Shiva Tandava Stotram (hymn of praise)

[KALKI]

Ravana

It is said that when he was tired of rampaging across the earth, Ravana returned to Lord Shiva to request moksha, release from the bondage of endless rebirth. Shiva replied that he had granted Ravana the boon of indestructibility, and that Ravana must instead seek moksha from Lord Vishnu.

In this version of Ravana's story, his battle with Rama can be interpreted as a pretext to attain death, and through death, liberation. Ravana's poignant cry in the final quatrain of poetry — "When will I be happy?" is echoed by modern man in his quest for earthly fulfillment and ultimate liberation from its bondage.

A compelling and complex personality, Ravana is for many Hindus a legendary hero, a scholar of immense intelligence and the devoted husband of one of traditional five perfect women, Mandodari. Exploring the modern psychological aspects of this story, choreographer Janaki Patrik links Ravana's passionate devotion to Lord Shiva to his fatal flaw — passionate attraction to Rama's wife Sita. Attraction was as pure as a love of mother and child.

Ravana's great-grandfather was Brahma (God of Ultimate Knowledge). He had advanced knowledge of mathematics, science and Ayurveda. He was obsessed with his powers and was egoistic, and to display and prove his powers he was about to move Mount Kailash (the abode of Shiva who was his ancestor god). He managed to lift the mountain but Shiva immediately placed it back just by pressing his toe crushing Ravana's fingers in the process. That is when Ravana sings "Tandav Stotra" and he was spared and blessed with chandrahas(moon sword by Lord Shiva)(estimated as one of the most powerful weapons in Hindu Mythology).


Shiva Tandava Stotram (शिवताण्डवस्तोत्रम्) is a hymn of praise in the Hindu tradition that describes Shiva's power and beauty. It was sung by the son of Rishi Vishrawas (aka Vishrava), Ravana whose brother is Kubera. Both the fourth and fifth quatrains of this hymn conclude with lists of Shiva's epithets as destroyer, even the destroyer of death itself. Alliteration and onomatopoeia create roiling waves of resounding beauty in this example of Hindu devotional poetry.

In the final quatrain of the poem, after tiring of rampaging across the Earth, Ravana asks, "When will I be happy?" Because of the intensity of his prayers and ascetic meditation, of which this hymn was an example, Ravana received from Shiva the boon of indestructibility by all powers on heaven and earth — except by a human being. Disdaining the seeming weakness of humans, Ravana abducted the wife of Rama, Lord Vishnu incarnate. India's great epic, the Ramayana, tells the story of this abduction and of the battle between Lord Rama and Ravana which shook the universe.


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Hymn of praise
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Jatatavigalajjala pravahapavitasthale
Galeavalambya lambitam bhujangatungamalikam
Damad damad damaddama ninadavadamarvayam
Chakara chandtandavam tanotu nah shivah shivam II1II

Jata kata hasambhrama bhramanilimpanirjhari
Vilolavichivalarai virajamanamurdhani
Dhagadhagadhagajjva lalalata pattapavake
Kishora chandrashekhare ratih pratikshanam mama II2II

Dharadharendrana ndinivilasabandhubandhura
Sphuradigantasantati pramodamanamanase
Krupakatakshadhorani nirudhadurdharapadi
Kvachidigambare manovinodametuvastuni II3II

Jata bhujan gapingala sphuratphanamaniprabha
Kadambakunkuma dravapralipta digvadhumukhe
Madandha sindhu rasphuratvagutariyamedure
Mano vinodamadbhutam bibhartu bhutabhartari II4II

Sahasra lochana prabhritya sheshalekhashekhara
Prasuna dhulidhorani vidhusaranghripithabhuh
Bhujangaraja malaya nibaddhajatajutaka
Shriyai chiraya jayatam chakora bandhushekharah II5II

Lalata chatvarajvaladhanajnjayasphulingabha
Nipitapajnchasayakam namannilimpanayakam
Sudha mayukha lekhaya virajamanashekharam
Maha kapali sampade shirojatalamastu nah II6II

Karala bhala pattikadhagaddhagaddhagajjvala
Ddhanajnjaya hutikruta prachandapajnchasayake
Dharadharendra nandini kuchagrachitrapatraka
Prakalpanaikashilpini trilochane ratirmama II7II




Navina megha mandali niruddhadurdharasphurat
Kuhu nishithinitamah prabandhabaddhakandharah
Nilimpanirjhari dharastanotu krutti sindhurah
Kalanidhanabandhurah shriyam jagaddhurandharah II8II

Praphulla nila pankaja prapajnchakalimchatha
Vdambi kanthakandali raruchi prabaddhakandharam
Smarachchidam purachchhidam bhavachchidam makhachchidam
Gajachchidandhakachidam tamamtakachchidam bhaje II9II

Akharvagarvasarvamangala kalakadambamajnjari
Rasapravaha madhuri vijrumbhana madhuvratam
Smarantakam purantakam bhavantakam makhantakam
Gajantakandhakantakam tamantakantakam bhaje II10II

Jayatvadabhravibhrama bhramadbhujangamasafur
Dhigdhigdhi nirgamatkarala bhaal havyavat
Dhimiddhimiddhimidhva nanmrudangatungamangala
Dhvanikramapravartita prachanda tandavah shivah II11II

Drushadvichitratalpayor bhujanga mauktikasrajor
Garishtharatnaloshthayoh suhrudvipakshapakshayoh
Trushnaravindachakshushoh prajamahimahendrayoh
Sama pravartayanmanah kada sadashivam bhaje II12II

Kada nilimpanirjhari nikujnjakotare vasanh
Vimuktadurmatih sada shirah sthamajnjalim vahanh
Vimuktalolalochano lalamabhalalagnakah
Shiveti mantramuchcharan sada sukhi bhavamyaham II13II

Imam hi nityameva muktamuttamottamam stavam
Pathansmaran bruvannaro vishuddhimeti santatam
Hare gurau subhaktimashu yati nanyatha gatim
Vimohanam hi dehinam sushankarasya chintanam II14II

Puja vasanasamaye dashavaktragitam
Yah shambhupujanaparam pathati pradoshhe
Tasya sthiram rathagajendraturangayuktam
Lakshmim sadaiva sumukhim pradadati shambhuh II15II