Shiva Tandava Stotram — Verse 12

Sanskrit

Transliteration

dṛṣad vicitra talpayorbhujaṅga mauktika srajor gariṣṭha ratna loṣṭhayoḥ suhṛd vipakṣa pakṣayoḥ tṛṇā ravinda cakṣuṣoḥ prajā mahī mahendrayoḥ sama pravṛttikaḥ kadā sadāśivaṁ bhajāmyaham

Word Meanings

dṛṣat—stone; vicitra—wonderful; talpayoḥ—between bed/couch; bhujaṅga—serpent; mauktika—pearl; srajoḥ—garlands; gariṣṭha—most valuable; ratna—jewel; loṣṭhayoḥ—clod of earth; suhṛt—friend; vipakṣa—enemy; pakṣayoḥ—sides; tṛṇa—blade of grass; aravinda—lotus; cakṣuṣoḥ—eye/vision; prajā—subjects; mahī—earth; mahendrayoḥ—great kings; sama—equal; pravṛttika—conduct; kadā—when; sadāśivam—eternal Shiva; bhajāmi—I worship; aham—I.

Translation

When will I worship the eternal Shiva with equal attitude toward: a stone and a wonderful bed, a serpent-garland and a pearl garland, a most precious jewel and a clod of earth, a friend and an enemy, a blade of grass and a lotus eye, ordinary subjects and great kings?

Commentary

This verse pivots from praising Shiva externally to asking when the devotee himself will achieve Shiva-like equanimity (sama-dṛṣṭi). The practice of equal vision (seeing Brahman equally in a jewel and a clod of earth, in an enemy and a friend) is the hallmark of liberation. Ravana, for all his power, recognized that he had not yet achieved this. This personal admission within a hymn of cosmic praise is one of the most honest and affecting moments in Sanskrit devotional literature.