Dance has always been to me something beautiful; somewhat a stress-buster, a re-energiser and something that makes me feel graceful. And, so sitting in my dance class one week, surrounded by the healthy environment of learning, was I struck with an...
Meaning: Whose body is the universe, whose speech constitutes all the languages in the world, and whose ornaments are the celestial bodies - the stars and the moon themselves; To that Shiva, we bow and ask for blessings.
Nataraja, an aspect of Lord Shiva, is considered the deity of Bharatanatyam.
In all his glory, he is the perfect candidate for us to base our aspirations upon, be it his detachment, his ignorance to the worldly activities, and in this case, he is also perfectly sculpted for dance.
His body moves with a fluid grace, his eyes following the mudras his hands show. The masculine bend of his body comes with a smooth grace, and his matted hair flows about him as he dances in ecstasy. Intense emotion is showcased in the rigorous tandava to which he dances as an outlet of his emotion - anger, or bliss. And when he dances, the world is in for a sight indeed, a beautiful picture painted with Shiva in all his grace.
He starts, and ends, they say, with the posture formed when his right palm is held near his chest, his left arm dangling under his palm. His right leg is lifted and bent at the knee, his left foot on the floor and bent at the knee.
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This regal posture identifies Lord Nataraja, and we are truly awed by this display of one-footed balance.
They also say,
That his body is the sky, His hands the eight directions. That his three eyes are the Sun, Moon, and Stars, And his smile the distraction of evil. That his hair is wisdom, The crescent moon enlightenment. That his sacred thread is philosophy, And his garments the Vedas. His damaru is the creation of sound, And his anklets are to direct in the right path. That his tiger-skin is the control of anger, And his serpent a control of his jealousy. His abhaya is protection, And his varada is liberation.
Isn't it fit for such an awe-inspiring being to be the Lord of Dance?
