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Nataraja

Nataraja (literally - The King of Dance) is the dancing posture of Lord Shiva, the God of Destruction of Hinduism.

• The upper right hand contains the Dhamarukha or the drum, which signifies sound or creation.
• The upper left hand contains agni or the fire, which signifies total destruction.

(The balance in hands tells the counterpoise of creation and destruction)

• The second right hand shows abhaya, (Sanskrit Fear Not), said to indicate that though Shiva is the God of Destruction, the righteous (those who respect dharma) need not fear him, as he destroys evils and ignorance.
• The second left points towards the raised left foot which signifies prayer for salvation. The hand also looks like the trunk of Ganesha, the obstacle remover.
• The dwarf on which Nataraja dances is a demon that symbolises ignorance in man, which is defeated by the dance of Shiva.
• The surrounding flames represent the manifest universe of Maya (illusion).
• Within this form is all of time and space, the primal creative force that is beyond the circle of illusion that mortals live within, movement & the vibration of the universe, and the stillness that is beyond all existence.
• The entire form of Nataraja can be seen to mirror the Hindu sacred syllable Aum, thus imputing that Lord Shiva's dance of Destruction and Creation is contained within the existential principle of the Divine Sound.

See also

• An excellent review of Nataraja symbolism.
• Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy