Shiva
thandava stotram
By
Ravana
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
(It is believed that
Lord Shiva is the king of all dancers. He was an expert in the thandava style
of dancing. This is a vigorous manly style of dancing. This stotra is about him
while in the act of dancing. Alliteration
and onomatopoeia
create roiling waves of resounding beauty in this great stotra. This stotra which is so majestic was composed by
none other than Ravana, the demon king, who ruled over
Jatatavee gala jjala
pravaha pavitha sthale,
Gale avalabhya
lambithaam bhujanga thunga
malikaam,
Dama ddama dama ddama
ninnadava damarvayam,
Chakara chanda thandavam
thanothu na shiva shivam. 1
From the forest of
his matted lock , water flows and wets
his neck,
On which hangs the greatest of snake like a garland,
And his drum
incessantly plays damat , damat, damat , damat,
And Shiva is engaged
in the very vigorous manly dance,
To bless and shower,
prosperity on all of us.
Jata kataha sambhramabrama nillimpa nirjari,Vilola veechi vallari viraja mana moordhani,Dhaga dhaga daga jjwala lalata patta pavake,
Kishora Chandra shekare
rathi prathi kshanam mama. 2
The celestial river
agitatedly moving through his matted hair,
Which makes his head
shine with those soft waves,
And his forehead shining like a brilliant
fire-daga daga,
And the crescent of moon which is an ornament to his head,
Makes my mind
love him each and every second.
Dara darendra nandini
vilasa bhandhu bhandura,
Sphuradigantha
santhathi pramodha mana manase,
Krupa kadaksha dhorani
niruddha durdharapadi,
Kwachi digambare mano vinodhamethu vasthuni. 3
The consort of the
ever sportive daughter of the mountain,
Whose mind rejoices at her side long glances,
With the stream
of merciful look which removes hardships,
Makes my mind take
pleasure in him who wears the directions as apparel.
Jada bhujanga pingala sphurath phana mani prabha,
Kadamba kumkuma drava praliptha digwadhu mukhe,
Madhandha sindhura sphurathwagu
utthariya medhure,
Mano vinodhamadhbutham
bibarthu bhootha bharthari. 4
He, with the shining
lustrous gem on the hood
Of the serpent
entwining his matted locks,
He, who is with his
bride whose face is decorated
By the melting of red
saffron Kumkum,
And He who wears on
his shoulder the hide
Of the elephant which
was blind with ferociousness,
Makes my mind happy
and contented,
In him who is the
leader of Bhoothas*.
* can be taken to mean as souls
or
mythical beings guarding
Kailasa.
Sahasra lochana prabhoothyasesha lekha shekhara,
Prasoona dhooli dhorani
vidhu sarangri peedabhu,
Bhujangaraja Malaya
nibhadha jada jhootaka,
Sriyai chiraya jayatham
chakora bandhu shekhara. 5
May he whose foot
stool is decorated
By the ever
flowing flower dust.
Falling the bent head
of Indra and other Gods,
And may He, whose
matted locks are tied by the king of serpents,
And may he , whose
head is decorated
By the crescent moon
who a friend of Chakora*
Shower prosperity for
ever on me.
* A mythical bird which lives by
drinking moon light.
Lalata chathwara
jwaladhanam jaya sphulingabha,
Nipeetha pancha sayagam
saman nilimpanayakam,
Sudha mayookha lekhaya
virajamana shekharam,
Maha kapali sampade, siro jadalamasthu na. 6
May he with the
raging fire
In his forehead, who burnt the God of love,
May He who is forever
being saluted by king of devas,
And may he who has
collected
The cool ambrosia
like crescent moon on his head,
And may he who wears
the collection of skulls,
Bless us to create wealth for us.
Karala bhala pattika dhagadhaga jjwala,
Ddhanam jayahuthi krutha
prachanda pancha sayage ,
Dharadharendra nandhini
kuchagra chithrapathraka,
Prakalpanaika shilpini, trilochane rather mama. 7
May He in whose
dreadful forehead, fire burns “Dhahaga”, “Dhaga,”
May He who burnt the
one with five arrows* as an offering to fire,
May He who is the
only one who can write decorative lines,
On the tip of the
breasts of the daughter of the mountain,
And May He with three
eyes make mind enjoy in him.
* The God of love
Naveena megha mandali nirudha durdharath sphurath,
Kahoo niseedhi neethama prabhandha bandha kandhara,
Nilimpa nirjari darsthanothu kruthi sindhura,
Kala nidhana bandhura
sriyam jagat durandhara. 8
May He whose
black neck is as dark
As several layers of new clouds,
Packed closely on the night of the new moon.
May He who wears the
celestial river on his head,
May He who killed the
Gajasura with an elephant head,
May He who is very
handsome because of the crescent that he
wears,
And may he who
carries the entire burden of the world,
Bless us with all sorts of wealth .
Prafulla neela pankaja
prapancha kalima prabha,
Valambhi kanda kanthali ruchi prabandha kandharam,
Smarschidham puraschidham bhavaschidham makhachidham,
Gajachidandakachidham tham anthakachidham bhaje. 9
I salute him, who shines with a black neck
Similar to the well
opened blue lotus,
On which all the temples depend for prayer,
And him who destroyed God of love, the three cities,
The worldly problems and yaga destroyers,
And him who destroyed elephant faced Asura and also God of death.,
Agarva sarva mangalaa kalaa kadamba manjari,
Rasa pravaha madhuri vijrumbha mana madhu vrtham,
Suranthakam, paranthakam, bhavanthakam, makhandakam,
Gajandhakandhakandakam thamanthakanthakam bhaje. 10
I salute him who is
like the bee who drinks the sweetened honey ,
That flows from the
flower bunch of collection of arts of the Goddess,
And him who destroyed God of love, the three cities,
The worldly problems
and yaga destroyers,
And him who destroyed elephant faced Asura and also God of death.
Jayathwadhabra vibramadbujaamga maswasath,
Vinirgamath, kramasphurath, karala bhala havya vat,
Dhimi dhimi dhimi dhwanan mrudanga thunga mangala,
Dhwani karma
pravarthitha prachanda thandawa
shiva. 11
Victory to the great
Shiva , who has the fire burning in his forehead,
Which is increased by
the breath of the snake wandering in the sky,
And to Him who dances
to the changing tunes and fierce sound,
Of Dhimi, dhimi,
dhimi coming out the auspicious drum.
Drusha dwichi thra
thalpayor bhujanga moukthika srajo,
Garishta rathna loshtayo suhrudhwi paksha pakshayo,
Trunara vinda chakshusho praja mahee mahendrayo,
Samapravarthika kadha
sadashivam bhajamyaham. 12
When will I be able
to worship that eternal shiva,
With a feeling of equanimity towards snake and a
garland,
Towards great gems
and dirt or friends and enemies,
Or Towards a blade of grass and lotus like eyes,
Or emperor and
ordinary men.
Kada nilampa nirjaree nikunja kotare vasan,
Vimuktha durmathee
sada sirasthanjaleem vahan,
Vilola lola lochano lalama bhala lagnaka,
Shivethi manthamucharan
kada sukhee bhavamyaham. 13
When will I live the
life of pleasure , meditating on Shiva,
Sitting near a hollow
place near the celestial river
Releasing all my bad
thoughts and with hands clasped above my
head,
After releasing all
passion for the pretty women with
shifting eyes?
Imam hi nithya meva muktha muthamothamam sthavam,
Padan , smaran broovan
naro vishudhimethi santhatham,
Hare Gurou
subhakthimasu yathi nanyadha
gatheem,
Vimohinam hi dehinaam
sushakarasya chithanam. 14
This greater than the
great prayer if read,
Remembered, or
recited daily by man,
Will make him pure,
eternal,
And he would get
devotion to Shiva leading him to salvation,
For remembering Lord
Shiva, is a sure method of removal of
detachment.
Poojavasana samaye dasa
vakhra geetham,
Ya shambhu poojana param padthi pradhoshe,
Thasya sthiraam radha gajendra thuranga yuktham,
Lakshmeem sadaiva sumukheem
pradadathi shambu. 15
He who sings this
song composed by the ten headed one,
At the end of every
worship or ,
Reads it after
worship of Shiva on the Pradosha day ,
Will get by the blessing of lord Shiva, chariots,
elephants and horses,
As well as the
affectionate sight of god of wealth.
Ithi Ravana krutham,
Shiva thandava stotram,
Sampoornam,
Thus ends the prayer
of the dancing Shiva,
Composed by Ravana.