Nataraja Stotram चरणशृङ्गरहित नटराजस्तोत्रम् - Patañjali

Introduction

This hymn is composed by Sage Patanjali, (the author of योगसूत्रम्). It is remarkable in completely avoiding long vowels(ā, ī, ū, ē, ō, ai, au). Where ever a heavy syllable is needed, Patanjali employs an anusvara (ṅ, ñ, ṇ, n, m) in stead, and occasionally other consonant endings. So visually the hymn does not contain feet like का, की, कू, को, कौ do; or horns like के, कै, को, कौ do. This is an astounding feat given that every fourth syllable needs to be a heavy syllable (guru). As a result, you will hear the nasal sound anusvara every fourth syllable! Also not very coincidentally, Patañjali's name itself does not contain legs or horns!

There are two stories regarding its origin.
1) Patanjali goes to see Śiva at Chidambaram and his assistant Nandi, the bull does not let him in. To teach him a lesson, Patanjali composes a hymn without feet or horns, thus symbolically cutting Nandi's feet and horns leading to his humiliation. Śiva gives darśan and also dances to the song's rhythmic tune.

2) Once Sage Vyāghrapāda (व्याघ्रपादः) teases patanjali, saying "How can you see the Cosmic Dance of the Lord, when you do not even have horns or feet".  Patanjali composes this hymn as an answer, symbolically cutting Vyāghrapāda's (meaning Tiger-foot) feet.

The meter for this song is also called चरणशृङ्गरहितम्.
There are 26 syllables per line. Each line goes as
ननन्नन ननन्नन ननन्नन ननन्नन ननन्नन ननन्नन ननं or
ततंतत ततंतत ततंतत ततंतत ततंतत ततंतत ततं