Many people/scholars offer various interpretations to the Shiva’s cosmic dance. Let me narrate briefly various interpretations first, before offering mine.
I) The Five Cosmic Activities (Panchakritya): the dance (specifically the Ananda Tandava , or Dance of Bliss) represents five core principles of divine energy, viz., Creation (Shrishti), Preservation (Sthiti), Destruction (Samhara), Illusion/Veiling (Tirobhava) and Emancipation/Grace (Anugraha).
II) Metaphysical and Yogic Interpretations
a) Advaita Vedanta: The dance embodies non-dualism, and
b) The Heart Chakra: The dance takes place within the seeker's inner consciousness, requiring them to shed their ego to experience ultimate reality.
III) Modern Physics and Science
The Nataraja is famously revered by the modern scientific community as an ancient metaphor for subatomic reality.
IV) Overcoming Ignorance:
Shiva’s grounded foot crushing the dwarf Apasmara (the demon of forgetfulness, ego, and ignorance) symbolizes that true knowledge and spiritual awakening conquer the darkness of the mind.
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The following is my understanding:
The concept of Shiva’s dance has roots in Rig Veda.
It does not mean to say that mention of Shiva was made in the Rig Veda. It is to be noted that the spiritual aspects mentioned in esoteric sense were converted into the concept of Shiva’s dance.
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In Rig Veda, the swiftness of the illuminated mind of the individual involved in spiritual practices was mentioned in 2.22.4, in esoteric sense, as the dance of Indra.
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The basic premise of spirituality is as follows:
· Every individual will have a DIVINE light/ECSTASY/BRAHMAN hidden within oneself, though the individual may not be aware of it.
· The emotional attachments/feelings, viz., love, jealousy, anger, avarice, etc, are hindrances in an individual, which will conceal the DIVINE LIGHT and will not allow one to experience the DIVINE LIGHT, ie., one is in the state of separation from the pure consciousness or overpowered by Diti.
· This hidden DIVINE LIGHT within every individual is mentioned in Rig Veda, esoterically, as concealment of cows/light/waters in a cave/pen.
· the illuminated mind of the individual involved in spiritual practices is called in Rig Veda, as Indra/Brihaspati
· one’s own weaknesses were described in esoteric sense, Vrtra/Panis
· Conquering of one’s own weaknesses were described, in esoteric sense, as elimination of Vrtra/Panis by Indra/Brihaspati, etc, and attaining of SELF REALISATION was described as conquering of swar, releasing of concealed cows/sun/waters from a CAVE, etc
· the swiftness of the illuminated mind of the individual had been mentioned in the following Rik, as the Dance of the Indra
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Let us go through Rig Veda 2.22.4, wherein Indra was mentioned as a Dancer.
तव त्यन्नर्यं नृतोऽप इन्द्र प्रथमं पूर्व्यं दिवि प्रवाच्यं कृतम् । यद्देवस्य शवसा प्रारिणा असुं रिणन्नपः । भुवद्विश्वमभ्यादेवमोजसा विदादूर्जं शतक्रतुर्विदादिषम् ॥
tava tyan naryaṃ nṛto 'pa indra prathamam pūrvyaṃ divi pravācyaṃ kṛtam | yad
devasya śavasā prāriṇā asuṃ riṇann apaḥ | bhuvad viśvam abhy ādevam ojasā vidād
ūrjaṃ śatakratur vidād iṣam ||
English translation:
This manly deed of yours, o dancing Indra, the foremost work done by you, is to be proclaimed early in the day— that by the power of a god you let life flow forward by letting the waters flow.
He will overcome every godless one by his strength. He of a hundred resolves will find nourishment; he will find refreshment.
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1. Indra’s "dancing" represents the graceful, majestic power with which he maintains this order and orchestrates the movements of the sun, the stars, and the flowing rivers
2. In Rig Veda 2.22.4, the Rik explicitly pairs the "Dancer" with the heroic deed of "freeing the waters". By defeating drought and bringing life-giving rain, Indra inspires abundance, prosperity, and joyous celebrations (dancing) among mortals.
3. the concept of "dancing Indra" was converted in Puranas as "cosmic dance of Shiva" (Nataraja) highlights a continuity in spiritual thought regarding divine energy and liberation
4. Both dances occur alongside the vanquishing of a force of darkness.
5. Indra slays Vritra (the cloud of ignorance holding back the waters of truth), while Shiva dances atop Apasmara (the dwarf demon of illusion)
