Shiva Tandava Stotram — Verse 5

Sanskrit

Transliteration

sahasralochana prabhṛtya śeṣalekha śekhara prasūnadūlidhōraṇī vidhūsarāṅghripīṭhabhūḥ bhujaṅgarāja mālyayā nibaddha jāṭa jūṭakaḥ śriyai cirāya jāyatāṁ cakōrabandhuśekharaḥ

Word Meanings

sahasra-lochana—thousand-eyed Indra; prabhṛtya—beginning with; śeṣa—the remaining gods; lekha—class; śekhara—whose crest; prasūna—flowers; dhūli—pollen dust; dhōraṇī—stream; vidhūsara—grey/dusty; aṅghri-pīṭha-bhūḥ—ground of the foot-platform; bhujaṅga-rāja—king of serpents; mālyayā—with garland; nibaddha—bound; jāṭa—matted; jūṭaka—locks; śriyai—for prosperity; cirāya—long; jāyatām—may become; cakōra-bandhu—friend of the cakora bird (moon); śekharaḥ—wearing as crest.

Translation

May the moon-crested Shiva — whose footstool is dusty with the pollen of flowers offered by Indra and all the gods bowing at His feet, whose matted locks are bound with the garland of the king of serpents — long bestow prosperity.

Commentary

The cakora bird (Indian partridge) is said to feed on moonbeams. Shiva wears the moon as His crest — He is the friend of all beings who, like the cakora, thirst for divine light. Even Indra, king of the gods, is shown here as simply another devotee at Shiva's feet. This establishes Shiva's supreme status beyond all hierarchies.