Shiva - Nataraja . - Page 2

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May 17, 1999

The right leg, representing obscuring grace, stands upon Apasmarapurusha, a soul temporarily earth-bound by its own sloth, confusion and forgetfulness. This dwarf is the embodiment of falsehood and ignorance. This is the Purusha within us. We have to crush out ignorance if we want to attain supreme joy.

The uplifted left leg is revealing grace, which releases the mature soul from bondage. This indicates that man can arise himself and attain salvation. The circle of fire around Nataraja represents the cosmos and especially consciousness. The all-devouring form looming above is Mahakala, "Great Time." This is the dance of nature, all initiated by the self in the center, all emanating from Him, and all dissolving within him. While Shiva dances His matted locks hold Ganga, the power and source of all movement in life. While He dances His face is calm and in repose.

The cobra around Nataraja's waist is kundalini shakti, the soul-impelling cosmic power resident within all. Nataraja's dance is not just a symbol. It is taking place within each of us, at the atomic level, this very moment.

The Agamas proclaim, "The birth of the world, its maintenance, its destruction, the soul's obscuration and liberation are the five acts of His dance."

The axe, the sword, fire and the eye of wisdom - all these show the Lord's power of destruction. He cuts and burns the fetters of the human mind in the fire of knowledge, and through the eye of wisdom.

Nataraja is art and spirituality in perfect oneness, chosen to depict the divine because in dance, that which is created is inseparable from its creator. Similarly, the universe and the soul cannot be separated from God.

This dance is arranged into five categories viz.

(1) ADBHUTA TANDAVA meaning that it is a wonderful dance (2) ANANDA TANDAVA meaning that it is blissful dance (3) ANAVARATA TANDAVA incessant dance (4) SAMHAARA TANDAVA destructive dance (5) PRALAYA TANDAVA Dissolution dance

The number FIVE is associated with Lord Shiva. His name is five lettered (panchakshari) The five syllables are Na,mah,si,va,ya and recited as 'Om NamahSsivaayah', and this is indicative of the five divine functions, (panchakriyashakti), namely, sristi - creation , sthithi - maintenance , samhaara - destruction, tirobhava - illusive and anugraha - blessing.

The five elements of creation are also denoted by this five lettered recitation, viz. solidity, liquidity, fire, ether, air, which are the essential elements for formation of any being, either living or material.

The historic dance of Siva is first mentioned in the Puranas as a tandava and a lila, a dance of destruction, and the dance of Siva respectively. The myth follows this progression: An orthodox Brahman school of Mimamasa had students who wished to destroy Siva. They created a ferocious tiger to attack him. The tiger was skinned alive by the pinkie fingernail of Siva. The next evil they sent was a serpent. At this, Siva merely looked and tamed with his eyes. The serpent coiled itself around him. Next an elephant was conjured, but Siva killed it with ease. Sometimes Siva is seen wearing the hides of the elephant or the tiger. Lastly, the sect sent a dwarf called the demon of forgetfulness, apasmara purusha. The dwarf was the embodiment of evil. To combat this, Siva began his cosmic dance, subduing the demon and liberating the world. Siva leaps on top of the dwarf crushing its back with one foot. This is the pose of Siva Nataraja that saivite theology has invested so much detail with meaning.

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