Shiv Tandav Stotram (Har Har Shiv Shankar)

From the forest of His matted hair, the celestial water [Ganges] flows and sanctifies the ground

Around His neck hangs the serpent like a lofty garland

The Damru [Shiva's drum] sounds a rhythmic 'Damad-Damad-Damad' in the air

Lord Shiva performs the fierce Tandav [Dance of Destruction]; may He bestow auspiciousness upon us

Hail, hail Shiva, the Peace-maker, the Blue-throated one, the bearer of the Ganges

I have come to seek your shelter

Your wisdom is so vast, You sit with eyes as serene as a deer

The crescent moon shines brilliantly upon Your forehead

Tan nan nan na (Rhythmic vocalizations)

Tan nan nan na

Tan nan nan na

In the vessel of His matted hair, the celestial river [Ganges] whirls and staggers

The waves of the river ripple like vines across His glorious head

On the surface of His forehead, a fire burns with a 'Dhag-Dhag' glowing flame

I find eternal joy in Him, who wears the young crescent moon as His crest

The son-in-law of the Mountain King [Himalaya], whose mind is filled with bliss

By the constant playful movements of the beautiful Goddess [Parvati]

With a compassionate glance, He arrests all insurmountable calamities

May my mind find delight in that Supreme Being who is clad in the directions [Sky-clad]

Hail, hail Shiva, the Peace-maker, the Dark-throated one, the holder of the Damru

Resident of the holy city Kashi and the sacred Mount Kailash

The conqueror of death, Lord of all beings, the benevolent and easily-pleased one

Your divine sight brings ultimate salvation

Tan nan nan na

Tan nan nan na

Tan nan nan na

He, whose footstool is grayed by the thick dust of flowers

Falling from the heads of all the Gods, including the thousand-eyed Indra

Whose matted locks are bound by the king of serpents like a garland

May He, who wears the friend of the Chakora bird [The Moon], grant us eternal prosperity

On the altar of His forehead, the sparks of the fire of His third eye

Consumed the God of Love [Kamadeva]; I bow to the Leader of the Heavens

Marked by the streak of the nectar-showering moon upon His crest

May we find the wealth of the Great Skull-bearer's matted hair on His head

On the flat surface of His terrifying forehead, glowing with 'Dhag-Dhag' flames

He offered the five arrows of the God of Love as a sacrifice to the fire

He is the only artist capable of painting decorative patterns

Upon the bosom of the Mountain King's daughter; in that Three-eyed Lord is my devotion

I bow to the Divine Shiva

I bow to the Divine Shiva

I bow to the Divine Shiva

Like a cluster of new dark clouds, which holds the formidable darkness

Of a moonless night, so is the dark hue of His throat

May the Bearer of the celestial river, clad in an elephant hide

The storehouse of arts, grant us prosperity and carry the weight of the universe

Hail, hail Shiva, the Peace-maker, the Sharp-throated one, the bringer of the apocalypse

The Lord of the Universe, the Master, the Divine Incarnation

You fill our storehouses, O Lord, with boundless joys

The easily-pleased Shambhu, the Changeless One

Tan nan nan na

Tan nan nan na

Tan nan nan na

Like the dark splendor of a fully bloomed blue lotus

His throat is girt with the brilliance of the dark clouds

I worship the Slayer of Desire, the Destroyer of Cities, the Ender of Mundane Existence, the Destroyer of Sacrifice

The Killer of the Elephant Demon, the Slayer of Andhaka, and the Ender of Death itself

Like a honeybee intoxicated by the sweet flowing nectar

From the cluster of blossoms of all-auspicious arts

I worship the Slayer of Desire, the Destroyer of Cities, the Ender of Mundane Existence, the Destroyer of Sacrifice

The Killer of the Elephant Demon, the Slayer of Andhaka, and the Ender of Death itself

The fire on His forehead is fanned by the breath of the snakes

Whirling around in the glorious speed of His cosmic dance

To the heavy, auspicious sound of the 'Dhim-Dhim-Dhim' of the Mridangam drum

Lord Shiva performs His fierce and majestic Tandav dance

Hail, hail Shiva, the Peace-maker, the Dark-throated one, the bearer of the quiver

The Supreme God, the Savior of souls

You destroy the sins of those who seek Your refuge

O [Nataraja: King of the Dance], the protector of all

Tan nan nan na

Tan nan nan na

Tan nan nan na

When will I view a hard stone and a soft bed, a serpent and a pearl necklace

A priceless jewel and a clod of dirt, a friend and a foe, as equal?

When will I look at a blade of grass and a lotus-eyed woman, a commoner and an Emperor

With the same vision? When will I worship the Eternal Shiva with equanimity?

Living in a cave in the thickets of the celestial river [Ganges]

With a mind freed from evil thoughts, forever holding my hands in prayer over my head

With restless eyes stilled, fixed upon the mark on His forehead

While chanting the mantra of 'Shiva,' when will I attain eternal happiness?

Anyone who regularly recites, remembers, or speaks this best of hymns

Will be purified and remain in a state of constant sanctity

They will quickly attain deep devotion to the Great Teacher [Shiva], with no other path

For contemplating the Auspicious One is the ultimate remedy for the delusion of living beings

Hail, hail Shiva, the Peace-maker, the Sweet-throated one, the bearer of glory

The Master of the three worlds [Heaven, Earth, and Underworld]

You know every state and condition of the human heart

Shiva the Giver, the All-Knowing Divine

I bow to the Divine Shiva

I bow to the Divine Shiva

I bow to the Divine Shiva

Tan nan nan na