What is Shiv tandav dance?
Tāṇḍav (ताण्डव) or Tāṇḍav Nṛtya (ताण्डव नृत्य) 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 Tandav 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 ShivSiddhant tradition, Shiva as Nataraj (lit. "Lord of dance") is considered the supreme lord of dance.
The Tandava takes its name from Tandu (तण्डु taṇḍu), the attendant of Shiva, who instructed Bharat Muni (author of the Natya Shastra) in the use of Angaharas and Karanas, modes of the Tandava at Shiva's order. Some scholars consider that Tandu himself must have been the author of an earlier work on the dramatic arts, which was incorporated into the Natya Shastra. Indeed, the classical arts of dance, music and song may derive from the mudras and rituals of Shiv tradition.
The 32 Angaharas and 108 Karanas are discussed by Bharata in the 4th chapter of the Natya Shastra, Tandava Lakshanam.[3] Karana is the combination of hand gestures with feet to form a dance posture. Angahara is composed of seven or more Karanas.[4] 108 karanas included in Tandava could be employed in the course of dance, fight, and personal combats and in other special movements like strolling.
The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principal manifestations of eternal energy:
Thus Tandava symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death.
Tandava, as performed in the sacred dance-drama of southern India, has vigorous, brisk movements. Performed with joy, the dance is called Ananda Tandava. Performed in a violent mood, the dance is called Rudra Tandava. In the Hindu texts, at least seven types of Tandava are found: Ananda Tandava, Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samhara Tandava, Kali (Kalika) Tandava, Uma Tandava and Gauri Tandava.[4] However, some people believe that there are 16 types of Tandava.
The dance performed by Shiva's wife Parvati in response to Shiva's Tandava is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic. Some scholars consider Lasya to be the feminine version of Tandava. Lasya has 2 kinds, Jarita Lasya and Yauvaka Lasya.
The Hindu scriptures narrate various occasions when Shiva or other gods have performed the Tandava. When Sati (first wife of Shiva, who was reborn as Parvati) jumped into the Agni Kunda (sacrificial fire) in Daksha's Yajna and gave up her life, Shiva is said to have performed the Rudra Tandava to express his grief and anger. The Shivapradosha stotra says when Shiva performs theSandhya Tandava, the other gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Indra play musical instruments and sing Shiva's praises.[4] Ganesha, the son of Shiva, is depicted as Ashtabhuja tandavsa nritya murtis (Eight armed form of Ganesha dancing the Tandava) in temple sculptures.[7] The Bhagavata Purana talks of Krishna dancing his Tandava on the head of the serpent Kaliya.[8] According to Jain traditions, Indra is said to have performed the Tandava in honour of Rishabha (Jain tirthankar) on the latter's birth
What is the origin of Shiv tandav dance
1. Origin and meaning
Everyone is familiar with Shiva’s Nataraj form, especially one who is associated with the fields of art and literature. In this article you will find information on this form of Shiva.
1. Origin and meaning of Shiv tandav
Shiva is believed to assume two states – the samadhi (Superconscious) state and the tandav or lasya dance state. The samadhistate is His nirgun (Non-materialised) and tandav or lasya dance state is His sagun (Materialised) state. Body movements performed to depict a particular event or issue is known as natan or natya. The one who performs this natan is a nat (Actor). Traditionally, it is believed that Nataraj is the promoter of dance. Since Shiva is the pioneer amongst actors, the title of Nataraj is accorded to Him. The universe is His dance school. Just as He is the dancer, He is its observer too. Nataraj plays the role of bringing about activity in the universe through the commencement of His dance and merging the visible and invisible Creation into Himself when He stops it. Thereafter, He remains alone, engrossed in Anand. In short, Nataraj is the manifest form of all activity of God. Nataraj’s dance is considered to represent the five actions of God, namely Creation, Sustenance, Dissolution, the covering of the Great Illusion and initiation (God’s grace to get liberated from the Great Illusion).
2. The Shiv tandav dance and its seven types
Origin of the tandav dance is explained as follows
प्रयोगमुद्धतं स्मृत्वा स्वप्रयुक्तं ततो हरः ।
तण्डुना स्वगणाग्रण्या भरताय न्यदीदिशत् ।।
लास्यमस्याग्रतः प्रीत्या पार्वत्या समदीदिशत् ।
बुद्ध्वाऽथ ताण्डवं तण्डोः मत्र्येभ्यो मुनयोऽवदन् ।। – Sangitratnakar, Adhyaya 5, Shloka 5, 6
Meaning : Then Shiva remembered and showed the uddhat dance (that He had performed earlier) to Sage Bharat through the chief of His attendants (known as Tandu). He also made Parvati perform the lasya dance with great enthusiasm in front of Sage Bharat. Lasya is a dance performed by women, wherein the hands remain free. Realising that the dance performed by Tandu was tandav, Sage Bharat and others later taught these dances to mankind. The dance form in which the sound emitted by every cell in the body is Shivatattva-predominant, is known as the tandav dance. It is a dance performed by males and consists of mudras; for instance, the dnyanmudra is performed by touching the tip of the thumb to the index finger. As a result, the mounds of Jupiter and Venus get joined, meaning, the male and female unite.
This dance form has seven types –
1. Anandtandav,
2. Sandhyatandav (Pradosha dance),
3. Kalikatandav,
4. Tripuratandav,
5. Gouritandav,
6. Sanhartandav,
7. Umatandav.
Of these seven types, the verse Shivapradosha (or pradosha) describes the Sandhyatandav as – Shiva offers Gouri, the Creator of the three worlds, a throne studded with precious stones and performs this dance in the evening. When Shiva dances, Saraswatidevi plays the veena (A stringed musical instrument), Indra plays the flute, Brahma keeps the rhythm, Lakshmidevi sings, Vishnu plays the mrudanga (A type of drum) and all the other Deities stand around and watch the dance. In this dance, Shiva has two arms, and the scene of a demon being crushed under His feet is absent.
Of the seven types mentioned above, the Gouritandav and Umatandav are fearsome in depiction. In these dances, Shiva assumes the form of Bhairav or Veerabhadra and is accompanied by Gouri or Uma. He performs this fearsome dance with the spirit attendants in a smashan where the corpses burn.
Among Nataraj’s sattvik dance forms (with the Sandhyatandav), the nadanta dance is also renowned. The world-famous Idol of Nataraj at Chidambaram is in this very posture. Followers of the Shaiva and the Shakta sects consider these dances to be symbols of specific Principles. In their opinion, during such a destructive, fearsome dance, Shiva not only destroys the world but also frees jivas (Embodied souls) from bondage. The smashan is selected for the dance to depict that the ego of the jiva is reduced to ashes. Deities as well as demons are enthusiastic to accompany Shiva during the tandav dance.
The table given ahead shows how significant the various postures adopted in a tandav dance are.
Property | Meaning |
1. Different earrings in each ear
|
Ardhanarishwar
|
2. Damaru in the rear right hand
|
Creation of nada and shabda Brahman
|
3. Fire in the rear left hand
|
Purification of animate and inanimate creation
|
4. Front right hand
|
Protection to devotees
|
5. Front left hand Points to the foot raised for
|
Liberation of jivas
|
6. Demons Apasmar or Muyalak crushed under the right foot
|
Destruction of avidya (Ignorance) or adnyan (Lack of knowledge)
|
7. Surrounding circle
|
Cycle of Maya
|
8. Hand and foot touching the chakra
|
Purifying Maya
|
9. Five radiant fireballs arising spontaneously from the flames of thechakra
|
The subtle Panchatattvas
|
3. Lasy and Shiv Tandav dance
Lasya dance | Tandav dance | |
1. Dancer
|
Female
|
Male
|
2. Posture
|
Related to step movements
|
Some posture is a must
|
Yes
|
No
|
Note 1 – Abhinaya : The word is formed thus – abhi + naya. Abhi means well organised, solid and naya means emotion. Abhinaya (Acting) generates energy. The science of drama by Bharatmuni is referred to as the fifth Veda.
