Shaivism / Bhakti Yoga
नटराज नटराज नर्तन सुन्दर नटराज | शिवराज शिवराज शिवकामी प्रिय शिवराज ||
Nataraja (Nataraja Nataraja)
Nataraja Nataraja Nartana Sundara Nataraja | Shivaraja Shivaraja Shivakami Priya Shivaraja ||
"Praise to Shiva as Nataraja, the cosmic Lord of the Dance"
Word by Word
- Nataraja
- king of dancers — Shiva as the cosmic dancer (nata = dancer, raja = king)
- Nartana
- dance, the act of dancing
- Sundara
- beautiful, graceful
- Shivaraja
- Shiva the king, sovereign lord
- Shivakami
- "she whom Shiva loves" — the goddess Parvati
- Priya
- beloved, dear to
Full Translation
This joyous chant celebrates Shiva in his form as Nataraja, King of Dancers, whose blissful dance creates, sustains, and dissolves the universe. The first line delights in the beauty of his dance; the second hails him as Shivaraja, the sovereign Shiva, beloved of the goddess Shivakami (Parvati). To sing it is to remember that the cosmos itself is a dance — and to join in.
Pronunciation Tips
nah-tah-RAH-jah — nar-tah-nah SOON-dah-rah; shee-vah-RAH-jah — shee-vah-KAH-mee PREE-yah; the rhythm drives forward in a steady dancing pulse