Shiva Tandava Stotram — Verse 9

Sanskrit

Transliteration

praphulla nīla paṅkaja prapañca kālima prabhā valambikantha kandali ruci prabaddha kandaram smaracchidaṁ puracchidaṁ bhavacchidaṁ makhacchidaṁ gajacchidāndhakacchidaṁ tam antakacchidaṁ bhaje

Word Meanings

praphulla—bloomed; nīla—blue; paṅkaja—lotus; prapañca—universe; kālima—dark blue color; prabhā—radiance; valambikantha—hanging on the neck; kandalī—kadali plant (banana); ruci—beauty; prabaddha—well-bound; kandaram—the neck; smara-cchid—destroyer of Smara (Kama); pura-cchid—destroyer of the three cities; bhava-cchid—cutter of existence/rebirth; makha-cchid—destroyer of the sacrifice (Daksha's yagna); gaja-cchid—destroyer of the elephant (demon); andhaka-cchid—destroyer of Andhaka (demon); tam—Him; antaka-cchid—destroyer of Death (Yama); bhaje—I worship.

Translation

I worship Him — whose neck radiates the deep blue radiance of the fully blossomed blue lotus illumining the universe — the Destroyer of Kama, Destroyer of the three cities (Tripurantaka), Cutter of rebirth's cycle, Destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice, Destroyer of the elephant-demon, Destroyer of Andhaka, Destroyer of Death (Yama) itself.

Commentary

This verse lists Shiva's greatest mythological victories. Each epithet records a cosmic event: destroying Kama (personified desire), burning the three cities (the triple ego), disrupting Daksha's sacrifice (destroying blind orthodoxy), and most profoundly — destroying Death itself (Yamantaka). Shiva is the one reality that transcends even death. This is why liberation (moksha) is associated with Shiva above all others.