Shiva Tandava Stotram: Full Sanskrit Lyrics with IAST and Meaning of All 17 Verses

Quick answer: The Shiva Tandava Stotram is a Sanskrit hymn to Shiva's cosmic dance (Tandava), traditionally attributed to Ravana. It begins 'jatatavigalajjala pravahapavitasthale' and has 17 verses in the text given here: 15 of praise and two of phalashruti. It is traditionally chanted on Mondays, on Pradosham evenings and on Mahashivaratri.

Last updated: 18 October 2026. The Sanskrit on this page comes from the text published by sanskritdocuments.org, converted to Devanagari and IAST by software rather than retyped by hand. The English meanings are our own.

Few hymns sound like this one. Its long compound words and drum-like rhythm carry the feel of Shiva's dance: the Ganga rushing through his matted hair, fire blazing on his forehead, serpents swaying and the damaru beating. Then, in verses 12 and 13, the tone turns quiet and personal, as the poet longs to see a stone and a jewel with the same eye.

About the Shiva Tandava Stotram

Tradition holds that Ravana composed the hymn, and the last verse names it as sung by the ten-headed one. Verses 1 to 16 use the panchachamara metre: each line has sixteen syllables alternating light and heavy, so the whole hymn moves like a steady drumbeat. The final verse, in vasantatilaka metre, is the closing phalashruti.

Shiva Tandava Stotram with meaning

Each verse appears in Devanagari, then IAST transliteration, then a plain-English meaning. The Sanskrit compounds are dense, so the meanings give the sense of each verse rather than a word-for-word gloss. In IAST, ā, ī and ū are long vowels, ṭ and ḍ are retroflex sounds, and ś or ṣ is close to 'sh'.

Verses 1 to 5: the dance and Shiva's form

Verse 1

जटाटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थले
गलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजङ्गतुङ्गमालिकाम् ।
डमड्डमड्डमड्डमन्निनादवड्डमर्वयं
चकार चण्डताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम् ॥ १॥

jaṭāṭavīgalajjalapravāhapāvitasthale
gale'valambya lambitāṃ bhujaṅgatuṅgamālikām |
ḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamanninādavaḍḍamarvayaṃ
cakāra caṇḍatāṇḍavaṃ tanotu naḥ śivaḥ śivam || 1||

Meaning: His neck made holy by the streams pouring from the forest of his matted hair, a great serpent hanging from it like a garland, his damaru sounding 'damad damad damad', Shiva danced the fierce Tandava. May that Shiva spread blessings over us.

Verse 2

जटाकटाहसम्भ्रमभ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरी
विलोलवीचिवल्लरीविराजमानमूर्द्धनि ।
धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलल्ललाटपट्टपावके
किशोरचन्द्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम ॥ २॥

jaṭākaṭāhasambhramabhramannilimpanirjharī
vilolavīcivallarīvirājamānamūrddhani |
dhagaddhagaddhagajjvalallalāṭapaṭṭapāvake
kiśoracandraśekhare ratiḥ pratikṣaṇaṃ mama || 2||

Meaning: My delight is ever in Shiva, whose head shines with the restless waves of the heavenly river whirling in the deep bowl of his matted hair, on whose broad forehead fire blazes 'dhagad dhagad', and who wears the young crescent moon.

Verse 3

धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीविलासबन्धुबन्धुर
स्फुरद्दिगन्तसन्ततिप्रमोदमानमानसे ।
कृपाकटाक्षधोरणीनिरुद्धदुर्धरापदि
क्वचिद्दिगम्बरे मनो विनोदमेतु वस्तुनि ॥ ३॥

dharādharendranandinīvilāsabandhubandhura
sphuraddigantasantatipramodamānamānase |
kṛpākaṭākṣadhoraṇīniruddhadurdharāpadi
kvaciddigambare mano vinodametu vastuni || 3||

Meaning: May my mind find joy in the sky-clad Lord, whose heart delights in the playful grace of the mountain king's daughter (Parvati), who rejoices in the shining expanse of every direction, and whose stream of kind glances holds back even the hardest misfortunes.

Verse 4

जटाभुजङ्गपिङ्गलस्फुरत्फणामणिप्रभा
कदम्बकुङ्कुमद्रवप्रलिप्तदिग्वधूमुखे ।
मदान्धसिन्धुरस्फुरत्त्वगुत्तरीयमेदुरे
मनो विनोदमद्भुतं बिभर्तु भूतभर्तरि ॥ ४॥

jaṭābhujaṅgapiṅgalasphuratphaṇāmaṇiprabhā
kadambakuṅkumadravapraliptadigvadhūmukhe |
madāndhasindhurasphurattvaguttarīyamedure
mano vinodamadbhutaṃ bibhartu bhūtabhartari || 4||

Meaning: May my mind find a wondrous joy in the lord of all beings, the light from whose serpents' gleaming jewelled hoods paints the faces of the directions as if with saffron, and who is wrapped in the shining hide of a maddened elephant.

Verse 5

सहस्रलोचनप्रभृत्यशेषलेखशेखर
प्रसूनधूलिधोरणीविधूसराङ्घ्रिपीठभूः ।
भुजङ्गराजमालया निबद्धजाटजूटकः
श्रियै चिराय जायतां चकोरबन्धुशेखरः ॥ ५॥

sahasralocanaprabhṛtyaśeṣalekhaśekhara
prasūnadhūlidhoraṇīvidhūsarāṅghripīṭhabhūḥ |
bhujaṅgarājamālayā nibaddhajāṭajūṭakaḥ
śriyai cirāya jāyatāṃ cakorabandhuśekharaḥ || 5||

Meaning: May the Lord crowned with the moon, whose footrest is grey with pollen from the flowers on the heads of Indra and all the gods, and whose matted locks are bound by the king of serpents, grant lasting prosperity.

Verses 6 to 11: the burning of Kama and the destroyer of evil

Verse 6

ललाटचत्वरज्वलद्धनञ्जयस्फुलिङ्गभा
निपीतपञ्चसायकं नमन्निलिम्पनायकम् ।
सुधामयूखलेखया विराजमानशेखरं
महाकपालि सम्पदे शिरो जटालमस्तु नः ॥ ६॥

lalāṭacatvarajvaladdhanañjayasphuliṅgabhā
nipītapañcasāyakaṃ namannilimpanāyakam |
sudhāmayūkhalekhayā virājamānaśekharaṃ
mahākapāli sampade śiro jaṭālamastu naḥ || 6||

Meaning: May the great Kapali's head with its matted locks bring us success: the head whose blazing forehead fire consumed Kama, the god of the five arrows, before whom the king of gods bows, and which is crowned with the nectar-rayed crescent moon.

Verse 7

करालभालपट्टिकाधगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वल
द्धनञ्जयाहुतीकृतप्रचण्डपञ्चसायके ।
धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीकुचाग्रचित्रपत्रक
प्रकल्पनैकशिल्पिनि त्रिलोचने रतिर्मम ॥ ७॥

karālabhālapaṭṭikādhagaddhagaddhagajjvala
ddhanañjayāhutīkṛtapracaṇḍapañcasāyake |
dharādharendranandinīkucāgracitrapatraka
prakalpanaikaśilpini trilocane ratirmama || 7||

Meaning: My delight is in the three-eyed Lord, who offered the mighty five-arrowed Kama into the fire blazing on his fierce forehead, and who alone is the artist who paints ornamental designs for Parvati, daughter of the mountain king.

Verse 8

नवीनमेघमण्डलीनिरुद्धदुर्धरस्फुरत्
कुहूनिशीथिनीतमःप्रबन्धबद्धकन्धरः ।
निलिम्पनिर्झरीधरस्तनोतु कृत्तिसिन्धुरः
कलानिधानबन्धुरः श्रियं जगद्धुरन्धरः ॥ ८॥

navīnameghamaṇḍalīniruddhadurdharasphurat
kuhūniśīthinītamaḥprabandhabaddhakandharaḥ |
nilimpanirjharīdharastanotu kṛttisindhuraḥ
kalānidhānabandhuraḥ śriyaṃ jagaddhurandharaḥ || 8||

Meaning: May Shiva extend our prosperity: the bearer of the heavenly river, whose neck is dark as a moonless midnight veiled in fresh rain clouds, who wears an elephant hide, who is lovely with the moon and carries the burden of the world.

Verse 9

प्रफुल्लनीलपङ्कजप्रपञ्चकालिमप्रभा
ऽवलम्बिकण्ठकन्दलीरुचिप्रबद्धकन्धरम् ।
स्मरच्छिदं पुरच्छिदं भवच्छिदं मखच्छिदं
गजच्छिदान्धकच्छिदं तमन्तकच्छिदं भजे ॥ ९॥

praphullanīlapaṅkajaprapañcakālimaprabhā
'valambikaṇṭhakandalīruciprabaddhakandharam |
smaracchidaṃ puracchidaṃ bhavacchidaṃ makhacchidaṃ
gajacchidāndhakacchidaṃ tamantakacchidaṃ bhaje || 9||

Meaning: I worship him whose neck gleams dark like a spread of blooming blue lotuses, the destroyer of Kama, of the three cities, of worldly bondage and of Daksha's sacrifice, the destroyer of the elephant demon, of Andhaka and even of Death.

Verse 10

अखर्वसर्वमङ्गलाकलाकदम्बमञ्जरी
रसप्रवाहमाधुरीविजृम्भणामधुव्रतम् ।
स्मरान्तकं पुरान्तकं भवान्तकं मखान्तकं
गजान्तकान्धकान्तकं तमन्तकान्तकं भजे ॥ १०॥

akharvasarvamaṅgalākalākadambamañjarī
rasapravāhamādhurīvijṛmbhaṇāmadhuvratam |
smarāntakaṃ purāntakaṃ bhavāntakaṃ makhāntakaṃ
gajāntakāndhakāntakaṃ tamantakāntakaṃ bhaje || 10||

Meaning: I worship him who is the bee drinking the sweet nectar flowing from the blossoms of the all-auspicious Goddess, the ender of Kama, of the three cities, of worldly bondage and of the sacrifice, the ender of the elephant demon, of Andhaka and of Death.

Verse 11

जयत्वदभ्रविभ्रमभ्रमद्भुजङ्गमश्वस
द्विनिर्गमत्क्रमस्फुरत्करालभालहव्यवाट् ।
धिमिद्धिमिद्धिमिद्ध्वनन्मृदङ्गतुङ्गमङ्गल
ध्वनिक्रमप्रवर्तितप्रचण्डताण्डवः शिवः ॥ ११॥

jayatvadabhravibhramabhramadbhujaṅgamaśvasa
dvinirgamatkramasphuratkarālabhālahavyavāṭ |
dhimiddhimiddhimiddhvananmṛdaṅgatuṅgamaṅgala
dhvanikramapravartitapracaṇḍatāṇḍavaḥ śivaḥ || 11||

Meaning: Victory to Shiva, whose fierce Tandava keeps time with the auspicious, rising beat of the mridanga sounding 'dhimid dhimid dhimid', and on whose forehead fire flares from the breath of serpents swirling through the sky.

Verses 12 to 15: the poet's longing

Verse 12

दृषद्विचित्रतल्पयोर्भुजङ्गमौक्तिकस्रजोर्
गरिष्ठरत्नलोष्ठयोः सुहृद्विपक्षपक्षयोः ।
तृणारविन्दचक्षुषोः प्रजामहीमहेन्द्रयोः
समप्रवृत्तिकः कदा सदाशिवं भजाम्यहम् ॥ १२॥

dṛṣadvicitratalpayorbhujaṅgamauktikasrajor
gariṣṭharatnaloṣṭhayoḥ suhṛdvipakṣapakṣayoḥ |
tṛṇāravindacakṣuṣoḥ prajāmahīmahendrayoḥ
samapravṛttikaḥ kadā sadāśivaṃ bhajāmyaham || 12||

Meaning: When will I worship Sadashiva with an even mind towards a stone and a fine bed, a serpent and a pearl necklace, a precious gem and a lump of clay, a friend and an enemy, a blade of grass and a lotus-eyed beauty, a commoner and an emperor?

Verse 13

कदा निलिम्पनिर्झरीनिकुञ्जकोटरे वसन्
विमुक्तदुर्मतिः सदा शिरःस्थमञ्जलिं वहन् ।
विलोललोललोचनो ललामभाललग्नकः
शिवेति मन्त्रमुच्चरन् कदा सुखी भवाम्यहम् ॥ १३॥

kadā nilimpanirjharīnikuñjakoṭare vasan
vimuktadurmatiḥ sadā śiraḥsthamañjaliṃ vahan |
vilolalolalocano lalāmabhālalagnakaḥ
śiveti mantramuccaran kadā sukhī bhavāmyaham || 13||

Meaning: When will I be happy, living in a hollow by the heavenly river, free of wrong thoughts, my joined hands raised above my head, my eyes moving with devotion to the Lord with the beautiful mark on his forehead, chanting the mantra 'Shiva'?

Verse 14

निलिम्पनाथनागरीकदम्बमौलमल्लिका
निगुम्फनिर्भरक्षरन्मधूष्णिकामनोहरः ।
तनोतु नो मनोमुदं विनोदिनीमहर्निशं
परश्रियः परं पदं तदङ्गजत्विषां चयः ॥ १४॥

nilimpanāthanāgarīkadambamaulamallikā
nigumphanirbharakṣaranmadhūṣṇikāmanoharaḥ |
tanotu no manomudaṃ vinodinīmaharniśaṃ
paraśriyaḥ paraṃ padaṃ tadaṅgajatviṣāṃ cayaḥ || 14||

Meaning: May the radiance of Shiva's body, the highest seat of the highest beauty, charming with honey dripping from the jasmine garlands in the hair of celestial women, bring joy to our minds day and night.

Verse 15

प्रचण्डवाडवानलप्रभाशुभप्रचारणी
महाष्टसिद्धिकामिनीजनाऽवहूतजल्पना ।
विमुक्तवामलोचनाविवाहकालिकध्वनिः
शिवेति मन्त्रभूषणा जगज्जयाय जायताम् ॥ १५॥

pracaṇḍavāḍavānalaprabhāśubhapracāraṇī
mahāṣṭasiddhikāminījanā'vahūtajalpanā |
vimuktavāmalocanāvivāhakālikadhvaniḥ
śiveti mantrabhūṣaṇā jagajjayāya jāyatām || 15||

Meaning: May the sound 'Shiva', the jewel among mantras, ring out for the victory of the world: the auspicious sound at the wedding of the lovely-eyed Goddess, bright as the undersea fire, to which the eight great siddhis come as if invited.

Verses 16 and 17: phalashruti

Verse 16

इमं हि नित्यमेवमुक्तमुत्तमोत्तमं स्तवं
पठन्स्मरन्ब्रुवन्नरो विशुद्धिमेतिसन्ततम् ।
हरे गुरौ सुभक्तिमाशु याति नाऽन्यथा गतिं
विमोहनं हि देहिनां सुशङ्करस्य चिन्तनम् ॥ १६॥

imaṃ hi nityamevamuktamuttamottamaṃ stavaṃ
paṭhansmaranbruvannaro viśuddhimetisantatam |
hare gurau subhaktimāśu yāti nā'nyathā gatiṃ
vimohanaṃ hi dehināṃ suśaṅkarasya cintanam || 16||

Meaning: Whoever reads, remembers or recites this finest of hymns every day is purified continually and soon gains deep devotion to Hara, the Guru; there is no other way. Thinking of Shankara removes the confusion of embodied beings.

Verse 17

पूजावसानसमये दशवक्त्रगीतं
यः शम्भुपूजनपरं पठति प्रदोषे ।
तस्य स्थिरां रथगजेन्द्रतुरङ्गयुक्तां
लक्ष्मीं सदैव सुमुखीं प्रददाति शम्भुः ॥ १७॥

pūjāvasānasamaye daśavaktragītaṃ
yaḥ śambhupūjanaparaṃ paṭhati pradoṣe |
tasya sthirāṃ rathagajendraturaṅgayuktāṃ
lakṣmīṃ sadaiva sumukhīṃ pradadāti śambhuḥ || 17||

Meaning: To whoever recites this hymn sung by the ten-headed one (Ravana), devoted to Shiva's worship, at the end of worship on Pradosha evening, Shambhu grants steady, gracious prosperity, rich with chariots, elephants and horses.

Closing line

॥ इति श्रीरावणकृतं शिवताण्डवस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

|| iti śrīrāvaṇakṛtaṃ śivatāṇḍavastotraṃ sampūrṇam ||

Meaning: Thus ends the Shiva Tandava Stotram composed by Ravana.

When the Shiva Tandava Stotram is traditionally chanted

• Mondays: Shiva's weekly day. See our guide to Monday in Hinduism.
• Pradosham: the hymn itself recommends reciting it at the end of Shiva worship on Pradosha evening. See our Pradosham guide.
• Mahashivaratri and Karthika: see our Mahashivratri guides and Karthika Somavaram 2026.

How to chant the Shiva Tandava Stotram

1. Bathe and sit before a Shiva Linga or a picture of Shiva. Offer water and, if you have them, a bilva leaf and a white flower.
2. Light a lamp and chant 'Om Namah Shivaya' a few times to settle the mind.
3. Chant the verses at a steady pace, keeping the light-heavy rhythm. Speed comes with practice; clarity matters more.
4. End with the phalashruti, a short silence and the aarti if you wish.

Pronunciation tips

• Break long compounds into syllable pairs: ja-ṭā-ṭa-vī-ga-laj-ja-la. Each pair is light then heavy.
• Keep the doubled consonants in 'ḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamaḍḍaman' and 'dhagaddhagaddhagaj'; they give the drumbeat.
• ṇ, ṭ and ḍ are said with the tongue curled back; ś and ṣ are both close to 'sh'.

Significance

The Tandava is Shiva's dance of creation and dissolution. The hymn joins awe and intimacy: the cosmic dancer whose drum shakes the worlds is also the Lord the poet longs to serve in a quiet hut by the Ganga. Devotees traditionally believe the stotra gives strength, removes fear and purifies the mind, and its phalashruti speaks of devotion and prosperity. These are statements of faith from the hymn, not guarantees of particular results.

Other Shiva hymns: Lingashtakam, Rudrashtakam and the Shiva Panchakshara Stotram.

Also read: Shiva Mahimna Stotram with meaning.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote the Shiva Tandava Stotram?

It is traditionally attributed to Ravana, the king of Lanka, who was a great devotee of Shiva. The closing verse calls it 'dashavaktra gitam', sung by the ten-headed one. A popular story tells that Ravana sang it after Shiva pressed down Mount Kailasa with his toe; this is a traditional account rather than history.

Why does the Shiva Tandava Stotram sound so powerful?

Verses 1 to 16 are in the panchachamara metre: sixteen syllables a line, alternating light and heavy, like a drumbeat. Sound-words such as 'damad damad' and 'dhimid dhimid' imitate the damaru and the mridanga. Verse 17 is in a different, flowing metre (vasantatilaka).

When should the Shiva Tandava Stotram be chanted?

Traditionally on Mondays, on Pradosham evenings (verse 17 names Pradosha) and on Mahashivaratri, as well as during Shravan and Karthika. Many devotees chant it daily after Shiva worship.

Can women chant the Shiva Tandava Stotram?

Yes. It is a devotional stotra chanted by women, men and children. Families who follow particular rules can follow the guidance of their elders or guru.

Is the Shiva Tandava Stotram hard to learn?

The long compound words make it harder than most stotras. Learn one verse at a time: listen to a recording, read the IAST slowly in syllables, then speed up. Most people manage the first five verses within a couple of weeks.

What are the benefits of chanting it?

Verse 16 says regular recitation purifies the mind and brings devotion to Shiva, and verse 17 speaks of lasting prosperity for those who recite it after Pradosha worship. Devotees traditionally believe it brings courage and inner strength. These are statements of faith, not guarantees.

Editor's note (18 October 2026)

The Shiva Tandava Stotram text on this page is taken from Shivatandavastotram (Ravanakritam) on sanskritdocuments.org (file shivtAND.itx), converted from ITRANS to Devanagari and IAST with the indic_transliteration software and checked line by line against the site's Devanagari page. The source prints several alternative readings, and we followed its main text throughout: in verse 3 it gives 'kvachiddigambare' and 'kvachichchidambare' as alternatives, and we use the first; in verse 10 it gives 'akharva' and 'agarva', and we use 'akharva'; alternative lines it adds in brackets after verses 6, 12, 13 and 17 are not used. After the 17 verses the source adds a later verse beginning 'namami parvatipatim' and a further phalashruti, which some editions include; they are not reproduced here. The English meanings are our own, and the hymn is presented as an act of devotion with no promise of particular results.

Related guides

• Monday in Hinduism: Somvar vrat and Shiva rituals
• Pradosham: complete guide
• Lingashtakam with meaning and Monday method
• Shiva: all guides
• Shiv Chalisa with meaning
• Kalabhairava Ashtakam with meaning