Cosmic Dance of Lord Shiva:"Tandav of The Natraj"

Shiva's Cosmic Dance

On June 18, 2004 at the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire or European Center for Research in Particle Physics in Geneva — a 2m tall statue of the Indian deity Nataraja, the Lord of Dance was placed symbolizing Shiva's cosmic dance of creation and destruction.

On September 10th 2008, Large Hadron Collider (LHC) simulated the "Big Bang" which is thought to be "The Mother of Creation of Universe" by colliding particles on to the matter at the speed of light trying to create the elemantory particle known as "Boson" named after great Indian physcisist, Dr S N Bose. In choosing the image of Nataraja, the profound significance of the Cosmic dance of Shiva's or the cosmic dance of subatomic particles by physicists was acknowledged. The parallel between Shiva's dance and the dance of subatomic particles was first discussed by a scientist Fritjof Capra in an article titled "The Dance of Shiva: The Hindu View of Matter in the Light of Modern Physics," published in Main Currents in Modern Thought in 1972. Shiva's cosmic dance then became a central metaphor in Capra's international bestseller, first published in 1975 and still in print in over 40 editions around the world.

Dr. Capra explained that "Modern physics has shown that the rhythm of creation and destruction is not only manifest in the turn of the seasons and in the birth and death of all living creatures, but is also the very essence of inorganic matter," and that Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter."

A special plaque next to the Shiva statue at CERN in Geneva explains the significance of the Shiva's cosmic dance. Here is the text of the plaque:

“Seeing beyond the unsurpassed rhythm, beauty, power and grace of the Nataraja, It is the clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of."

Dance is an act of creation. It brings about a new situation and summons into the dancer a new and higher personality. It has a cosmogonic effect which rouses dormant energies in the dancer. Whilst dancing, the dancer becomes amplified into a "endowed-being" with supra-normal powers. His personality is transformed. Like yoga, the dance induces trance, ecstasy, the experience of the divine, the realization of one’s own secret nature, and finally, mergence into the divine essence.

Nataraj (The Lord or King of Dance) is a depiction of Lord Shiva as the cosmic dancer who performs his divine dance as a part of his activities of creation and destruction. He is both the destroyer and the creator of the universe.

"Lord Shiva dances away the destruction of a world of illusion followed by the creation of a world of enlightenment".

There are two forms of Lord Shiva's dance are the "Lasya" (the gentle form of dance) that is associated with the creation of the world and the "Tandava" (the violent form of dance) that is associated with the destruction of the world. In essence, the Lasya and the Tandava are just two aspects of Shiva's nature; for he destroys in order to create, tearing down to build again.

1. The upper right hand holds an hourglass shaped drum (that is called a damaru). A specific hand gesture (mudra) called damaru-hasta is used to hold the drum. It symbolizes sound of origin or creation.

2. The upper left hand contains Agni or fire, which signifies destruction. The opposing concepts in the upper hands show the counterpoise of creation and destruction.

3. The second right hand shows the Abhaya mudra (meaning fearlessness), bestowing protection from both evil and ignorance to those who follow the righteousness of dharma.

4. The second left hand points towards the raised foot which signifies upliftment and liberation.
The dwarf on which Nataraja is dancing is the demon Apasmara, which symbolises Shiv's victory over ignorance.

5. Lord of Dance (Nataraja or Shiv) performs the Tandav, the dance in which the universe is created, maintained, and resolved. HIS long, matted tresses, usually piled up in a knot, loosen during the dance and crash into the heavenly bodies, knocking them off course or destroying them utterly.

6. The surrounding flames represent the manifest Universe.

7. The snake swirling around his waist is Kundalini, the Shakti or divine force thought to reside within everything.

8. The stoic face of Shiv represents his neutrality, thus being in balance. This is also known as the Wisdom of Balance.

9. Nataraja dances with his right foot is over a crouching figure of a dwarf demon and his left foot elegantly raised. This dwarf demon is "Apasmara". Shiv dancing on the postrate body of a Demon (purusha) is symbolical of control over life’s blindness or man’s ignorance. A mirrored posture, where his right foot is raised, represents Moksha (salvation).