Nataraj (literally.
The Lord (or King) of Dance,
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
: नटराज, Kannada: ನಟರಾಜ, Tamil: கூத்தன் Kooththan, ) is a depiction of the
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
god
ShivaShiva , also known as Rudra is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God...
as the cosmic dancer who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god
BrahmaBrahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman. Brahmā's consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning...
to start the process of creation. Nataraja is most often depicted through a
statueSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard and/or plastic material, sound, and/or text and or light, commonly stone , metal, glass, or wood. Some sculptures are created directly by finding or carving; others are assembled, built together and fired, welded, molded,...
. The dance of Shiva in Tillai, the traditional name for
ChidambaramChidambaram is a municipality in Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. Located at , it is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail in the Kollidam River Valley...
, forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja.
Nataraj (literally.
The Lord (or King) of Dance,
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
: नटराज, Kannada: ನಟರಾಜ, Tamil: கூத்தன் Kooththan, ) is a depiction of the
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
god
ShivaShiva , also known as Rudra is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God...
as the cosmic dancer who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god
BrahmaBrahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedanta philosophy known as Brahman. Brahmā's consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning...
to start the process of creation. Nataraja is most often depicted through a
statueSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard and/or plastic material, sound, and/or text and or light, commonly stone , metal, glass, or wood. Some sculptures are created directly by finding or carving; others are assembled, built together and fired, welded, molded,...
. The dance of Shiva in Tillai, the traditional name for
ChidambaramChidambaram is a municipality in Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. Located at , it is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail in the Kollidam River Valley...
, forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja. He is also known as "Sabesan" which splits as "Sabayil aadum eesan" in Tamil which means "The Lord who dances on the dias".The form is present in most Shiva temples in South India, and is the main deity in the famous temple at
ChidambaramChidambaram Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in the heart of the temple town of Chidambaram, 78 km south of Pondicherry and 60 km north of Karaikal in Cuddalore District, the east-central part of the Tamil Nadu state of southeastern India...
.
The sculpture is usually made in bronze, with Shiva dancing in an aureole of flames, lifting his left leg (and in rare cases, the right leg) and balancing over a demon or dwarf (
ApasmaraAccording to Hindu mythology, Apasmara was a dwarf who represented ignorance and epilepsy. During the cosmic dance of tandava by god Shiva in the form of Nataraja - the Lord of Dance, Apasmara was crushed by the right foot of Shiva and was killed. This mythological dwarf is generally depicted with...
) who symbolizes ignorance. It is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture.
The two most common forms of Shiva's dance are the
Lasya (the gentle form of dance), associated with the creation of the world, and the
Tandava (the violent and dangerous dance), associated with the destruction of the world. In essence, the
Lasya and the
Tandava' or ', the divine art form, is a dance performed by the Hindu god Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva’s Tandava is a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution...
are just two aspects of Shiva's nature; for he destroys in order to create, tearing down to build again.
Etymology
Nataraja is derived from the words
Nadanam (dance) and
Raja (Lord or King).
Or, more correctly, /Nāṭa-rāja/ is a corrupt form of /Narta-rājan/ 'dance-king', from the classical Samskṛta verb /nar-/ 'to dance'. (Changing of /rt/ to /ṭ/ is a characteristic of late mediaeval corruption of the Samskṛta phonology.)
Characteristics
- A cobra uncoils from his lower right forearm, and the crescent moon and a skull are on his crest. He dances within an arch of flames. This dance is called the Dance of Bliss, ananda tandava.
- The upper right hand holds a small drum shaped like an hourglass that is called a in Sanskrit.. A specific hand gesture (mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
) called (Sanskrit for "-hand") is used to hold the drum. It symbolizes sound originating creation.
- The upper left hand contains Agni or fire, which signifies destruction
Destruction is the act of damaging something beyond use or repair. It may also refer to:* Destruction , a German thrash metal band* Destruction , one of the Endless in Neil Gaiman's comic book series The Sandman...
. The opposing concepts in the upper hands show the counterpoise of creation and destruction.
- The second right hand shows the Abhaya mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
(meaning fearlessness in SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
), bestowing protection from both evil and ignorance to those who follow the righteousness of dharmaThe term , is an Indian spiritual and religious term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term. A Hindu's Dharma is affected by a person's age, class, occupation, and sex. In Indian languages it can be equivalent simply to "religion", depending on context...
.
- The second left hand points towards the raised foot which signifies upliftment and liberation.
- The dwarf on which Nataraja dances is the demon Apasmara
According to Hindu mythology, Apasmara was a dwarf who represented ignorance and epilepsy. During the cosmic dance of tandava by god Shiva in the form of Nataraja - the Lord of Dance, Apasmara was crushed by the right foot of Shiva and was killed. This mythological dwarf is generally depicted with...
, which symbolises Shiva's victory over ignorance.
- As the Lord of Dance, Nataraja, Shiva performs the tandava
' or ', the divine art form, is a dance performed by the Hindu god Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva’s Tandava is a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution...
, the dance in which the universe is created, maintained, and resolved. Shiva's long, matted tresses, usually piled up in a knot, loosen during the dance and crash into the heavenly bodies, knocking them off course or destroying them utterly.
- The surrounding flames represent the manifest Universe
The Universe comprises everything that physically exists, the entirety of space and time, all forms of matter and energy, and the physical laws and constants that govern them...
.
- The snake swirling around his waist is kundalini
Kundalini Sanskrit, literally "coiled". In Indian yoga, a "corporeal energy" - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent coiled at the base of the spine, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent...
, the ShaktiShakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that move through the entire universe. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes referred to as 'The...
or divine force thought to reside within everything.
- The stoic face of Shiva represents his neutrality, thus being in balance.
Significance
The essential significance of
Shiva'sShiva , also known as Rudra is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God...
dance at Tillai, the traditional name of
ChidambaramChidambaram is a municipality in Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. Located at , it is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail in the Kollidam River Valley...
, can be explained as:
- First, it is seen as the image of his rhythmic play which is the source of all movement within the universe. This is represented by the circular or elliptical frame surrounding the Lord.
- Secondly, the purpose of his dance is to release the souls of all men from the snare of illusion.
- Lastly, the place of the dance, Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a municipality in Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. Located at , it is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail in the Kollidam River Valley...
, which is portrayed as the center of the universe, is actually within the heart.
To understand the concept of Nataraja we have to understand the idea of dance itself in Hinduism. Like
yogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
, dance is used to induce
tranceAn altered state of consciousness, , also named altered state of mind is any condition which is significantly different from a normal waking beta wave state. The expression was used as early as 1969 by Charles Tart and describes induced changes in one's mental state, almost always temporary...
,
ecstasySpiritual ecstasy is an altered state of consciousness characterized by greatly reduced external awareness and expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness which is frequently accompanied by visions and emotional/intuitive euphoria...
and the experience of the
divineDivinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power, or its attributes or manifestations in the world...
. In India, consequently, dance has flourished side by side with the austerities of meditation (as
fastingFasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. A fast may be total or partial concerning that from which one fasts, and may be prolonged or intermittent as to the period of fasting...
, absolute introversion etc.). Shiva, therefore, the arch-
yogiA yogi is a term for a male practitioner of various forms of spiritual practice. In contemporary English yogin is an alternative rendering for the word yogi....
of the Gods, is necessarily also the Lord of the dance. Dancing is seen as an art in which the artist and the art s/he creates are one and the same, thought to evoke the oneness of
GodGod is a deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
and creation.
Shiva Nataraja was first represented thus in a beautiful series of South Indian bronzes dating from the tenth and twelfth centuries A.D. In these images, Nataraja dances with his right foot supported by a crouching figure and his left foot elegantly raised. A mirrored posture, where his right foot is raised, represents
MokshaIn Indian religions, Moksha or Mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth or reincarnation and all of the suffering and limitation of worldly existence after realization of God...
.
In the compact spiritual texts of divine knowledge, the holy
GeetaThe Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important Hindu scriptures. It is revered as a sacred scripture of Hinduism, and considered as one of the most important philosophical classics of the world. The Bhagavad Gita comprises 700 verses, and is a part of the Mahabharata...
, there are three basic guna: Satvic, Tamsic and Rajsic. These combine with each other, and the life forms are created as a result of this divine activity. These life forms remain devoid of
pranaPrana is the Sanskrit for "breath" .It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana "breath", vac "speech", caksus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought" Prana is the Sanskrit for "breath" (from the root "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus "full").It is one of the ...
(breath), until the Divine entity infuses them with life. The
Geeta says the division of the Divine entity is ninefold, of which eight can be known by humans, but the ninth is eternally unexplainable and hidden and secret.
These eight divisions are the elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Akash, Mana, Buddhi, Ahamkara.
Nataraj is a visual interpretation of
BrahmanIn the Hindu religion, Brahman is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe. The nature of Brahman is described as transpersonal, personal and impersonal by different...
and a dance posture of Lord Shiv. It is the representation of reality at the time of cosmic destruction. We being life forms, cosmic destruction would mean the disappearance of all life. The half moon shown in the hand of Nataraj is a symbol only. The fall of the moon would result in cosmic destruction.
The third eye on the forehead of the Lord is a symbol. The serpent wrapped around the neck is a cosmic entity, just as Shiv. Other vedic texts mention a cosmic serpent called Kundalini, present in every living form at the base of the spinal cord. Myths abound about Kundalini's presence and the cosmic dangers associated with its arousal. More abstract and invisible divine energy centres, called Chakras, are associated with its Rise.
Statues
The visual image of Nataraja (god of people and places) achieved
canonicalCanonical is an adjective derived from canon. Canon comes from the Greek word kanon, "rule" , and is used in various meanings....
form in the bronzes cast under the
Chola dynastyThe Chola Empire was ruled by a Dravidian Tamil dynasty of that name that ruled primarily in southern India until the 13th century. The dynasty originated in the fertile valley of the Kaveri River...
in the tenth century AD, and then continued to be reproduced in metal, stone and other substances right up to the present times. The origins of the Nataraja cult is in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The trajectory of the dancing Shiva is traced: from the processional worship of metal icons outside the sanctum to the cultic elevation of the Nataraja bronze into the sanctum at
ChidambaramChidambaram is a municipality in Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. Located at , it is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail in the Kollidam River Valley...
. Archaeo metallurgical studies made on south Indian bronzes by
Sharada SrinivasanSharada Srinivasan, Associate Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India, works in the field of inter-disciplinary scientific studies in art, archaeology, archaeometallurgy and culture and is also an acclaimed exponent of classical Bharata Natyam dance. She has a PhD...
combined with iconographic and literary showed that the Nataraja bronze was a Pallava innovation (seventh to mid-ninth century), rather than tenth-century Chola as widely believed. That formulation was informed of 'cosmic' or
metaphysicalMetaphysics investigates principles of reality transcending those of any particular science. Cosmology and ontology are traditional branches of metaphysics. It is concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world...
connotations is also argued on the basis of the testimony of the hymns of
TamilTamil people , are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, a state in India, and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. They speak Tamil , with a recorded history going back two millennia. Emigrant communities are found across the world...
saints.
The image of the Lord as the Cosmic Dancer is shown at the
ChidambaramChidambaram is a municipality in Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. Located at , it is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail in the Kollidam River Valley...
temple, an unusual fact as Shiva is depicted in an anthropomorphic form rather than in the usual non-anthropomorphic form of the linga.