Shiva Tandava Stotram — Verse 16

Sanskrit

Transliteration

śambhustutiḥ kṛpayā vīkṣya prasannasthu śrīrāmacandra rāvaṇena racitaṁ stotraṁ yaḥ paṭhet śambhu saṁnidhau sarvapāpa vinirmuktaḥ sa yāti paramāṁ gatim iti śrī rāvaṇakṛta śiva tāṇḍava stotraṁ sampūrṇam

Word Meanings

śambhu—Shiva; stutiḥ—praise; kṛpayā—by grace; vīkṣya—seeing; prasannaḥ—pleased; rāmacandra—Sri Ramachandra; rāvaṇena—by Ravana; racitam—composed; stotram—hymn; yaḥ—who; paṭhet—recites; śambhu—Shiva; saṁnidhau—in the presence of; sarva-pāpa—all sins; vinirmuktaḥ—completely freed; sa—he; yāti—reaches; paramām—supreme; gatim—destination; iti—thus; sampūrṇam—complete.

Translation

Whoever recites this hymn composed by Ravana in the presence of Shambhu is completely freed from all sins and reaches the supreme destination. Thus is complete the Shiva Tandava Stotram composed by the illustrious Ravana.

Commentary

The concluding verse makes a remarkable theological statement: even Ravana's composition — composed by the very king who later abducted Sita — is a vehicle for liberation when recited before Shiva. Ravana was simultaneously a great devotee of Shiva and an enemy of Rama. The tradition preserves this paradox intact: genuine bhakti (devotion) has power regardless of its source, and Shiva's grace transcends moral categorization.