rāvaṇaviracita śivatāṇḍavastotram
jaṭāṭavīgalajjalapravāhapāvitasthale
gale'valambyalambitāṁ bhujaṅgatuṅgamālikām|
ḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamanninādavaḍḍamarvayaṁ cakāra caṇḍatāṇḍavaṁ tanotu naḥ śivaḥ śivam ||1||
Re-ordered word-by-word meaning
gale - (With His) neck
pāvitasthale - which has become a consecrated spot,
galajjalapravāha - (by Holy Ganga's) cascading water in a flood,
jaṭāṭavī -as it passes His matted hair, thick as forest;
galajjalapravāha - (by Holy Ganga's) cascading water in a flood,
jaṭāṭavī -as it passes His matted hair, thick as forest;
lambitāṁ bhujaṅga - a long snake
avalambya- balanced upon His neck,
tuṅga mālikām - in a heaped garland, like a mountain;
ayaṁ ḍamaru - and this hand-drum,
ninādavat ḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamaḍḍamat -sounding ḍama-dama-dama-dama ( as it is played by Him);
śivaḥ - (in this form), Lord Shiva (who)
cakāra - performed His
caṇḍatāṇḍavaṁ - fierce Tandava dance,
tanotu naḥ - May He, Shiva, aid/bless us all.
Ravana, a celebrated anti-hero of Ramayana, was a flawed personality. Of great powers, impossible feats and high accomplishments. His main fault was that he would not let go. Either when he coveted the Atma-linga, or when he desired Parvathi for a wife, or when he abducted Sita.
In this poem, attributed to him, he prays to Shiva in Mount Kailasa. There is no reference to his circumstance, or his persistent demand. It is a pure prayer.
I have chosen only the first verse. More will follow.
Look at the picture of a sculpture on a pillar in Karnataka's Pattadakal, a world heritage site with a glorious 6/7th century temple dedicated to Virupaksha (Shiva). The artist captures Ravana's personality so well, from behind! Many artifices (like the demon has turned his head 180 deg.) are employed to depict him.
Ravana, a celebrated anti-hero of Ramayana, was a flawed personality. Of great powers, impossible feats and high accomplishments. His main fault was that he would not let go. Either when he coveted the Atma-linga, or when he desired Parvathi for a wife, or when he abducted Sita.
In this poem, attributed to him, he prays to Shiva in Mount Kailasa. There is no reference to his circumstance, or his persistent demand. It is a pure prayer.
I have chosen only the first verse. More will follow.
Look at the picture of a sculpture on a pillar in Karnataka's Pattadakal, a world heritage site with a glorious 6/7th century temple dedicated to Virupaksha (Shiva). The artist captures Ravana's personality so well, from behind! Many artifices (like the demon has turned his head 180 deg.) are employed to depict him.
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