splendour of the red gems on the raised hoods of throbbing reddish brown serpents curled on his matted hair is smeared in all directions of sky like the multitude of liquid saffron sticking on newly married Bride's face. His upper garment is shaking like the skin of intoxicated elephant and my mind is experiencing  thrill due to this marvellous dance carried by the nurturer of this creation. 

सहस्रलोचनप्रभृत्यशेषलेखशेखर_ प्रसूनधूलिधोरणी विधूसराङ्घ्रिपीठभूः । 

भुजङ्गराजमालया निबद्धजाटजूटकः श्रियै चिराय जायतां चकोरबन्धुशेखरः ॥५॥ 

The thousand eyed Indra and his companions are being graced by the contact of the auspicious dust raised by the dancing feet which have become dusty by dancing on the ground. His matted hair is bound by the garland of Serpent King and the shining moon which is the friend of Chukar bird is beaming out the long lasting grace of all kind of Opulence(Shri). 

shiva tandava stotram meaning in english

ललाटचत्वरज्वलद्- धनञ्जयस्फुलिङ्गभा निपीतपञ्चसायकं नमन्निलिम्पनायकम्। 

सुधामयूखलेखया विराजमानशेखरं महाकपालिसम्पदे शिरोजटालमस्तु नः॥६।। 

The formidable blazing fire residing on his broad forehead absorbed the five arrows of Kamadeva  and he is greeted by the King of Devatas. Who is embellished by the Crescent moon and the auspicious Ganga,who has elevated broad forehead may bless us with all kinds of attainments. 

करालभालपट्टिका धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वल द्धनञ्जयाहुतीकृत प्रचण्डपञ्चसायके। 

धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनी कुचाग्रचित्रपत्रक प्रकल्पनैकशिल्पिनि त्रिलोचने रतिर्मम॥७।। 

The blazing fire on his widely opened forehead incinerated the walloping Kamadeva. The one who is the artist drawing different pictures on the bosom of Mother Earth that three-eyed MahaShiva is the place of my attention. 

नवीनमेघमण्डली निरुद्धदुर्धरस्फुरत् कुहूनिशीथि नीतमः प्रबन्धबद्धकन्धरः।

 निलिम्पनिर्झरी धरस्तनोतुकृत्तिसिन्धुरः कलानिधानबन्धुरः श्रियं जगद्धुरंधरः॥८।। 

The one who has restrained the irresistible beauty of  darkness of the newly formed clouds of the new moon night around his neck,who has wrapped Elephant's hide around his body and who is the treasury of beautiful art,who is the magnate of this world may he provide us with all the wealth. 

प्रफुल्लनीलपङ्कज प्रपञ्चकालिमप्रभा वलम्बिकण्ठकन्दली रुचिप्रबद्धकन्धरम्। 

स्मरच्छिदं पुरच्छिदं भवच्छिदं मखच्छिदं गजच्छिदांधकच्छिदं तमन्तकच्छिदं भजे॥९

 I chant the praise of that lord who has a snake enveloped neck,which looks like the trunk of plantain tree,which seems like the very basis for the darkness of a fully blossomed blue lotus and the black radiance of the universal void. 

अखर्वसर्वमंगलाकलाकदम्बमञ्जरी- रसप्रवाहमाधुरीविजृम्भणामधुव्रतम्‌ । 

स्मरान्तकं पुरान्तकं भवान्तकं मखान्तकं गजान्तकान्धकान्तकं तमन्तकान्तकं भजे ।।१०।। 

I chant the praise of that lord,who put an end to smara(the god of lust who tried to disturb Shiva's meditation),who ended demons called Tripurasura,Gajasura and Andhakasura,who end the suffering born out of this creation and who is the destroyer of Lord of Death when he troubled his beloved devotees.  I chant the prayer of that lord who is like an intoxicated bumblebee seeking the nectar dropping down from the bunch of the flowers adorning the head of the auspicious devi Parvati. 

जयत्वदभ्रविभ्रमभ्रमद्भुजंगमश्वस- द्विनिर्गमत्क्रमस्फुरत्करालभालहव्यवाट् । 

धिमिद्धिमिद्धिमिद्ध्वनन्मृदंगतुंगमंगल- ध्वनिक्रमप्रवर्तितप्रचण्डताण्डवः शिवः ॥११॥

 May the furiously dancing form of the Lord Shiva,with fierce flames emanating from his forehead,which looks like a series of exhalations of the wildly spining snake;as he causes a series of dhimiddhimiddhimiddhimid,with his feet resembling the sounds of a huge auspicious Mridanga,be victorious. 

दृषद्-विचित्र-तल्पयोर्- भुजङ्ग-मौक्ति-कस्रजोर्- गरिष्ठ-रत्न-लोष्ठयोः सुहृद्-विपक्ष-पक्ष-योः। 

तृणारविन्द-चक्षुषोः प्रजा-मही-महेन्द्रयोः सम-प्रवृत्ति-कः कदा सदा-शिवं भजाम्यहम्॥१२॥

 Oh! When will I ever become eligible to worship lord Sadashiva,by holding mind eqanimously,between common folk, or great kings, between blades of grass or beautiful lotus petals; between sleeping on hard stone or fanciful beds;between wearing the Garland of a snake,or series of beautiful pearls;between the highest of gems or lumps of clay,and between the best of friends or the bitterest of enemies. 

कदा निलिम्प-निर्झरी- निकुञ्ज-कोटरे वसन् विमुक्त-दुर्मतिः सदा शिरःस्थ-मञ्जलिं वहन्। 

विलोल-लोल-लोचनो ललाम-भाल-लग्नकः शिवेति मन्त्र मुच्चरन् कदा सुखी भवाम्यहम्।।१३।।

 Oh when I will be happy,by chanting the mantra of Lord Shiva's name by residing in a cave by the bank of river Ganga,by holding the Namaskara mudra on top of my head in prayer,by being free of my negative mental tendencies with a focused concentration in the middle of forehead, which is unwavering. 

इमं हि नित्य-मेव-मुक्त- मुत्त-मोत्तमं स्तवं पठन् स्मरन् ब्रुवन्-नरो विशुद्धि-मेति सन्ततम्। 

हरे गुरौ सुभक्ति-माशु याति नान्यथा गतिं विमोहनं हि देहिनां सुशङ्करस्य चिन्तनम्॥१४॥ 

One shall attain to eternal purity by reading,memorizing and chanting the best among the best of hymns which has always been chanted thus!  One shall also easily beget true devotion towards the Lord and the Guru and shall attain to no other lower states of existence! Thinking of Auspicious forms of Lord Shiva removes all the delusions of the creatures residing in and identified with physical body. 

पूजा-वसान-समये दश-वक्त्र-गीतं यः शम्भु-पूजन-परं पठति प्रदोषे। 

तस्य स्थिरां रथ- गजेन्द्र-तुरङ्ग-युक्तां लक्ष्मीं सदैव सुमुखिं प्रददाति शम्भुः॥१५॥ 

May the rays of light emanates from Lord Shiva's body,which are as endearing as the warm nectar that drips from the bunches of flowers on top of the trees in Lord Indra's city Amarawati,grant me ultimate joy, greatest of riches,and the highest of abodes! 

इति श्रीरावण विरचितं श्रीशिवताण्डवस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम्।। 

Hence,Shiva Tandava Stotram composed by  Ravana (The King of Lanka)is completed.