Shiv Tandav Stotram: Lyrics, Meaning & Power of Recitation

The Shiv Tandav Stotram is a 17-verse Sanskrit hymn composed by Ravana — the scholar-king of Lanka — while attempting to lift Mount Kailash to carry it back to Lanka. Shiva pressed his toe on the mountain, trapping Ravana under it. Ravana then composed this hymn in praise of Shiva, and his music and devotion were so perfect that Shiva freed him and granted him his Chandrahas (moon-sword). The Stotram is among the most musically complex and powerful Sanskrit compositions dedicated to Shiva, praised for its thunderous rhythm and its ability to invoke Shiva's fierce grace.

Reviewed by Dr. Meenakshi Sharma, M.A. Sanskrit & Vedic Studies, Varanasi — as of May 2026.

In Vedic astrology, the Shiv Tandav Stotram is prescribed for Mars afflictions (Ravana was the epitome of Mars energy — power, ambition, fearlessness) and for anyone whose Sun or Mars is placed in fiery signs or receives malefic aspects. The Tandav (Shiva's cosmic dance of destruction) governs transformation — making this Stotram relevant for major life transitions. Check your Mars and Sun placements with the free birth chart calculator.

The Shiv Tandav Stotram is Ravana's masterpiece — a composition in the jatibhadra metre, a rapidly cascading syllabic pattern that mirrors the frenzied energy of Shiva's Tandav dance. Each verse is built on a 12-syllable rhythmic structure that accelerates through multiple consonant clusters, creating an almost percussive effect when chanted correctly.

The Stotram is part of the Uttar Ramayana tradition and appears in the Shiva Purana (Rudra Samhita). Ravana, though later an antagonist in the Ramayana, was a profound Shiva devotee and a master of the Sama Veda — the Veda of music and chanting. His composition for Shiva demonstrates that devotion to God does not require moral perfection — it requires complete, total surrender of one's entire being, which Ravana achieved through his music even if not through his conduct.

॥ शिव तांडव स्तोत्रम् ॥

जटाटवीगलज्जल प्रवाहपावितस्थले गलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजङ्गतुङ्गमालिकाम्। डमड्डमड्डमड्डमन्निनादवड्डमर्वयं चकार चण्डताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम्॥ 1 ॥

जटाकटाहसम्भ्रम भ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरी- विलोलवीचिवल्लरी विराजमानमूर्धनि। धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वल ल्ललाटपट्टपावके किशोरचन्द्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम॥ 2 ॥

धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनी विलासबन्धुबन्धुर- स्फुरद्दिगन्तसन्तति प्रमोदमानमानसे। कृपाकटाक्षधोरणी निरुद्धदुर्धरापदि क्वचिद्दिगम्बरे मनो विनोदमेतु वस्तुनि॥ 3 ॥

जटाभुजङ्गपिङ्गल स्फुरत्फणामणिप्रभा कदम्बकुङ्कुमद्रव प्रलिप्तदिग्वधूमुखे। मदान्धसिन्धुरस्फुर त्वगुत्तरीयमेदुरे मनो विनोदमद्भुतं बिभर्तु भूतभर्तरि॥ 4 ॥

सहस्रलोचनप्रभृत्य शेषलेखशेखर- प्रसूनधूलिधोरणी विधूसराङ्घ्रिपीठभूः। भुजङ्गराजमालया निबद्धजाटजूटक- श्रियैचिरायजायतां चकोरबन्धुशेखरः॥ 5 ॥

ललाटचत्वरज्वलद्धनञ्जयस्फुलिङ्गभा- निपीतपञ्चसायकं नमन्निलिम्पनायकम्। सुधामयूखलेखया विराजमानशेखरं महाकपालिसम्पदे शिरोजटालमस्तु नः॥ 6 ॥

करालभालपट्टिका धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलद्- धनञ्जयाहुतीकृत प्रचण्डपञ्चसायके। धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनी कुचाग्रचित्रपत्रक- प्रकल्पनैकशिल्पिनि त्रिलोचने रतिर्मम॥ 7 ॥

नवीनमेघमण्डली निरुद्धदुर्धरस्फुर- त्कुहूनिशीथिनीतमः प्रबन्धबद्धकन्धरः। निलिम्पनिर्झरीधरस् तनोतु कृत्तिसिन्धुरः कलानिधानबन्धुरः श्रियं जगद्धुरन्धरः॥ 8 ॥

प्रफुल्लनीलपङ्कज प्रपञ्चकालिमप्रभा- वलम्बिकण्ठकन्दली रुचिप्रबद्धकन्धरम्। स्मरच्छिदं पुरच्छिदं भवच्छिदं मखच्छिदं गजच्छिदान्धकच्छिदं तमन्तकच्छिदं भजे॥ 9 ॥

अखर्वसर्वमङ्गला कलाकदम्बमञ्जरी रसप्रवाहमाधुरी विजृम्भणामधुव्रतम्। स्मरान्तकं पुरान्तकं भवान्तकं मखान्तकं गजान्तकान्धकान्तकं तमन्तकान्तकं भजे॥ 10 ॥

जयत्वदभ्रविभ्रम भ्रमद्भुजङ्गमश्वस- द्विनिर्गमत्क्रमस्फुरत् करालभालहव्यवाट्। धिमिद्धिमिद्धिमिध्वनन् मृदङ्गतुङ्गमङ्गल ध्वनिक्रमप्रवर्तित प्रचण्डताण्डवः शिवः॥ 11 ॥

दृषद्विचित्रतल्पयो र्भुजङ्गमौक्तिकस्रजोर्- गरिष्ठरत्नलोष्ठयो सुहृद्विपक्षपक्षयोः। तृणारविन्दचक्षुषो प्रजामहीमहेन्द्रयोः समप्रवृत्तिकः कदा सदाशिवं भजेऽहम्॥ 12 ॥

कदा निलिम्पनिर्झरी निकुञ्जकोटरे वसन् विमुक्तदुर्मतिः सदा शिरःस्थमञ्जलिं वहन्। विमुक्तलोलललितो ललामभाललग्नकः शिवेति मन्त्रमुच्चरन् कदा सुखी भवाम्यहम्॥ 13 ॥

इमं हि नित्यमेव मुक्तमुत्तमोत्तमं स्तवं पठन्स्मरन् ब्रुवन्नरो विशुद्धिमेति सन्ततम्। हरे गुरौ सुभक्तिमाशु याति नान्यथा गतिं विमोहनं हि देहिनां सुशङ्करस्य चिन्तनम्॥ 14 ॥

पूजावसानसमये दशवक्त्रगीतं यः शम्भुपूजनपरं पठति प्रदोषे। तस्य स्थिरां रथगजेन्द्रतुरङ्गयुक्तां लक्ष्मीं सदैव सुमुखीं प्रददाति शम्भुः॥ 15 ॥

Verse 1: "In the forest of his matted locks, the flowing waters of the Ganga purify his neck; around his throat hangs a garland of high-raised serpents. To the thunderous sound of his damaru drum (damadd damadd damadd), Shiva performs his fierce Tandav — may that Shiva bless us."

The opening verse establishes the five elements of Shiva's Tandav appearance: the Ganga flowing from his locks (water), the fire of the damaru sound, the serpents as ornaments of cosmic consciousness, the nakedness of pure form, and the Tandav dance as the movement underlying all creation.

Verse 2: "In the churning bowl of his matted locks, the divine river flows with playful waves on his head; may the fire blazing on his forehead — and the crescent moon as his crest — become the object of my devotion every moment."

Shiva's forehead fire is the third eye — the Agni of discernment that destroys illusion. Ravana's devotion asks for this fire to be the constant reference of his attention, not wealth or power.

Verses 9–10: These are the Stotram's most powerful — they list 7 acts of Shiva's destruction: destroyer of desire (Smara-chhid), destroyer of the three cities (Pura-chhid), destroyer of rebirth (Bhava-chhid), destroyer of sacrifice-impurity (Makha-chhid), destroyer of the demon elephant (Gaja-chhid), destroyer of Andhaka (Andhaka-chhid), and destroyer of Yama — death itself (Antaka-chhid). Each destruction represents Shiva consuming one aspect of the illusion that keeps consciousness bound.

Ravana composed the Stotram not as a casual prayer but as a spontaneous artistic expression under extreme physical duress — pinned under his own mountain with Shiva's weight crushing him. His response was not panic or anger but music. This is the Stotram's deepest teaching: when all force fails, turn to devotion. When the ego is crushed, it can finally sing its true prayer.

The Shiva Purana's account specifies that Ravana's 10 heads each sang a different octave simultaneously, creating a harmonic resonance of unprecedented beauty. Shiva's attendants (his Ganas) wept at the beauty, and Shiva himself was moved to grant Ravana the Chandrahas sword.

The Tandav Stotram provides three specific benefits beyond ordinary Shiva prayers: it activates Mars energy (the forceful, courageous quality needed for overcoming enemies and obstacles), it invokes Shiva's transformation function (turning difficult experiences into liberation), and it connects the practitioner to the Tandav itself — the cosmic dance that is simultaneously destruction and creation.

For musicians and performers, the Shiv Tandav Stotram is considered especially potent — Ravana's artistic offering to Shiva establishes this as a prayer specifically relevant to creative achievement and performance.

The Stotram's power depends critically on rhythm. Each verse uses a rapid 12-syllable metre that must be chanted at a brisk, confident pace — unlike the measured, contemplative pace of the Hanuman Chalisa. Listen to traditional recordings to establish the metre before attempting independent recitation. Once the rhythm is internalized, practice without audio.

Recite on Mondays, Tuesdays (for Mars energy), and Mahashivratri. Morning or evening, facing east or north, after lighting a Shiva lamp. The Stotram takes approximately 5–7 minutes for a complete recitation.