Shiva Tandava Stotram is a hymn describing the beauty and power of Lord Shiva composed in 16 verses by Ravana. The Shiva Tandav Stotram represents the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva.

On the night of Mahashivaratri, in an epoch long past, the Demon King, Ravana, who was among Shiva’s greatest devotees, made a pilgrimage to attend the wedding of Shiva and Parvati.

Being a demon his great powers which arose from his devotion to Shiva, went to his head, in fact, his ego was so great, that he grew ten heads.

When Ravana arrived at Mount Kailash, Shiva’s abode, he challenged the Great God by lifting and shaking the mountain. Shiva took little notice and merely placed his thumb on the ground in front of Him, which crushed Ravana as if he were a gnat.

Ravan was so impressed by Shiva’s display, that he tore off one of his ten heads, ripped the veins out of his arm, strung them to the severed head, and sang his praises of Lord Shiva composing the “Shiva Tandava Stotram.”

Lyrics of Shiva Tandava Stotram

जटाटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थले गलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजङ्गतुङ्गमालिकाम्।
डमड्डमड्डमड्डमन्निनादवड्डमर्वयं चकार चण्डताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम्॥

jaṭāṭavī-galaj-jala-pravāha-pāvita-sthale gale’valambya lambitāṃ bhujaṅga-tuṅga-mālikām;
ḍamaḍ-ḍamaḍ-ḍamaḍ-ḍaman-ninādavaḍ-ḍamarvayaṃ cakāra caṇḍa-tāṇḍavaṃ tanotu naḥ śivaḥ śivam.

With his neck consecrated by the flow of water that flows from his hair,
And on his neck a snake, which is hung like a garland,
And the Damaru drum that emits the sound “Damat Damat Damat Damat”,
Lord Shiva did the auspicious dance of Tandava. May he give prosperity to all of us.

जटाकटाहसम्भ्रमभ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरी विलोलवीचिवल्लरीविराजमानमूर्धनि।
धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलल्ललाटपट्टपावके किशोरचन्द्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम॥

jaṭā-kaṭāha-sambhrama-bhraman-nilimpa-nirjharī vilola-vīci-vallarī-virājamāna-mūrdhani;
dhagad-dhagad-dhagaj-jvalal-lalāṭa-paṭṭa-pāvake kiśora-candra-śekhare ratiḥ pratikṣaṇaṃ mama.

I have a deep interest in Shiva
Whose head is glorified by the rows of moving waves of the celestial Ganga river,
Which stir in the deep well of his hair in tangled locks.
Who has the brilliant fire burning on the surface of his forehead, and who has the crescent moon as a jewel on his head.

धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीविलासबन्धुबन्धुर स्फुरद्दिगन्तसन्ततिप्रमोदमानमानसे।
कृपाकटाक्षधोरणीनिरुद्धदुर्धरापदि क्वचिद्दिगम्बरे मनो विनोदमेतु वस्तुनि॥

dharādharendra-nandinī-vilāsa-bandhu-bandhura sphurad-diganta-santati-pramodamāna-mānase;
kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-dhoraṇī-niruddha-durdharāpadi kvacid-digambare mano vinodametu vastuni.

May my mind seek happiness in Lord Shiva,
In whose mind all the living beings of the glorious universe exist,
Who is the companion of Parvati (daughter of the mountain king),
Who controls unsurpassed adversity with his compassionate gaze, which is all-pervading, and who wears the Heavens as his raiment.

जटाभुजङ्गपिङ्गलस्फुरत्फणामणिप्रभा कदम्बकुङ्कुमद्रवप्रलिप्तदिग्वधूमुखे।
मदान्धसिन्धुरस्फुरत्त्वगुत्तरीयमेदुरे मनो विनोदमद्भुतं बिभर्तु भूतभर्तरि॥

jaṭā-bhujaṅga-piṅgala-sphurat-phaṇā-maṇi-prabhā kadamba-kuṅkuma-drava-pralipta-digvadhū-mukhe;
madāndha-sindhura-sphurat-tvag-uttarīya-medure mano vinodam-adbhutaṃ bibhartu bhūta-bhartari.

May I find wonderful pleasure in Lord Shiva, who is the advocate of all life,
With his creeping snake with its reddish brown hood and the shine of its gem on it
Spreading variegated colors on the beautiful faces of the Goddesses of the Directions,
Which is covered by a shimmering shawl made from the skin of a huge, inebriated elephant.

सहस्रलोचनप्रभृत्यशेषलेखशेखर प्रसूनधूलिधोरणी विधूसराङ्घ्रिपीठभूः।
भुजङ्गराजमालया निबद्धजाटजूटकः श्रियै चिराय जायतां चकोरबन्धुशेखरः॥

sahasra-locana-prabhṛty-aśeṣa-lekha-śekhara prasūna-dhūli-dhoraṇī vidhūsarāṅghri-pīṭha-bhūḥ;
bhujaṅga-rāja-mālayā nibaddha-jāṭa-jūṭakaḥ śriyai cirāya jāyatāṃ cakora-bandhu-śekharaḥ.

May Lord Shiva give us prosperity,
Who has the Moon as a crown,
Whose hair is bound by the red snake-garland,
Whose footrest is darkened by the flow of dust from flowers which fall from the heads of all the gods – Indra, Vishnu and others.

ललाटचत्वरज्वलद्धनञ्जयस्फुलिङ्गभा निपीतपञ्चसायकं नमन्निलिम्पनायकम्।
सुधामयूखलेखया विराजमानशेखरं महाकपालिसम्पदे शिरोजटालमस्तु नः॥

lalāṭa-catvara-jvalad-dhanañjaya-sphuliṅga-bhā nipīta-pañca-sāyakaṃ naman-nilimpa-nāyakam;
sudhā-mayūkha-lekhayā virājamāna-śekharaṃ mahā-kapāli-sampade śiro-jaṭālam-astu naḥ.

May we obtain the riches of the Siddhis from the tangled strands of Shiva’s hair,
Who devoured the God of Love with the sparks of the fire that burns on his forehead,
Which is revered by all the heavenly leaders,
Which is beautiful with a crescent moon.

करालभालपट्टिकाधगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलद् धनञ्जयाहुतीकृतप्रचण्डपञ्चसायके।
धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीकुचाग्रचित्रपत्रक प्रकल्पनैकशिल्पिनि त्रिलोचने रतिर्मम॥

karāla-bhāla-paṭṭikā-dhagad-dhagad-dhagaj-jvalad dhanañjayāhutī-kṛta-pracaṇḍa-pañca-sāyake;
dharā-dharendra-nandinī-kucāgra-citra-patraka prakalpanaika-śilpini tri-locane ratir-mama.

My interest is in Lord Shiva, who has three eyes,
Who offered the powerful God of Love to fire.
The terrible surface of his forehead burns with the sound “Dhagad, Dhagad…”
He is the only artist expert in tracing decorative lines on the tips of the breasts of Parvati, the daughter of the mountain king.

नवीनमेघमण्डली निरुद्धदुर्धरस्फुरत् कुहूनिशीथिनीतमः प्रबन्धबद्धकन्धरः।
निलिम्पनिर्झरीधरस्तनोतु कृत्तिसिन्धुरः कलानिधानबन्धुरः श्रियं जगद्धुरंधरः॥

navīna-megha-maṇḍalī niruddha-durdhara-sphurat kuhū-niśīthinī-tamaḥ prabandha-baddha-kandharaḥ;
nilimpa-nirjharī-dharas-tanotu kṛtti-sindhuraḥ kalā-nidhāna-bandhuraḥ śriyaṃ jagad-dhuraṃdharaḥ.

May Lord Shiva give us prosperity,
The one who bears the weight of this universe,
Who is enchanting with the moon,
Who has the celestial river Ganga, whose neck is dark as midnight on a new moon night, covered in layers of clouds.

प्रफुल्लनीलपङ्कजप्रपञ्चकालिमप्रभा वलम्बिकण्ठकन्दलीरुचिप्रबद्धकन्धरम्।
स्मरच्छिदं पुरच्छिदं भवच्छिदं मखच्छिदं गजच्छिदान्धकच्छिदं तमन्तकच्छिदं भजे॥

praphulla-nīla-paṅkaja-prapañca-kālima-prabhā valambi-kaṇṭha-kandalī-ruci-prabaddha-kandharam;
smarac-chidaṃ purac-chidaṃ bhavac-chidaṃ makhac-chidaṃ gajac-chidāndhakac-chidaṃ tam-antakac-chidaṃ bhaje.

I pray to Lord Shiva, whose neck is bound with the brightness of the temples hanging with the glory of fully bloomed blue lotus flowers,
Which look like the blackness of the universe.
Who is the slayer of Manmatha, who destroyed the Tripura, who destroyed the bonds of worldly life, who destroyed the sacrifice,
Who destroyed the demon Andhaka, who is the destroyer of the elephants, and who has overwhelmed the God of death, Yama.

अखर्वसर्वमङ्गलाकलाकदम्बमञ्जरी रसप्रवाहमाधुरीविजृम्भणामधुव्रतम्।
स्मरान्तकं पुरान्तकं भवान्तकं मखान्तकं गजान्तकान्धकान्तकं तमन्तकान्तकं भजे॥

akharva-sarva-maṅgalā-kalā-kadamba-mañjarī rasa-pravāha-mādhurī-vijṛmbhaṇā-madhu-vratam;
smarāntakaṃ purāntakaṃ bhavāntakaṃ makhāntakaṃ gajāntakāndhakāntakaṃ tam-antakāntakaṃ bhaje.

I pray to Lord Siva, who has bees flying all around because of the sweet scent of honey coming from the beautiful bouquet of auspicious Kadamba flowers,
Who is the slayer of Manmatha, who destroyed the Tripura, who destroyed the bonds of worldly life, who destroyed the sacrifice,
Who destroyed the demon Andhaka, who is the destroyer of the elephants, and who has overwhelmed the God of death, Yama.

जयत्वदभ्रविभ्रमभ्रमद्भुजङ्गमश्वसद् विनिर्गमत्क्रमस्फुरत्करालभालहव्यवाट्।
धिमिद्धिमिद्धिमिध्वनन्मृदङ्गतुङ्गमङ्गल ध्वनिक्रमप्रवर्तितप्रचण्डताण्डवः शिवः॥

jayat-vada-bhra-vibhrama-bhramad-bhujaṅgama-śvasad vinirgamat-krama-sphurat-karāla-bhāla-havya-vāṭ;
dhimid-dhimid-dhimi-dhvanan-mṛdaṅga-tuṅga-maṅgala dhvani-krama-pravartita-pracaṇḍa-tāṇḍavaḥ śivaḥ.

Shiva, whose dance of Tandava is in tune with the series of loud sounds of drum making the sound “Dhimid Dhimid”,
Who has fire on his great forehead, the fire that is spreading out because of the breath of the snake,
Wandering in whirling motions in the glorious sky.

दृषद्विचित्रतल्पयोर्भुजङ्गमौक्तिकस्रजोर् गरिष्ठरत्नलोष्ठयोः सुहृद्विपक्षपक्षयोः।
तृणारविन्दचक्षुषोः प्रजामहीमहेन्द्रयोः समप्रवृत्तिकः कदा सदाशिवं भजाम्यहम्॥

dṛṣad-vicitra-talpayor-bhujaṅga-mauktika-srajor gariṣṭha-ratna-loṣṭhayoḥ suhṛd-vipakṣa-pakṣayoḥ;
tṛṇāravinda-cakṣuṣoḥ prajā-mahī-mahendrayoḥ sama-pravṛttikaḥ kadā sadāśivaṃ bhajāmy-aham.

When will I be able to worship Lord Sadashiva, the eternally auspicious God,
With equanimous vision towards people or emperors, towards a blade of grass and a lotus, towards friends and enemies,
Towards the most precious gem and a lump of dirt, toward a snake or a garland and towards the varied forms of the world?

कदा निलिम्पनिर्झरीनिकुञ्जकोटरे वसन् विमुक्तदुर्मतिः सदा शिरःस्थमञ्जलिं वहन्।
विमुक्तलोललोचनो ललामभाललग्नकः शिवेति मन्त्रमुच्चरन्कदा सुखी भवाम्यहम्॥

kadā nilimpa-nirjharī-nikuñja-koṭare vasan vimukta-durmatiḥ sadā śiraḥ-stham-añjaliṃ vahan;
vimukta-lola-locano lalāma-bhāla-lagnakaḥ śiveti mantram-uccaran-kadā sukhī bhavāmy-aham.

When I can be happy, living in a cave near the celestial river Ganga,
Bringing my hands clasped on my head all the time,
With my impure thoughts washed away, uttering the mantra of Shiva,
Devoted to the God with a glorious forehead and with vibrant eyes?

इमं हि नित्यमेवमुक्तमुत्तमोत्तमं स्तवं पठन्स्मरन्ब्रुवन्नरो विशुद्धिमेतिसंततम्।
हरे गुरौ सुभक्तिमाशु याति नान्यथा गतिं विमोहनं हि देहिनां सुशङ्करस्य चिन्तनम्॥

imaṃ hi nityam-evam-uktam-uttamottamaṃ stavaṃ paṭhan-smaran-bruvan-naro viśuddhim-eti-saṃtatam;
hare gurau subhaktim-āśu yāti nānyathā gatiṃ vimohanaṃ hi dehināṃ su-śaṅkarasya cintanam.

Anyone who reads, remembers and recites this stotra as stated here is purified forever and obtains devotion in the great Guru Shiva. For this devotion, there is no other way or refuge. Just the mere thought of Shiva removes the delusion.