Natarajar Statue and the Universe

Thandavam is a divine dance performed by the Hindu god Shiva. Shiva's Tandava is described as a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. While the Rudra Tandava depicts his violent nature, first as the creator and later as the destroyer of the universe, even of death itself; the Ananda Tandava depicts him as enjoying. In Shaiva Siddhanta tradition, Shiva as Nataraja ("Lord of dance") is considered the supreme lord of dance.

The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principal manifestations of eternal energy

Srishti - creation,evolution

Sthiti  - preservation

supportSamhara - destruction

evolutionTirobhava - illusion

Anugraha - release,emancipation, grace

CERN- European Organization for Nuclear Research:

On June 18, 2004, an unusual new landmark was unveiled at CERN, the European Center for Research in Particle Physics in Geneva — a 2m tall statue of the Indian deity Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of Dance. The statue, symbolizing Shiva’s cosmic dance of creation and destruction, was given to CERN by the Indian government to celebrate the research center’s long association with India.

In choosing the image of Shiva Nataraja, the Indian government acknowledged the profound significance of the metaphor of Shiva’s dance for the cosmic dance of subatomic particles, which is observed and analyzed by CERN’s physicists. The parallel between Shiva’s dance and the dance of subatomic particles was first discussed by 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 The Tao of Physics, first published in 1975 and still in print in over 40 editions around the world.(stated in fritjofcapra.com)

Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics.– Fritjof Capra

Each element composing the Nataraja has particular significance:

• The form is encircled in flames representing consciousness and the manifest universe; the endless cycle of birth and death. The fiery ring, prahabhamandala, represents the universe with all its illusion, suffering and pain.

• Shiva is shown with four arms, symbolizing the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west), where each hand reflects a distinctive gesture or mudra.

• The upper right hand holds a ḍamaru—a small, hourglass-shaped drum—symbolizing sound originating creation and marking the passage of time. The ḍamaru is also thought to represent the male-female vital principle.

• The upper left hand holds a flame (agni), which signifies destruction, the dissolution of form. The opposing concepts in the upper hands show the counterbalance of creation and destruction, or the fire of life.

• The lower right hand shows the abhaya mudra ("fearlessness" in Sanskrit), asserting one to be without fear. The blessing is believed to bestow protection from both evil and ignorance to those who follow the righteousness of dharma.

• The lower left hand points towards the left foot, which is elegantly raised, signifying upliftment and liberation. The same arm is held across the chest in the gahahasta (elephant trunk) pose, thought to lead the way through the jungle of ignorance.

• Snakes that stand for egotism uncoil from his arms, legs and hair. Shiva's unkempt hair—long, matted tresses, a symbol of a rejection of society—shows him to be an ascetic.

• The cobra around Nataraja's waist is kundalini shakti, or the divine force thought to reside within everything.

• On his head is a skull, symbolizing Shiva's conquest over death, and the goddess Ganga also sits on his hairdo. His third eye is symbolic of omniscience, insight and enlightenment.

• The dwarf on which Nataraja dances is Apasmarapurusha, a soul temporarily Earth-bound by sloth, confusion and forgetfulness. Shiva's right leg, representing obscuring grace, symbolizes his victory over ignorance. The uplifted left leg, by contrast, is revealing grace, which releases the mature soul from bondage.

• The entire form rests on a lotus pedestal, the symbol of the creative forces of the universe, and the overall temper is paradoxical in nature: inner tranquility countered by vigorous outside activity. Shiva's stoic face represents his neutrality, thus being in balance.(from natarajaarts.org)