CREATION AND DESTRUCTION OF THE COSMOS

In India most of the Gods dance and Lord Shiva’s dances are important among them. However, the exact number of Lord Shiva’s dances known to its worshippers is unknown, but still the root idea behind all of them is the same: the manifestation of primal rhythmic energy. This article talks about three of most famous Dances of Shiva and delves into the stories behind them.

Importance of Dances  

Through His dance Lord Shiva teachers and uses dance as the medium. Why dance, and not a book or a discourse? This is because – words; used in both a book and a discourse, are too literal to capture the essence of the intangible. A book occupies space but not time, while a discourse occupies time but not space, but a dance on the other hand occupies both space and time. It can be seen, heard and read all at the same time. In fact dance is a performance that appeals to the senses, stirs the emotions and demand intellectual analysis. The Dancing Shiva comprises the whole thing – the world of space and time, matter and energy. The most important thing which Shiva’s Dances remind is that ‘life is not always plain sailing,’ Shiva dances just as much in misery and death, as in life and elation. All needs to be accepted.        

Shiva                                                     

Lord Shiva is the Supreme Being of the universe. The Ardhanarishvara Lord is the creator and the creation, is within everything and beyond everything at the same time. The great Lord has threefold nature: is beyond time and form, is of divine mind; existing here, there and everywhere and is personal Lord; the creator of all time and all form. The name Shiva means ‘the auspicious,’ ‘the gracious’ or ‘kindly one.’ He has five powers: creation, preservation, destruction, concealment and revelation. Lord Shiva creates the three worlds from His own being and He also preserves the three worlds; dancing in each tiny atom at every point in time. At the appropriate time He absorbs creation back in Himself; over a period spanning billion of years. Next He creates again. Lord Shiva governs and guides evolution through concealment and revelation powers. And only in deepest meditation can the nature of such a vast and mysterious God is fully known.       

Shiva Nataraja

Lord Shiva has many forms or aspects; one is Nataraja ‘The King of Dance.’ The Dancing Shiva illustrates Shiva’s role as the Lord who destroys the cosmos so that it can be renewed again. The story associated with the origin of Shiva Nataraja dance goes like this – a group of Mimansikas was performing yagna in a forest of Taragam, Lord Shiva walked in naked; obvious of them in a state of bliss, accompanied by Vishnu disguised as a beautiful woman and Ati Sheshan. The Mimansikas were distracted by Lord Shiva and held Him responsible. Mimansikas were also frightened by Him, as they saw in Him a man who was content and blissful, and did not need all the things which they aspired for. The naked Lord Shiva made them inadequate and jealous, as they thought that their wives would leave them and chase Him. So in fear, they saw Him as a predator and decided to destroy Him. And with that intention and with their knowledge of yagna, Mimansikas invoked creatures; tiger, serpent and dwarf demon, from fire and unleashed them on Lord Shiva. The Lord simply caught the tiger, skinned it alive and wrapped its hide around his body. He picked up the snake and put it around His neck, where the snake sat with upraised hood. And Lord Shiva jumped on the back of the dwarf demon; Apasmara or Mulakaya, breaking his back and started to dance, on the rhythm of His damaru; drum. As the Mimansikas started to observe His dance, their fear morphed into awe and by every succeeding graceful hand, feet and body movements they began to get mesmerized. The Mimansikas realized that this was no ordinary man and His dance was also no ordinary seductive dance, but was an enlightening dance; the dance of bliss. Lord Shiva stuck a series of poses and finally froze. The final pose contained the wisdom of the Vedas. Mimansikas were awe stuck because what they could not realize after performing hundreds of rituals was realized completely by one dance of Lord Shiva. Ati Sheshan worshipped Lord Shiva, so that he is able once again to watch the mystical dance. Lord Shiva fulfilled his wish, and promised that He would dance in sacred Tillai, the centre of the Universe. This dance of Shiva in Chidambaram or Tillai forms the motif of the South Indian copper images of Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of Dance.     

Iconographic details of Nataraja dance

The most common figures depict a four armed Shiva, and these four arms represent the four cardinal directions. The upper damaru holds an hour glass drum which is a symbol of creation. It is beating the pulse of the universe. The damaru also provides the music that accompany Lord Shiva’s dance and also represents sound as the first element in an unfolding universe – for sound is the first and most pervasive of the elements. There is also a story that Lord Shiva granted boom of wisdom to an ignorant Panini; the great Sanskrit grammarian, through the sound of damaru. The drum also represents the male and female vital principle; two triangles penetrate each other to form a hexagon. The opposite hand, the upper hand bears on its palm a tongue of flames; fire is the element of destruction. The second right hand is held in the abhaya; without fear pose, and is a gesture of protection. The left leg is raised towards the right leg and reaches across it; the lower left hand is stretched across the body and points to the upraised left foot which represents release from the cycle of birth and death. Lord Shiva dances on the body of the dwarf demon that embodies indifference, ignorance and laziness. This emphasis - that creation is possible only when the weight of inertia is overcome and suppressed.  The rising of the left foot leaves the body imbalanced, yet Lord Shiva is balanced, calm and composed, He is therefore also called Shiva Ekapada; the one who stands on one leg. On Lord Shiva’s right ear is an earring depicting a makara, a mythical water creature, and His left ear is adorned with a circular earring; worn by women. These pairs of earrings represents Lord Shiva’s male and female aspects – He is sometimes depicted with his consort Goddess Parvati; Uma, as half male half female illustrating the cosmic balance of male and female energies. Another important thing is Lord Shiva’s matted locks or jatas. The long tresses or hair usually piled up in a kind of pyramid, loosen during the untiring dance. Expanding these hair forms two wings, to the right and left, a kind of halo broadcasting the sanctity of vegetative and sensuous life. Also central to the understanding of Lord Shiva hair is the realization that much of womanly charm, the physical appeal in the fragrance, the flow and the luster of beautiful hair, and on the other hand anyone renouncing the world has first to shave the hair – is there. Thus Lord Shiva is two opposite things: an ascetic and a dancer, on the one hand He is totally tranquil, inward calm, absorbed in Himself where all directions merge and dissolve and all tensions are at rest, but on the other hand He is totally active life energy, aimless and playful.  

Shiv Tandav

The second well know dance of Lord Shiva is called Tandav and belongs to His tamasic aspect as Bhairava or Vira-bhadra. It is preformed in cemeteries and burning grounds, where Lord Shiva, usually ten armed form, dances wildly with Devi accompanied by troops of capering imps. Shiv Tandav is a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. It takes the name from Tandu; the attendant of Lord Shiva, who instructed Bharata; author of Natya Shastra, in the modes of dance forms. This dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principal manifestation of eternal energy. This dance is believed to be of pre- Aryan origin.                          

Shiva Tandav Stotram

Ravana one of the ardent devotees of Lord Shiva composed and sang it in praise of Lord Shiva. The story behind the origin of Shiv Tandav Stotram goes like this –Ravana after winning Lanka; from his step brother Kuber, was ridding the sky in Pushpak Viman; flying chariot which he had won from Kuber. Ravana’s chariot stopped suddenly and he was disturbed that his chariot could not cross over Kailash; home of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He ordered the Mount Kailash to get off his way, but the Mount refused and said that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are resting over him, and he is bound to stay at his position. This reply annoyed Ravana and he went to the bottom of Mount Kailash and started uprooting the mountain with his twenty hands. Lord Shiva in calm and peaceful state, pressed down the mountain with his little toe; of the feet, and crushed Ravana’s fingers by the weight of the mountain. So in order to ask forgiveness from Lord Shiva, Ravana started singing a beautiful composition known as Shiv Tandav Stotram. In this Stotram, Ravana praised the majestic dancing style of the King of Dances. Pleased by Ravana’s beautiful composition Lord Shiva danced to Ravana’s tune. Lord Shiva pardoned Ravana and blessed him with Chandrahas sword; an invincible weapon. According to beliefs, Tandav performed with happiness is called Ananda Tandav; like performed after getting pleases by Ravana’s composition, and the Tandav performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandav. An incident according to scriptures where Lord Shiva performed Rudra Tandav is as follows – once Sati’s; Goddess Parvati farther was performing yagna, but he did not invite Sati and her husband; Lord Shiva. Yet she visited and for that her father insulted her, and in response Sati self immolated herself. On hearing the news Lord Shiva placed the dead body of Sati over His shoulder and started to dance, and the more He danced, the more destruction arose in the world.

The evening dance

The evening dance is also referred to in the invocation preceding the Katha Sarit Sagara. In this Lord Shiva is two handed and the cooperation of the Gods is needed in their position as chorus. This evening dance in the Himalayas is described in Shiv Pradosha Stotra as – placing the mother of the three worlds upon a golden throne, studded with precious gems Shulapani;, dances on the height of Kailash, surrounded by all the Gods. Sarasvati plays the vina, Indra is on the flute, Brahma holds at the time marking cymbals, Lakshmi begins a song, Vishnu plays the drum, and Gandharva Yakshas, Patagas, Uragaas, Suddhas, Sandhyas, Vidyadharas, Amaras, Apsarases among all beings in the three worlds assemble to witness this dance of Lord Shiva. 

Lasya dance

In Hindu religion, Gods and Goddesses are paired in such a way that the God is able to fulfill his Dharama because of and by the grace of his consort; feminine power. Lord Shiva transcends physical reality and is enlightened because He is married to Shakti; pure, raw, spiritual energy. Goddess Parvati is believed to have danced the Lasya in response to the male energy of the Cosmic Dance of Tandav performed by Lord Shiva. In literal sense, Lasya means beauty, happiness, enchanting and grace. Goddess Parvati taught the Lasya to Usha; daughter of Sage Banasura, who then passed on this art to women. Lasya dance is mainly of four types: Shrinkala, Lata, Pindi and Bhedyaka.   

The significance of Shiva’s dance

It is believed that man dance before he spoke, which is the reason why dance is given the place of a spiritual channel, an opening for both metaphysical and sensuous paths. Dance generally is an act of creation, brings new situations and summons into the dancer a new higher personality. And on a universal scale, the Lord Shiva is the Cosmic Dancer, and embodies in Himself and simultaneously gives manifestation to eternal energy. In simple words – nature and all its creations; destruction and re-creation, are the effects of Lord Shiva’s dance.   

NOTE:

Hi guys,

If you find this article useful/informative, then please ‘like’ and ‘share’ it, so that, this article reaches more like minded people.

And, if you like to get information on any topic related to Hinduism, please email me the topic at (gauravgoswami0412@gmail.com), and I will prepare an article on the said topic, and then post it on this blog.

Thank you for your participation.