In mythology, India is a place where ancient texts, revered sages, and holy people have discovered the mystery behind how our earth exists and floats, the secrets of the multiverse, and the meaning behind the sound Om and the Big Bang theory hundreds of years before science. However, today, Vedic Story is here to share the story of Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer, or Shiva, the Lord of Dance. 

Let’s unearth the secrets: 

You must have heard Indian mythology stories about Tridev; the main ones are Brahma, the world’s creator, Vishnu, the preserver of the world, and Shiva, the destroyer of the world. Worshiping the Lords in India is a ritual we do, but when it comes to knowing why Indians worship a destroyer, it has a whole lot of story behind it. And what does Shiva destroy? Let’s find:

Shiva, the cosmic dancer in Hinduism, is the Lord of Destruction. Buddhism and Hinduism discovered that our earth and the existence of living beings are just Maya, the illusion. However, humans misunderstood the concept of Maya. Maya is not the physical or material world; it is beyond what we perceive it to be. 

Maya is not an independent entity or objective. It is beyond the human mind’s understanding. But for now, let us make it easy for you to understand what Maya, the illusion, is.

Maya, the illusion depends on personal prejudices and interdependence on everything that it contacts with. And Lord Shiva, as a Nataraja, destroys things or psychologically subdues performing cosmic dance. Maya is a construction. When Maya spreads, crossing the limit, Shiva deconstructs, destroying her limit while dancing.

Revealing the Cosmic Symbolism of Tandava: A Dance of Shiva

Tandava is a fierce form of dance of Shiva. Nata, a demon. Raja, a ruler. Thus, Shiva was a Nataraja who dominated Nata, a demon of darkness, anxiety, depression, negativity, and all sources that make human life miserable. To dominate Nata and to save humans from his destructive negative aura, Lord Shiva danced ferociously. It was not an ordinary dance. It was a cosmic dance of Shiva known as the Tandava in the world.

The cosmic dance of Shiva represents a cosmic spectacle of the actions of Shiva. They are: 

1. Srishti: A Sanskrit word that represents creation.
2. Sthiti: Represents preservation by the Lord of Cosmos.
3. Samhara: Represents the destruction of the material world. 
4. Tirobhava: It is an action of unveiling or disillusionment (Maya).
5. Anugraha: It is an action of divine grace on the world and living beings.

Tandava is a dance of balancing cosmic creation and running the divine tapestry smoothly. The cosmic dance portrays the fluidity of nature, where creation and destruction happen in a balance and are interdependent.

Now, let Vedic Story dive deeper into the ocean of knowledge and wisdom to explain Natraja, the statue, its symbolism, and its hidden meaning.

Nataraja: The Statue of Dancing Shiva

Dance is not an ordinary form of expression. It is a cosmic and divine form of arranging and balancing universal actions: creation, preservation, and destruction. The Nataraja statue represents Lord Shiva as the denouncer of Nata, the destructor of negative expressions, and the ruler of the cosmos. He dances over and over to maintain the balance of positivity and negativity. However, here are the weapons and tools Shiva carries while performing Tandava to dominate Nata.

Let’s understand what they symbolize. 

The Damaru (Drum)

The damaru is a musical instrument that Shiva carries in his right hand. Science says it represents a primal sound, the Big Bang. (Every child before the digitalization era played with a damaru, enjoying the cosmic sound and dancing to the motion while carrying forward the primal truth.)

The Agni (Fire)

Again, holding the fire in his left hand represents the destruction of ignorance and the erasing of the old one to create a new beginning. Destruction is important for creating something new, just like when a dry leaf scatters on the ground. It must be removed for new growth and fresh creation.

The Pointing Hand

Lord Shiva points his left hand downwards towards his raised foot. This posture represents “removing or lifting the veil of ignorance” and liberation from the material or worldly attachments. The Tandava statue reminds the human race that there is a way to get rid of suffering and pain and a path to walk for spiritual enlightenment. 

The Nata (Apasmara): A Dwarf Demon

Nata, the demon of ignorance, misery, and negativity is dominated underneath Shiva’s powerful foot. The Nata is a dwarf and called Apasmara. Apasmara, the dwarf symbolizes ignorance, anxiety, depression, limitation of the human mind, thoughts, and selfishness. The dance of Shiva, the Nataraja statue signifies the victory of ignorance through knowledge and truth. 

The Prabha Mandala: Ring of Flames

The Nataraja statue is encircled by Prabha Mandala or the ring of flames. It symbolizes the never-ending cycle of time and the impermanence of material things. The ring reminds humans that the material world and life are a flux and to go through the life and death cycle again and again. No one can deny it. If humans do, they are living in ignorance.

Thus, the Tandava statue, the dancing Shiva, symbolizes the truth hiding the philosophical and spiritual significance.

The Abhaya Mudra (Raised Hand)

Lord Shiva’s right hand as a Nataraja is raised in a specific posture known as the Abhaya Mudra. The name simply means “fearless pose.” This beautiful posture reveals that whenever devotees seek Lord Shiva’s protection, they will receive his benevolence. In the chaos of the cycle of creation and destruction, devotees are assured of security and hope in the Lord of Dance.

The Eternal Serenity and Peaceful Face

Despite the powerful dance of Nataraja, his face shows eternal serenity and tranquility in contrast to the chaotic nature. The serene face of Lord Shiva shows chaotic and still nature, or the duality of the universe coexists.

Conclusion: Understanding What the Cosmic Dance Is

Nataraja, the Lord of Dance, dances with a cosmic dancer within our hearts, but we, the humans, have a limited understanding of what he does. Lord Shiva, the cosmic dancer, engages in our daily lives, engaging in a dance with our egos, our desires, our lusts, our fears, and our questions—who we are and others. He dances breath to breathe in our hearts, and when we realize the spiritual meaning behind Nataraja, the rhythm of the dance becomes the dance of transformation, destroying the Nata or Apasmara, the ignorance.