Raavana, Overconfident and obsessed with his powers, once wanted to meet Shiva but Nandhi (Shiva’s gatekeeper) denies his entry to Mt. Kailash.
Enraged by this, Raavana starts uprooting the mountain. To keep him in check, Shiva pushes the Mt. Khailas down, with his feet, trapping Raavana underneath it.
Without losing hope and being determined to live, Raavana spends next few years, trying to impress Shiva, by singing various hymns (Shiva Tandava Stotra, was result of the same), while being trapped under the mountain and using all his energy to prevent it from crushing him.
Finally impressed by his determination, Shiva lets him out and also gifts him with an invincible sword, for his servitude.
This little story has a lot of lessons to learn from.
- No matter how strong or powerful you are, you will face challenges bigger than yourself.
- One must learn to accept defeat, without losing hope and be determined. Your determination can get even enemies by your side.
Funfact: Prabas lifting shivalingam in Baahubali - Song starts with lyrics of shiva tandava strotra, is a reference to this incident.
“Jatatavee gala jjala pravaha pavitha sthale, Gale avalabhya lambithaam bhujanga thunga malikaam, Dama ddama dama ddama ninnadava damarvayam, Chakara chanda thandavam thanothu na shiva shivam."