Shiv Tandav Stotra

After conquering different regions on the earth, Ravana reached mount Kailash - the abode of Lord Shiva. He tried to uproot and move mount Kailash on a whim. Annoyed by Ravana's arrogance, Lord Shiva put Kailash back in its position with the pressure of his thumb, pinning Ravana painfully under it. Ravana, after realizing what he has done, became penitent and started worshipping Shiva. It was when he composed this stotra in the praise of Shiva and sang it for years. Finally Shiva was pleased with his devotion and released him. Shiva also gave him the divine sword (चंद्रहास ). Ravana became an ardent devotee of Shiva after this and worshipped Him throughout his life. This strota has several instances of onomatopoeia and praises Lord Shiva's beauty and His destructive powers (even the destroyer of death). Here is the text of this great strota with the warning that it might have some errors due to my weakness in sanskrit.

जटाटवी गलज्जल प्रवाहपावितस्थले
गलेवलम्ब्य लम्बितम भुजंग तुंग मल्यिकाम ।
डमड् डमड् डमड् डमन्निनाद्व डमर्वयम्
चकार चण्ड्ताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम् ॥

जटाकटाह संभ्रम भ्रमन् निलम्पिनर्झरी
विलोलविची वल्लरी विराजमान मूर्धिनी ।
धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वल ललाट पट्ट पावके
किशोर चन्द्रशेखरे रितः प्रतिक्षणं मम ॥

धरा धरेन्द्र नन्दिनी विलास बन्धु बन्धुर
स्फुर दिगन्त सन्तति प्रमोद मान मानसे ।
कृपा कटाक्ष धोरणी निरुद्ध दुर्धरापदी
क्विचद् दिगम्बरे मनो विनोदमेतु वस्तुनि ॥

जटा भुजंग पिन्गल स्फुरत्फ़णा मणिप्रभा
कदम्ब कुमकुम द्रव प्रलिप्त दिग्वधू मुखे ।
मदान्ध सिन्धुरस्फुरत्व गुत्तरीय मेदुरे
मनो विनोधमद्भुतम बिभर्तु भूत भर्तरि ॥

सहस्र लोचन प्रभृत्य शेषलेख शेखर
प्रसून धूलि धोरणी विधूसराङ्घ्रि पीठभूः ।
भुजङ्गराज मालया निबद्धजाटजूटकः
श्रिये चिराय जायतां चकोरबन्धुशेखरः ॥

ललाट चत्वर ज्ज्वलद्धनञ्जयस्फुलिङ्गभा
निपीतपञ्चसायकं नमन् निलम्पनायकम् |
सुधामयूखलेखया विराजमानशेखरं
महाकपालिसंपदे शिरोजटालमस्तु नः ॥

करालभालपट्टिका धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वल
द्धनञ्जयाहुतीकृत प्रचण्डपञ्चसायके |
धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनी कुचाग्र चित्रपत्रक
प्रकल्पनैक शिल्पिनि त्रिलोचने रितर्मम ॥

नवीनमेघमण्डली निरुद्धदुर्धरस्फुरत्
कुहू निशीथिनीतमः प्रबन्धबद्ध कन्धरः |
निलम्पिनर्झरी धरस्तनोतु कृति सिन्धुरः
कलानिधान बन्धुरः श्रियं जगद्धुरंधरः ॥

प्रफुल्लनीलपङ्कज प्रपञ्चकालिमप्रभा
वलम् बिकण्ठकन्दली रूचिप्रबद्धकन्धरम् |
स्मरच्छिदं  पुरच्छिदं भवच्छिदं मखच्छिदं
गजच्छिदांधकच्छिदं तमंतकच्छिदं भजे ॥

अखर्वसर्वमङ्गला कलाकदंबमञ्जरी
रसप्रवाहमाधुरी विजृंभणामधुव्रतम् |
स्मरान्तकं पुरान्तकं भवान्तकं मखान्तकं
गजान्तकान्धकान्तकं तमन्तकान्तकं भजे ॥

जयत्वदभ्र विभ्रमभ्रमद् भुजंग मश्वसद्
विनिर्गमत् क्रमस्फुरत् करालभाल हव्यवाट् ।
धिमिद् धिमिद् धिमिध्वनन्  मृदङ्गतुङ्गमङ्गल
ध्वनिक्रम प्रवर्तित प्रचण्डताण्डवः शिवः ॥

स्पृषद्विचित्र तल्पयोर् भुजङ्गमौक्तिकस्रजोर्
गरिष्ठरत्नलोष्ठयोः  सुहृद् विपक्षपक्षयोः ।
तृणारविन्दचक्षुषोः प्रजामहीमहेन्द्रयोः
समप्रवृत्तिकः कदा सदाशिवम् भाजाम्याहम् ॥

कदा निलिम्पनिर्झरी निकुञ्जकोटरे वसन्
विमुक्तदुर्मतिः सदा शिरःस्थमंजलिम वहन् |
विलोललोललोचनो ललामफाललग्नकः
शिवेति मंत्रमुच्चरन् कदा सुखी भवाम्यहम् ॥

इमं हि नित्यमेवमुक्त मुत्तमोत्तमं स्तवं
पठन् स्मरन् ब्रुवन् नरो विशुद्धि मेति संततम् ।
हरे गुरौ सुभक्ति माशु याति नान्यथा गतिम्
विमोचनं हि देहिनां सुशंकरस्य चिन्तनम् ॥

पूजावसानसमये दशवक्त्रगीतं यः
शम्भु पूजनपरम् पठित प्रदोषे ॥
तस्यास्थिराम् रथगजेन्द्र तुरंगयुक्ताम्
लक्ष्मीम् सदैव सुमुखिं प्रददाति शम्भुः ॥

इति श्री रावणकृतम् शिवताण्डवस्तोत्रम् सम्पूर्णम्

to be continued...


This strota sounds beautiful and powerful when sung in
a proper way.
Here is one version of it on youtube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McrjgeI-PtI.

Here is another version -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp9OwlYrEUY.

A funny analog

While browsing through the Orkut pages in my zero-productivity hours, found these:

"about me: I am HIGHLY ALLERGIC TO STRANGERS. Please DONT send scraps / friend requests if we dont know each other."

"about me: I only accept requests from people I already know. Unless we know each other, DON'T BOTHER to add me."

I am sure you would also have stumbled upon these kind of pages on Orkut (mainly of girls). This seems to be in fashion among girls to have these words in the profile. You will not be considered popular and attractive unless you have mentioned this intention of yours somewhere in your profile.

Now, I have absolutely no problems with people mentioning this and I understand it might be due to genuine reason of not having enough time to click 'no' on hundreds of daily friend requests they receive. But these words (in a very funny sense,)remind me of days when I was applying for MS. I was looking for financial aid to support my studies and would go to the webpages of professors to look for any funding opportunities. Here are some samples of what I encountered,

"... Eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. Note: I DO NOT work with Masters students. Please don't contact me if you are not applying for PhD."

"I DO NOT work with new incoming students. Please contact me ONLY IF you have taken a course under me and have done well in it."

And some as blunt as,

"... If you are a Masters student, DON'T BOTHER to contact me."