In plain words
While Śiva danced the sport of the tāṇḍava, Sarasvatī played the vīṇā; Nārada plucked the tambura; Hari played the mṛdaṅga; Īśvara played the ḍamaru, ḍamaḍama ḍamaḍama. Its sound was very great. While everyone was playing all the instruments, Pārvatī heard only the one sound of the ḍamaru. At once she burned to ash the house she had built. Īśvara came back, saw that the house had been burned to ash, and said to Pārvatī, “It was my resolve that this house should not stand. But I went to ask Agni, to satisfy you. I danced the tāṇḍava to satisfy Agni. While dancing the tāṇḍava I played the ḍamaru. That is the chief thing in my dance, is it not!”
What we must learn from this is that, however many obstacles arise, the resolve of Īśvara cannot fail to be fulfilled.
“Brahman is real; the world is illusory”
The other day Shouri passed away. Many devotees went to the Chitravati to cremate his body. The five elements in that body went back to their own places: fire joined fire; water joined water; air joined air. That leather bag was burned to ash. But for the Ātma there is no death or birth.