SHIVA NATARAJA: LORD OF THE DANCE

Shiva is the dancing radiance in all things, in every cell, in every joint, muscle, ligament of our Body, that manifests Rebirth, the cycle of endings out of which comes renewal.

Every day, we are born again, eternally returning. Every day, at any time, we can start over, dancing our way through Life, light and supple.

Once in a while, maybe often, we lose our balance. We fall, we stumble. And all it takes to find our balance again is to pause. Breathe, feel and reconnect to our Inner Strength, our inner guidance, listening to the messages and Wisdom of our Body.

Here Shiva is depicted in his Cosmic dance signifying the cyclical creation and destruction of the Universe. I’ll share some short and subjective but documented explanations here. Feel free to make your own research for more info.

Right upper hand holds a drum symbolizing Creation and the passing and illusion of time.

Left upper hand holds the flame of illumination, which burns and destructs the veil of time, the dissolution of form.

This is the cycle of the Universe: creation and destruction.

Lower right hand gesture tells us to not be afraid.

Lower left hand gesture symbolizes the elephant that has gone through the jungle and can teach, guide other animals.

Right foot is our stepping and crushing ignorance and evil, symbolized by the dwarf or demon under the right foot.

Left foot is our path to salvation, when we are released from illusion and ignorance.

Shiva is dancing in a circle of fire which represents the Cosmos and consciousness.

The Goddess Ganga is shown nested in Shiva’s dreadlocks, where she landed when Shiva saved her in her fall from Heaven to Earth. She brought down the Holy waters from heaven and the renowned River Ganges was born.

The 5 divine activities of Lord Shiva are:

- Creation- in Sanskrit Sarga in the Earth

- Protection and maintenance- Sthiti in the waters

- Destruction, annihilation and evolution- Samhara in the fire

- Concealment- Tirobhava in the wind

- Liberation- Anugraha is the Blessed, Blissed state

The first four activities concern the evolution of the world and the fifth one is the cause of salvation.

Throughout our Life, it is important to remember that we go through that constant flow of endings and beginnings, ups and downs, contractions and expansions. That’s the Cosmic dance, the Nature of life. Sometimes, destruction, annihilation is a good means to rebirth and renewal.

Here is an ancient Chola* poem describing the symbolism of Nataraja this way:

The sound of his sacred drum awakens the cosmos into being

His uplifted hand of hope sustains and protects it

With his purifying fire, ego is destroyed

His foot planted on the ground is an abode of rest for the tired soul, caught in the binds of illusion

And his lifted foot promises release.

Look at the Shiva Nataraja statue. And try to embody it. Literally. Stand up and try.

How does it feel to stand on one foot and keep your balance, or at least adjusting to find it again? Flexing and expanding your spine in all directions. Swinging your arms. Moving the floating leg in the air. Falling out of the position and stepping right back into it. With lightness of spirit and compassion. Trusting your intuition and flowing through the movement, feeling, observing and enjoying the way your Body moves, expresses. Dancing your way through each moment. Light and supple.

Enjoy the Dance of Bliss :)

*The Chola dynasty ruled in Southern India until the 13th century