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-: Avatars, Divinities :-
Shiva | Nataraja |
Avatars of Vishnu |
Narasimha |
Ganesh |
Krishna
 Shiva
is also known as Nataraj, the Lord of Dancers.
The most splendid representations of Nataraj are
to be found in the Chola bronzes from South
India, from around the 8th century to the 12th
century; it is the image of Nataraj which is
installed as the central deity in the great
temple at Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. The image
of Shiva as Nataraj is indelibly stitched into
the Indian imagination. "How many various dances
of Shiva are known to His worshippers", says
Ananda Coomaraswamy, "I cannot say. No doubt the
root idea behind all of these dances is more or
less one and the same, the manifestation of
primal rhythmic energy." Continues Coomaraswamy,
"Whatever the origins of Shiva's dance, it
became in time the clearest image of the
activity of God which any art or religion can
boast of."
A more fluid and energetic representation of a
moving figure than the dancing figure of Shiva
can scarcely be found anywhere. Though there are
minor variations, the characteristic features of
Nataraj are as follows: he is shown with four
hands, two on either side. The upper left hand
holds a flame, the lower left hand points down
to the demon Muyalaka, who is shown holding a
cobra. The demon is being crushed by Shiva's
right foot; the other foot is raised. The upper
right hand holds a drum, the lower one is in the
abhaymudra, 'be without fear'. Shiva's hair is
braided and jewelled, but some of his locks
whirl as he dances; within the folds of his hair
are a wreathing cobra, a skull, and the figure
of Ganga. The entire figure stands on a lotus
pedestal and is fringed by a circle of flames,
which are touched by the hands holding the drum
and the fire.
The dance of Shiva represents his five
activities: Shrishti (creation, evolution);
Sthiti (preservation, support); Samhara
(destruction, evolution); Tirobhava (illusion);
and Anugraha (release, emancipation, grace). The
symbolic significance of every aspect of the
representation of Shiva is furnished by many
texts, such as the Chidambara Mummani Kovai: "O
my Lord, Thy hand holding the sacred drum has
made and ordered the heavens and earth and other
worlds and innumerable souls. Thy lifted hand
protects both the conscious and unconscious
order of thy creation. All these worlds are
transformed by Thy hand bearing fire. Thy sacred
foot, planted on the ground, gives an abode to
the tired soul struggling in the toils of
causality. It is Thy lifted foot that grants
eternal bliss to those that approach Thee. These
Five-Actions are indeed Thy Handiwork."
Source: "The Dance of Shiva", in Ananda K.
Coomaraswamy, The Dance of Shiva: Fourteen
Indian Essays, rev. ed. (New York: Noonday
Press, 1957), 66-78.
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