His most fierce face, ever exposed to the mankind, is His Tandava as Nataraja. While I delved deep into the sea of knowledge available...I came to know that Shiva means the process of Construction to Deconstruction.
Maya is a constructed reality, a reality that depends on cultural norms and personal prejudices (Brahmand). To quote Devdutt Pattanaik "...maya is the measuring scale that values and devalues all things in Prakriti, and by doing so gives rise to Brahmanda, an individual perception of the world....it is just the way human minds perceive reality."
This constructed reality, Maya is the birthplace of Aham, Ego- that imagines itself as the creator. Shiva is the destroyer of the Aham, so that human can realize its reality, the soul. This realization is the reason of human life.
Shiva is the Teacher, who teaches the meaning of human life in two ways: As Dakshinamurti or as Nataraja.
Let us try to find out what He teaches as Nataraja and why?
Unlike other form of dances, it was enlightenment (not entertainment). Nataraja was dancing Ananda Tandava, the dance of bliss. Shiva was using poses to communicate, to stir imagination of human beings. The final pose, (see the image above) with which He freezes, was the ultimate knowledge, the wisdom of Veda.
The upraised right palm: Abhaya (which says, 'do not fear')...human beings want to control the world around them to feel secured from this fear
The left hand pointing to the left foot which is swinging in the midair: The left foot is in motion, moving round and round. This symbolizes the ever-changing Nature, the transformation of the world, the main source of all fears.
The leg and the left hand are moving towards the right side: Left side of the body is rhythm of the material world, as the rhythmic heart beats, the world goes through rhythmic changed such as seasons, tides, birth/death etc. The left side is Prakriti. The right side is Purusha, still and silent, symbolizes human's potential to stay still. This is spiritual reality. Human existence requires both sides: Purusha and Prakriti. Shiva balances Himself on his right leg, calm, comfortable. He is Ekapada.
As Nataraja, Shiva teaches a way out of fear: Do not control Nature, recognize the truth of Nature. Nothing ends forever, there is always a new beginning.
The wheel of fire: This wheel is the wheel of rebirth, the Samsara
Shiva advises to us to sit back and observe, thereby understand and realize. This realization takes away fear and brings back faith.
We forget Nature's timeless Truth: The cycle, the going away and coming back of everything. We forget that only we can destroy our "subjective reality", three worlds: "me", "mine" and "not mine". We destroy this subjective reality with our third eye of wisdom.
This is what I understood and believe.
I will come back with a new realization and more Love for Him next time…till then,
Keep the Faith.
