नटराज स्तोत्रम् (पतञ्जलि कृतम्) — Benefits & How to Chant
नटराज स्तोत्रम् (पतञ्जलि कृतम्)
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting नटराज स्तोत्रम् (पतञ्जलि कृतम्)
Invokes the grace of Lord Nataraja, the cosmic dancer who governs creation, preservation and dissolution through his dance
The closing phala-shruti promises freedom from the ocean of repeated birth to one who recites it daily
Grants the constant inner vision (darshan) of the Lord's two feet
the goal of the seeker
A profound meditation on Shiva as pure consciousness (Chid-ambara, the 'hall of consciousness') dancing within the heart
Carries the special grace of sage Patanjali, master of yoga, who is said to have composed it
Cultivates devotion, concentration and a refined ear for the music of Sanskrit through its rhythmic, dance-like meter
Especially powerful when recited before Nataraja, on Pradosham, and on Arudra Darshanam (the great Chidambaram festival)
How to Chant नटराज स्तोत्रम् (पतञ्जलि कृतम्)
Instructions
This is a metrically intricate hymn (each line in a long, dancing meter); recite it slowly and with care, letting the rhythm 'jhala-jhala' and 'dhimi-dhimi' echo the Lord's dance. Sit before an image of Nataraja or visualise the cosmic dancer in the lotus of the heart. Chant all ten verses, ending each with the refrain 'para-cidambara-naṭaṁ hṛdi bhaja'. As the final verse asks, approach it daily with a 'purified mouth' (after rinsing and with a calm mind). It is held in special honour during Pradosham and the Arudra Darshanam festival at Chidambaram.
Spiritual Significance
Tradition holds that as Patanjali sang these verses, Lord Nataraja revealed to him the Ananda Tandava — the dance of bliss in the golden hall of Chidambaram, the 'space of consciousness' itself. It is said that sincere recitation grants the devotee an inward glimpse of that same dance shining in the lotus of the heart.
Origin & History
Source: Shaiva stotra tradition; the Chidambaram (Nataraja) tradition
Author: Sage Patanjali (traditional attribution)
By tradition, the great sage Patanjali — author of the Yoga Sutras and revered as an incarnation of Adishesha, the serpent of Vishnu — longed for the darshan of Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram. When Nandi, the gatekeeper, would not let him pass, Patanjali spontaneously poured out this hymn of praise, composing it with the astonishing constraint of never using the syllables 'charana' or 'shringa', so that it came to be called the Charanashringararahita Nataraja Stotram. Pleased by the depth and artistry of his devotion, Lord Shiva granted him the vision of the cosmic dance. The hymn has since been treasured at Chidambaram and among devotees of Nataraja.