Nataraja

1. Siva Nataraja
by
Dr.R.Nagaswamy

2. Nataraja
•The concept of
Nataraja has
always been a
fascinating
subject among
Indologists

3. Tanjore
Nataraja
•Wasted are the days that
are spent
•Without singing the
beauty of Nataraja of
Chidambaram
•Who remains in the
thoughts of the learned,
•Who is the inner
meaning of the Vedas,
•Whose reality none can
fathom,
•Who is sweet like the
honey and milk

4. Nataraja
•Who is the
resplendant
lumianry,
•This Great Lord who
envelopes Vishnu and
Brahma,
•The glowing fire and
the blowing Wind,
•The roaring waves of
the waters
•And the Lofty peak of
the mountain.

5. Nataraja-
Parama Yogi
•Bhaktanai padamaatten
paramane paramayogi
•Ettinaar patti ceyken
ennai ni ihazhvenda
•Muktane mutalva tillai
ambalatte adukinra
•Attaa un atal kanpan
adiyanen vandavaare

6. This form of Dancing Siva is
mainly worshipped in
Tamilnadu and is called
Nataraja in every temple of Siva

7. In most cases this image is in
metal and is four armed,
dancing in the middle of a
circular halo of prabha-
mandala called Thiruvaci

8. Hands
•In this form Nataraja holds a little drum
–damaru and fire in the rear pair of
arms and abhaya gesture and gaja hasta
gesture in the front arms. The left arm
thrown across the body swings like the
trunk of an elephant and so is called
gaja hasta (also called kari hasta- kari
means elephant)

9. Almost every Siva temple in
Tamilnadu has a Nataraja image
in bronze under worship that is
taken out in procession during
festivals. Nataraja is always
accompanied by the image of
Parvathi called Sivakami or
Sivakama sundari

10. Nataraja and Sivakami are
kept in a separate sub-shrine
and worshipped daily in Siva
temples. His Sub-shrine will
always face southern direction
Dakshinabhimukha

11. The Chidambaram temple is
the sacred place where this
form is said to have originated
for the sake of sage Patanjali.
So Chidambaram is considered
the holy of holies by all the
Saivite people.

12. While in all other temples
Sivalinga is the main deity,
Nataraja is the main deity in the
Chidambaram temple which
faces south and is in the form of a
hut called Amabalam

13. There are five Siva temples as
khsetra of one of the five basic
elements –Earth, Air, Water,
Fire or Akasa (Space) which
are called Panca Bhuta
Khsetras. Chidambaram is
worshipped as the Akasa-
kshetra as Siva dances here in
Akasa.

14. Worship in Chidambaram is
done according to Vedic
tradition said to have been
codified by Sage Patanjali.
Siva performs five sacred
acts through his dance which
are called Panca-krityas

15. Panca-krityas
•Srishti – creation
•Sthiti – Protection
•Samhara – Dissolution
•Tirodhana – Concealment and
•Anugraha – grace

16. Creation -
damaruka
•The damaruka in the
hand of Nataraja
represents creation

17. The dissolution -Fire
•The Fire in the hands
of Nataraja is the
dissolving fire.
•At the end of the
Aeons Siva enters the
orbit of Sun, Surya
mandala, and
dissolves the entire
world through his
scorching rays.
•Dissolution of the
Universe is the
samhara

18. Concealment-ignorance
•The dwarf below the foot of Siva is darkness of ignorance.
• The dance of Siva over the dwarf marks the removal of ignorance
•When ignorance is removed Knowledge dawns, the Sri vidya over
which the dance takes place

19. Protection
(abhaya) and
Grace -Lifted leg
•The abhaya hasta held
in the right hand
symbolize protection.
• The lifted leg bestows
Anugraha - grace

20. Nataraja
•The benign smile

21. •Kovvai cevvaayil
kumin cirippum

22. Sivakami
•Arumana van
mukattal
amarntu kana

23. Kunitta-puruvam
•The dancing eyebrows

24. Siva is benign
•Siva Mahadeva is the
Creator of the Universe
•Siva is the sustainer of
the Universe and
•Siva dissolves the
Universe
•Each function is a
power called by
different name

25. Uma
•Uma is the yoga Sakti
of Siva
•She emanates from
Siva and merges with
Him, figuratively said
to unite with him
•Vishnu is also the
Yoga Maya of Siva
•Nataraja and
Govindaraja remain
inseparable.

26. The dance over dwarfish
ignorance
Udvayam tamasas pari
pasyanto jyotir
uttamamVeda
Nataraja dances over the
dwarf. The dwarf
represents the darkness
of ignorance. Nataraja is
Paramjyoti who dances
over the dwarfish
ignorance. It is a direct
extension of a Vedic
hymn to Surya

27. Two aspects of Nataraja
that are most attractive
•The physical dancing pose by itself
is charming and attractive and
•The metaphysical concepts that are
reflected in these poses are far more
absorbing.

28. This dancing form appears
from the Chola period – 9
th

cent.
The Nataraja form is thus the
creation of the Chola genius

29. It was Ananda Coomaraswamy
the great Art historian of India
who interpreted this form to
the Western world most
effectively and ever since
Nataraja has become an
outstanding art of the world.

30. The golden hall of Chidambaram
The cholas adored Nataraja of Chidambaram their family deity –
Kula deivam
A number of Chola monarchs like Aditya(9
th
), Parantaka (10
th
)
Rajaraja(11
th
) Kulotunga II(12
th)
and Kulottunga III(13
th
) gilded
this super structure with gold

31. Nataraja,
Chola 11
th
cent

32. •The lotus seat represents the earth
•From the seat issues two makara heads that denote waters
•From the makara mouth issue the circle with 27 flames
representing the tejo-mandala; orbit of luminaries (nakshatra,
graha and taras)
•The fluttering jatas and waist scarf represent the wind
•The space between the halo and outside represent the akasa space
•They constitute the panca bhutas
Nataraja
Tanjore

33. NATARAJA
•By the term Nataraja we generally mean
the Metal Image of Dancing Siva with four
hands and dancing on the back of a dwarf
called Apasmara, mainly in Tamil nadu
temples. However Scholars now use this
term for all forms of Dancing Siva.
•What is this Dance of the Supreme ?

34. •The Sun, Moon, planets and
other celestials forces and
the earth which remain
suspended in the outer space
Paramakasa- revolve in
absolute rhythm which is
poetically called the Dance
of the Supreme dancer

35. •The place where this
Supreme dance takes place
is called Chid-ambaram in
Tamilnad which is called the
Ambalam by the Saivite.
Ambalam means Akasa

36. •The worship of Nataraja
carried out according to
Vedic Tradition in the
Chidambaram temple, clearly
indicates the Vedic roots of
the concept of Nataraja

37. •This form of Dancing Siva
Nataraja is essentially a
Procssional deity taken out on
festive occassions especially in
the month of Mriga sira
-Margali

38. Though this is essentially a metal
image we do come across stone
sculptures of this form from the
9
th
cent

39. •This form has multiple
layers of meaning
•Poetical
•Philosophical
•Ritual
•Yogic
•Physical
•Artistic and others

40. •The origin, and development of this
theme has fascinated Sages, Poets,
Philosophers, artists and art
historians down through the centuries

41. •Two most outstanding works on this theme during
recent times are by
•1. Ananda Coomaraswamy “The Dance of
Siva” and
•2.Sri.C.Sivaramamurthi, “Nataraja in Art,
Thought and Literature”
It is impossible to surpass these two Masters.

42. This dance is called
Ananda tandava
Jnana-Ananda Tandavam
Yoga-Ananda tandavam
Chidambara natam
and so on.

43. A detailed description of this
dance is given in the Agamic text
Kamikagama, which is followed
in most Nataraja images. The
Kamikagama calls this form
Bhujanga trasa Nrittam.

44. The Kamikagama gives three
types of Siva’s dance
Bhujanga Trasa
Bhujanga lalita
Bhujanga Bhairava

45. Combining the movements of upper
and the lower parts of his body Siva
danced in the evening 108 poses
that are called Nritta karanas

46. •Bharata’ Natya sastra difines these
Nrittakaranas as
•Hasta pada samayogah
Nrittasya karanam bhavet
•By hasta –hand the whole of upper body above
the waist is meant
•By pada the lower part of the body below the
waist is meant says Abhinava gupta

47. •Among the 108 poses of dance one pose is
called Bhujanga trasa nritta
•The pose is “Fear of Snake”
•Dance is of remote antiquity says Abhinava
gupta
•On seeing a snake by the side of the leg lifting
the leg hurriedly and turning away of the body
is reflected in this pose and hence the name
derived from natural reaction
•The position of the lower part of the body
(Pada ) has given the name Bhujanga Trasa,

48. •It has been noted that
Agamic name for Nataraja
is Bhujanga trasa nritta
•So the origin of this dance
pose is at least two thousand
years old.

49. •One of the most remarkable sculpture
that portrays this situation very clearly
is a 7
th
cent Pallava sculpture from
Siyamangalam
•The lower part of the body is exactly in
the same position as defined in Natya
sastra
•A snake is portrayed beneath the leg
indicating that it Bhujanga trasa nritta.

50. The following deserve notice
•Lalita dance Catura Tandava
•Dance of Siva portrayed in the ceilings
of mandapas
•Dance of Siva portrayed on the
sikhara
•Dance in Vyoma ranga

51. •Most of the early
representations of Nataraja
in sculpture and bronze
portray the Sandhya
tandava or what is called
Catura or Bhujanga Lalita
form found through out
India

52. •The Dance of Siva surrounded by his
Mandala –the dikpalas and grahas in
squares around is seen in the ceilings
of the Mandapa in early Chalukya,
Rashtrakuta and Nolamba temples of
Western India.
•The ceiling is suggestive of Akasa,
the Macrocosm, where Siva’s dance
takes place

53. •An important
portrayal from
Cambodia illustrates
the point.
•Siva is shown dancing
in the façade of the
temple at Bantai srei
built in the 10
th
cent.
•Nataraja Siva here
almost leaps into the
vast space Akasa to
perform beautifully
the Sandhya Tandava

54. •Not only the dance
portrayal is beautiful
but also the placement
of the sculputure is
wonderful for it just
brings vividly the
notion of Akasa .
•The deliberate
placement of
sculptures ike this
Ravana shaking
Kailasa also in the
same temple, suggests
the art Historian can
not afford to ignore
place

55. •There is a beautiful sculpture of Siva
as Ardhanarisvara dancing on the
sikhara of a temple of Ancient
Champa Now Vietnam.
•The concept that the dance of Siva
takes place in the Akasa is
figuratively adopted all ober.

57. •Siva dancing on the façade of the Sikhara
high up in the air is found in a number of
temples in India in the Eastern India,
MadhyaPradesh, Western India and
Deccan.
•Jambukesvara temple Pattadakkal
•Surya Brahma temple Alampur
•Ramalingesvara temple Satyavolu
•Parasuramesvara temple at Bhuvanesvar
•Somesvara temple Mukhalingam

59. •An Important point that has escaped the attention of
Scholars is the presence of Surya below the Dancing Siva
on the Sikhara of the façade.
•It indicates the connection between the two concepts -
Siva Surya
•More important is the depiction of this Surya as Hari-
Hara- Hiranya garbha- Surya The Trinity in One
•Such portarayal may be seen in Vaital Daul Bhuvanesvar,
•Udayesvar temple of Udaipur
•oscillation of Sun in the Cosmos. He is the Primordial
Agnavishnu

64. •The 108 poses of Nritta karanas
performed by Siva Nataraja are
portrayed in the upper floor of
the Great Temple of Tanjore
around the garbha graha which
is empty representning Akasa.
•The poses are created by Siva
out of his own body-which is
Akasa Sariram Brahma

65. •That brings me to a fascinating
Sanskrit poem quoted by
Abhinavagupta, the great
visionary

66. Deities are Forces of Nature
•Adi Sankara the Advaita exponent
held that
• “ the Vedic deities represent
personification of forces of Nature
and not individual entities ”
•Radhakrishnan. S. The Vedanta , p.217, London
-1928,

67. Vedic
hymn
•Vasordhaaraa
•There is a Vedic
hymn in
yajurveda
mentioning
Vasordhara
•The Veda itself
asks the question
to whom is this
hymn
Vasordhara
addressedto?

68. Vasordhaaraa
Vasor dhaaraam
juhoti
Vedavaadino
vadanti kasyai
devataayai
juhvad ?

69. Agna -Vishnu
Agnir vasur
tasya eshaa
dhaaraa
Vishnur vasuh
tasya eshaa
dhaaraa
Agna-Vishnu
Arccaa

70. Rudro vaa Esha yad Agnih
The Veda itself gives
the answer.
This offering is
addressed to the
Devataa Agnaa-
Vishnu.
The dual Devata is the
combined form of
Agni and Vishnu.
Who is this Agni? He
is none other than
Rudra

71. •Agni has two inherent inseparable powers
•The consuming or destructive power and
•Benign heat that shines, pervades, and
supports life energy
•These two natural phenomenon are called
Agna-Vishnu or Rudra-Vishnu

72. Rudra is Agni
•Rudro va esha yad Agnih
•Tasya ete Tanuvau
•Ghoraa anyaa Sivaa anyaa
•Yaa asya Ghoraa tanuh
satarudriyam juhoti tena taam
samayati
•Yaa asya Sivaa tanuh vasor dharam
juhoti tena taam prinati

73. Harihara
•It is from this Dual deity
Agna-Vishnu the form of
Harihara emanates
•In several verses the
Harihara form of Siva is
praised in Tevaram
hymns
•Hari allal Devi illai
Ayyan Ayyaaranaarkke
•There is no consort for
Siva other than Vishnu,
sings Saint Appar.

74. Ardhanari
•The Saiva saints Appar and
Sambandar sing the
Ardhanari form of Siva at
Thiruvenkadu village in the
beginning of their Tevaram
hymns.

75. Venkadu
Ardhanari
Pan kaatti patiyaya tan
pattarkku
Kan kaatti kannil ninra
mani okkum
Pen kaatti pirai cenni
vaittan tiru
Venkaattai ataintu uy
mata nencame
Appar

76. Uma Haimavati
•Uma Haimavati is
the Devi of the Lord.
•Uma is held identical
with Vishnu in some
instances as in
Ardhanari
•She is also held the
sister of Vishnu in
other cases

77. Surya is Heavenly
Agni

78. The Rudra-Surya is Siva
the Dancer says Kurma Purana-
Nataraja and Govindaraja are
inseparable and are the totality-
Harihara and Ardhanari.

79. Satarudriya is addressed to sun
The Sun is called the Celestial Agni. The Vedas
explicitely state that Surya, the Sun is Rudra. The
most important part of the Veda that is repeatedly
used in all the rituals is the Rudram also called
Satarudriya. This Vedic passage is nothing but the
identification of Sun with Rudra. The various stages
of rising Surya are identified with Rudra and Surya
himself called Nilagriva Vilohita. Asau yo avasarpati
nilagrivo vilohita. The one who rises is Nnilagriva and
Vilohita

80. Namas te Rudra manyave utota ishave namah!
Namas te astu Dhanvane bahubhyam uta te namah
Oh! Rudra the terrific ! I salute you and your arrows
and salute Thy bow with hands!

81. Ya ta ishu sivatamaa Sivam babhuva te Dhanus
tayaa asmaan visvatah paribbhuja
Protect us with thy bow and arrow that are pleasant

82. Sun’s rays are the sharp arrows
scorching heat Benign light
Ghoraa Sivaa

83. Asau yaha tamraha
He is coppery red

84. Arunah
Orange

85. Uta babhruh
and Yellow

86. Sumangalah
And auspicious

87. Udvayam tamasapari pasyanto
jyotiruttamam
They beheld the luminary
driving away the darkness

88. Namah Sivaaya ca
Sivataraaya ca
salutations to the Auspicious

and more auspicious

89. Kalakala the Great destroyer of time, engulfs and reduces as a
sweeping forest fire, the entire world to ashes. It is the Supreme Lord
Mahadeva who enters his own body and energizing himself, burns
this great world. He enters the orbit of the Sun as Suryamandala and
burns down this world in his solar form. This act is the Loka
samhara. He throws the sharp rays on all the celestial bodies and
throws them out of existanc like a devastating mountain fire.The
terrifying rays are his thousand eyes or sights, or thousand hands and
feet. Sahasraksha, Sahasra nayana, Sahasra hastas. And Sahasra
caranas says the Kurma-purana

90. The earth is submerged in oceanic waters. The
waters are dried up in fire. The fire is swept
away by the wind. And the wind is lost in
space. In this process all the elements are dried
up.
Kurma Purana

91. This Paramesvara drinks the immortal elixir of
bliss, Ananda Yoga Amrita, and dances, glancing at
his own power, the Sakti , who stands as the sole
witness at the end. That is the revealed poetry – Vedic
Sruti.
The Devi having tasted the nectar of dance,
Nrtyamrita of her lord, unites with his body in Yoga.
Kurma Purana

92. This ultimate destruction is caused by Sankara who is none
other than Rudra. The Mohini Sakti of Sankara is Narayana,
who protects the world. His other Power is Hiranyagarbha who
creates this Universe. Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra are Powers,
Saktis of the Supreme Sankara. It is the same immutable
Supreme power that is called by many names because of its
Greatness. Beyond all these powers is Paramatma.
Some people call him Agni. Others call him Narayana, Others
call him Indra, And yet others call him Prana. The Ultimate
Power is only one. He enters the World and functions in
different names. Kurma purana

93. Sage Mankanaka saw the dance of Siva at Saptsaraswat tirtha.
As the Lord danced, a beautiful Goddess appeared witnessing
the dance. Siva told the sage She was his own Yogic power, the
Yoga Sakti, the inherent Maya, identical with Purushottama
Narayana, from whom the world emanated. Siva’s Yogic
power is Narayana. The Creator Brahma, the Sustainer Vishnu
and the Destroyer Rudra are one and the same, said Siva. He
also told the Sage that the Goddess he saw was his Vidya Deha,
the body of knowledge. This is identical with Supreme
happiness, Parama ananda, otherwise called Chinmatra
identical with Akasa. Kurma Purana.

94. While the earthly Agni is seen
here in a limited sphere Surya
the heavenly Agni in the Sky
rythmically moving and
making all other luminaries
like planets, stars, milky way
etc revolve beautifully and
rhythmically and also
continuosly.

95. Surya is likened to dancing god
in many poems
Surya is called Brahma,
Vishnu, Siva and all other
gods.He is called Hari hara
Hiranyagarbha
Esha Brahma ca Vishnusca
Sivah Skandhah Prajapatih
-Ramayana

96. So dance of Siva appears in the
sky as Nataraja. Nataraja
appears in the Sikhara of the
temples representing Akasa.
Nataraja is also shown as
Ardhanari dancing on the
sikhara.

97. It is the movement of the
celestial bodies, with Surya
acting as the central force, that
are visualized in Nataraja
form. That is how Nataraja
combines himself Science, Art
and Poetry