Indian Mythology: The Hidden Message : Natraj

Shiva, the destroyer as we before mentioned is always seen as a bairagi (who leaves the world). He is god who before the arrival of devi is seen all alone in mountains like Kailash. He is always shown offering reluctance to worldly and materialistic things. He is believed to be very innocent (also refereed as bholenath) in the northern regions.

In the stories from the Shiva Purana devi is shown forcing Shiva to come into a relation with her and join her for the betterment of this world. It is also said Shiva is like a dead man without the devi. Where Shiva is compared with Purusha , Devi is compared to the Nature (prakriti). The heavenly alliance of these two is always given importance. He is shown entering this world after his alliance with the devi.

This concept is entirely an anti-buddhist concept as in Buddhism , Buddha - the supreme soul is shown leaving the worldly things for the betterment of the inner soul whereas Shiva is shown connecting to this world for the betterment of the world with the same cause.

In other stories that come from the southern regions of India, Shiva unlike of innocent is shown a wild and a wise man. He is seen in his Veerbhadra roop. He is worshipped as pure form of Dance and Music. He is decent and very regal. He is seen as Natraj. So as a result the concept of Natraj ideally comes from Southern India.

Shiva as Natraj

If we see the model of Natraj as once it shows the visual of dancing Shiva. People see Natraj as the god of Dance or Art. They worship Lord Shiva in this form so as to gain artistic power. Natraj is a very beautiful form of dancing and rejoicing Shiva in a jolly mood. Shiva is shown standing or posing on a rakshas called Apasmara (demon of memory).

Natraj

More than all this Natraj depicts and symbolise a great message and teaches us many things. Great values about balancing our mind is visualised in Natraj as gestures and poses. We shall examine that and decode that message from Natraj.

Natraj shows four hands of Shiva touching each other and pointing towards the left leg that is a little raised up from the ground. These hands of Shiva actually is a mere visual but depicts the quality of being fearless. It teaches us to be abhaya (fearless) and to be strong. But from what is he saying us to be fearless?

Abhaya Mudra - Be fearless

The hands points towards the left leg and we have our heart on the left side of our body which is pumping regularly and is sign of movement. Movement here is Change and Instability. So all in all Shiva directs us to be fearless from the Change or Unstable conditions in life. The left side of Shiva is usually connected with the nature or prakriti that is always changing and unstable.

The right leg is shown rigid and touching the ground. The right leg is also shown balancing over a being that is usually referred to as a demon of memory. The right side has the brain. So this part of natraj teaches us how to balance our mind in difficult situations.

The right leg of focus

The other two hands are shown upright in the air posing up with holding A Damru and Fire in them. One with the Damru is again is visual that shows a mere connection of Mind with Matter. The fire in other hand similarly depicts Meditation or tapsaya that helps us to focus and target things in life.