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Shambhu Natanam:
There is a very interesting story told by Sri Mahaperiyaval, His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam about this slokam which is briefly given here:
At Sandhya kalam (Pradosha kalam) Shiva dances at all places not only at Chidambaram. Wherever he dances, Pathanjali muni, Vyagrapada muni, Nandhi and Bhringi will be with him. While Bhringi and Nandhi stay with Shiva always, Pathanjali and Vyagrapadar are there whenever and wherever he dances.
Pathanjali is stated to be the Avatar of Adisesha and is depicted with a human face and the body of a snake. Vyagrapadar has also a human face and his legs are like that of a tiger with long nails. Nandhi, the divine vahana has two horns (Kombu, in Tamil) and four feet (Kaal in Tamil). Bhringi has three legs. Pathanjali was teased by the other three saying that he has neither Horn (Kombu) nor Kaal (legs). Pathanjali gave a rejoinder stating that the other three have separate eyes and ears which was a disadvantage. If they concentrate on Ishwaras dance form by seeing, they will miss the laya or thala and if they concentrate on the laya and listen, they will miss out on the visual treat. However, Pathanjali, in his serpent form, had a common organ for perceiving sound and sight (it was commonly believed that snakes make use of the same organs for hearing and seeing) and therefore could concentrate on both the form and laya simultaneously.
Pathanjali also stated that inspite of his not having Kombu and Kaal, he can appreciate the cosmic dance of Shiva better and will sing His praises. The trio of Nandi, Bhringi and Vyagrapadar teased Pathanjali further saying that he had no Kombu and Kaal and how will he sing Shivas praise without Kombu and Kaal. Pathanjali said that since he himself had no Kombu and Kaal, he will sing Shivas praise also with a sloka in which the letters had no Kombu or Kaal ( e E a etc.)
The Shambu natana sthothram has no words with Kombu or Kaal. This was sung according to the laya/ thala of Shivas cosmic dance.
॥ श्रीपतञ्जलिकृत शम्भुनटनम्॥
सदञ्चितं उदञ्चित निकुञ्चितपदं झलझलञ्चलित मञ्जुकटकं
पतञ्जलि दृगञ्जनं अनञ्जनं अचञ्चलपदं जनन भञ्जनकरम्।
कदम्बरुचिं अम्बरवसं परमं अम्बुद कदम्बक विडम्बक गलं
चिदम्बुदमणिं बुध हृदम्बुज रविं पर चिदम्बर नटं हृदि भज॥१॥
हरं त्रिपुर भञ्जनं अनन्त कृतकङ्कणं अखण्डदयं अन्त रहितं
विरिञ्चि सुरसम्हति पुरन्दर विचिन्तित पदं तरुण चन्द्र मकुटम्।
परं पद विखण्डित यमं भसित मण्डिततनुं मदन वञ्चन परं
चिरन्तनं अमुं प्रणत सञ्चित निधिं परचिदम्बर नटं हृदि भज॥२॥
अवन्तं अखिलं जगत् अभङ्गगुणतुङ्गं अमतं धृत विधुं सुरसरि-
त्तरङ्ग निकुरुम्ब धृति लम्पट जटं शमन डम्बर हरं भव हरम्।
शिवम् दश दिगन्तर विजृम्भित करं कर लसन् मृगशिशुं पशुपतिं
हरं शशि धनञ्जय पतङ्ग नयनं पर चिदम्बर नटं हृदि भज॥३॥
अनन्त नवरत्न विलसत्कटक किङ्किणि झलंझल झलञ्झलरवं
मुकुन्द विधि हस्तगत मद्दल लय ध्वनि धिमिद्धिमित नर्तन पदम्।
शकुन्तरथ बर्हिरथ नन्दिमुख दन्तिमुख भृङ्गि रिटि सङ्घ निकटं
सनन्द सनक प्रमुख वन्दित पदं परचिदम्बरनटं हृदि भज॥४॥
अनन्त महिमं त्रिदश वन्द्य चरणं मुनि हृदन्तर वसन्तं अमलं
कबन्ध वियदिन्द्ववनि गन्धवह वह्नि मखबन्धु रवि मञ्जु वपुषम्।
अनन्त विभवं त्रिजगदन्तरमणिं त्रिणयनं त्रिपुर खण्डन परं
सनन्द मुनि वन्दित पदं सकरुणं पर चिदम्बर नटं हृदि भज॥५॥
अचिन्त्यं अलिबृन्द रुचिबन्धुर गल स्फुरित कुन्द निकुरुम्ब धवलं
मुकुन्द सुरबृन्द बलहन्तृ कृतवन्दन लसन्तं अहिकुण्डल धरम्।
अकम्पं अनुकम्पित रतिं सुजन मङ्गल निधिं गजहरं पशुपतिं
धनञ्जय नुतं प्रणत रञ्जन परं परचिदम्बर नतं हृदि भज॥६॥
परं सुरवरं पुरहरं पशुपतिं जनित दन्तिमुख षण्मुखं अमुं
मृडं कनक पिङ्गल जटं सनक पङ्कज रविं सुमनसं हिम रुचिम्।
असङ्ग मनसं जलधि जन्म गरलं कबलयन्तं अतुलं गुणनिधिं
सनन्दवरदं शमितं इन्दुवदनं पर चिदम्बर नटं हृदि भज॥७॥
अजं क्षितिरथं भुजगपुङ्गव गुणं कनक शृङ्गि धनुषं करलसत्
कुरङ्क पृथु टङ्क परशुं रुचिर कुङ्कुम रुचिं डमरुकं च दधतम्।
मुकुन्द विशिखं नमदवन्ध्य फलदं निगम बृन्द तुरगं निरुपमं
स चण्डिकं अमुं झटिति संहृत पुरं पर चिदम्बर नटं हृदि भज॥८॥
अनङ्ग परिपन्थिनं अजं क्षिति धुरंधरं अमलं करुणयन्तं अखिलं
ज्वलन्तं अनलं दधतं अन्तकरिपुं सततं इन्द्रसुर वन्दित पदम्।
उदञ्चत् अरविन्द कुल बन्धु शतबिम्ब रुचि संहति सुगन्धि वपुषं
पतञ्जलि नुतं प्रणव पञ्जर शुकं पर चिदम्बर नटं हॄदि भज॥९॥
इति स्तवं अमुं भुजग पुङ्गव कृतं प्रतिदिनं पठति यः कृतमुखः
सदः प्रभु पदद्वितय दर्शनपदं सुललितं चरण शृङ्ग रहितम्।
स्मरः प्रभव संभव हरित्पति हरि प्रमुख दिव्य नुत शङ्करपदं
स गच्छति परं न तु जनु र्जलधिं परम दुःख जनकं दुरितदम्॥१०॥
