('Hymn of Jesus', Acts of St John.)

When the mind inquires into the existence of the world, it answers itself in terms of; causality, quoting a primary cause. The myths of man speak of the creation of the world as the dance of God. Shiva Nataraja, Lord of the Dance, sends pulsating waves of awakening sound through matter, thereby seducing it to life from lethargy. And matter dances, appearing round about him as an aureole of fiery emanations. Dancing, he creates and sustains the manifold phenomena of the universe; dancing he destroys by fire all forms and names and gives new rest:

His form is everywhere, all pervading. ...
Everywhere is Shiva's gracious dance made manifest.....
He dances with Water , Fire, Wind and Ether.
Thus our Lord dances ever in the court.

Dance, as an expression of man being moved by the transcendent power is the earliest art form; before man experiences his experience of life through materials he does so with his own body, Early man dances on every occasion: for joy, grief, love, fear; of his experience. In his dancing, the imitation of sound and movement observed around him, and especially the involuntary expression of motion through sound and gestures, precedes any consciously articulated sound and dance formation. Before the dance develops into a deliberate religious rite, it is a rhythmic release of energy, an ecstatic act. Only very gradually, under the influence of established cults, is the dance transformed from a spontaneous expression of movement to a fixed pattern of steps, gestures and poses. Yet, in whatever form the dance presents itself, it always aims at approaching the god. As an act of sacrifice, as man giving himself to his god, the dance is total surrender.

The creator is seen as the 'unmoved mover' behind events in the cosmos, the still point round which everything must turn, simply because it holds its peace, encompassing both movement and perfect immobility. Rhythmic sound, in cosmogonic myths, is at the root of all creation; and the gods are -or God is -the formulated power through which the life-force manifests itself. Truth, being beyond sound and rhythm, is the invisible divine center round which all creation dances.

In his upper right hand, the Great God holds a drum-the symbol of sound, the first of the five elements that signal creation and the beginning of time. In the palm of his upper left hand, he reveals the flickering flame -symbol of the conflagration that will engulf the universe at the end of time. His other right hand is raised.in the gesture of reassurance; the other left hand points to his upraised left foot, which symbolizes release. His right foot tramples Apasmarapurusha, the demon of ignorant forgetfulness: if the devotee overcomes ignorance by realizing the meaning of ultimate reality as revealed in Shiva's form and dance, he will be delivered from fear and attain final release from this finite world forever. As S. Kramrisch has written: "Siva, Lord of Dancers, dances the world into and out of existence. Dancing, he veils ultimate, reality and unveils it for his devotee who recognizes the paramatman, ultimate reality, within his heart."

Reference:

Dye III, Joseph M. The Arts of India: New Delhi, 2001.

Wosien, Maria, Gabriele. Sacred Dance: New York, 1974.

The Art and Symbolism of Nataraja: Unraveling the Mysteries of Lord Shiva's Cosmic Dance

Lord Shiva appears in the form of Nataraja to perform his divine act of Cosmic dance (Tandava). The word Nataraja denotes 'The King of Dance'. Natya means “dance” and Raja means “king”. The Nataraja form symbolizes the destruction of the universe. The Lord performs Rudra Tandava to destroy the illusion, an evil residing within the hearts of the living beings. The destruction is the end of the cycle of birth and death, and the beginning of spiritual enlightenment of the individual souls misguided by Maya (illusion).

Lord Nataraja wears a serpent coiled around his neck. He holds 'Agni' (fire) in his posterior left hand which signifies the energetic vibrations for the destruction of the world. His anterior left hand takes the shape of Gajahasta (Elephant hand) or Dandahasta, showering his blessings upon his devotees, and extends towards his left leg. There is a snake wrapped in his anterior right arm that represents 'Abhaya' (without any fear). His posterior right hand is carrying a musical instrument 'Damroo', which represents time and rhythm. His whirling hair stands out as a fan behind his head as he performs the divine cosmic dance He is surrounded by a fiery ring 'Prabha Mandala' that represents the material world, full of suffering and pain. Thus, this form of Lord shiva ultimately depicts the destruction of the ignorance of all the spirit souls, showing them the path to liberation.

What is special about Nataraja?

Nataraja is considered one of the highest forms of Lord Shiva in which he performs the functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction of this material world. Shaivites worship this form of Shiva and take blessings from him to remove all obstacles in their devotional life. His three eyes symbolize an equilibrium of the three modes of material nature namely sattva (mode of goodness), rajas (mode of passion), and tamas (mode of ignorance). The special purpose of his Tandava (transcendental dance) is to release the conditioned souls of this material world from the clutches of Maya which is the external energy of the Supreme Lord Vishnu or Krishna.

Who is under the feet of Nataraja?

Lord Nataraja stands on a lotus pedestal placing his right foot on the dwarf demon named Apasmara. This demon represents spiritual ignorance and nonsensical speech. According to the Vedic scriptures, ignorance is the greatest enemy and obstacle on the path of self-realization. To preserve knowledge in the world, Apasmara must be subdued to bring about spiritual knowledge or transcendental wisdom. For this purpose, Lord Shiva assumed the form of Nataraja and with his rhythmic movements, he placed his foot on the demon Apasmara and crushed him to death. Thus, signifying that whoever takes the shelter of Nataraja, is freed from ignorance and has his doors open for spiritual advancement.

Can we keep Nataraja statue at home?

Many people believe that the statue of Nataraja should not be kept and worshiped at home because this form of Lord Shiva is associated with ultimate destruction. They believe that it will only bring about auspiciousness in their lives. However, as discussed earlier, Nataraja's Tandava dance has a deeper meaning. It is the celebration of the destruction of ignorance in the path of self-realization which is in fact the victory of good over evil. Thus, one can surely keep the statue in their home.