Nataraja, 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补: 7 definitions

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Introduction:

Nataraja means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

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In Hinduism

Shilpashastra (iconography)

: Red Zambala: Hindu Icons and Symbols | Trinity

The well-known bronze sculpture of 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 (the King of Dancer) is considered to be one of the most beautiful pieces of art produced by Indian craftsmen. Every 艢iva temple has a shrine dedicated to 艢iva in his form of 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 performing the 膧nanda t膩峁囜笉ava 鈥� the 鈥�Dance of Bliss鈥�. In this icon we are instructed in the five functions of the Supreme Being: creation, sustenance, transformation, revealing and concealing.

The Dance takes place within a ring of flames which symbolises the cycle of births and deaths, the cycle of universal creation and destruction 鈥� projection and withdrawal. The god dances upon the back of the 鈥淒warf of Ignorance鈥� known as Mulayaka. It is ignorance of our true nature that binds us to cycle of continual becoming and it is wisdom/ enlightenment that release us.

: Archaeological Survey of India: 艢aiva monuments at Pa峁弓adakal (艣ilpa)

狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 (啶ㄠ啶班ぞ啶�) is a sculpture found at the temple of Loke艣vara.鈥擳he gallery of images on the south fa莽ade of Loke艣vara temple starts with 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 or dancing 艢iva in 迟补濒补蝉补峁僺辫丑辞峁璱迟补 pose. In this picture of dancing 艢iva, we see him trampling hard on the back of Apasm膩rapuru峁 with the left foot. The god holds 岣峚尘补谤耻 and nandidhvaja in his upper right and left hands respectively. The other two are in varada and karihasta.

狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 (啶ㄠ啶班ぞ啶�) is also found as a sculpture on the exterior (western wall) of the temple of Trailokye艣vara.鈥擳his is one of the most beautiful images of 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 with eight hands in the Trailokye艣vara. Here dancing 艢iva is depicted standing with the left foot in 办耻帽肠颈迟补 or agratala and the other in 蝉补尘补辫腻诲补 with a left hand in karihasta and the corresponding right probably in 蝉补谤辫补艣墨谤峁. The second lower right and the third left hands are in dola, whereas the third and fourth upper right hands are with attributes. The uppermost right holds probably a trident but it looks like a crescent moon. There is something in the next immediate lower but it is damaged. The uppermost left holds a thing which looks like the hood of a snake.

: Shodhganga: The significance of the 尘奴濒补-产别谤补s (艣ilpa)

1) 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 (啶ㄠ啶班ぞ啶�) is the name of a deity depicted in the Thillai Nataraja Temple in Cidambaram (Chidambaram) which is one of the Pa帽casabh膩 or 鈥渇ive halls where 艢iva is said to have danced鈥�.鈥擳he 尘奴濒补-产别谤补 of the Tillai 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 Temple is 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补. The image of 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 is set in the proportion of the 耻迟迟补尘补-诲补艣补迟腻濒补. The 苍补峁璦-尘腻苍补 (reduction in height due to flexion) should be 10, 11 or 12 viral. The right leg of the lord is placed on the back of a demon called Muyalagan and the left leg is raised and in the upper right hand he holds a kettle-drum or 耻岣岛办办补颈 in 岣峚尘补谤耻-hasta or 蝉颈峁僪补尘耻办丑补鈥檚 mouth opened. In the upper left hand he carries a fire pot (agni) in 辫谤腻濒补尘产丑补/补谤诲丑补肠补苍诲谤补-hasta. The lower right hand is held in the 辫补迟腻办补-hasta while the lower left hand is bent across to the right side in the position of an elephant鈥檚 trunk, its fingers pointing below and towards the left leg which is raised in a dancing position. P膩rvat墨 is seen holding a flower in the right hand in kapittha-hasta and the left hand in 诲辞濒腻-丑补蝉迟补.

In iconography dancing 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 is seen with four hands where the upper right hand holds 岣峚尘补谤耻-hasta (udukkai) and the upper left hand holds ardhacandra-hasta (agni). The lower right hand is in abhaya-hasta and the lower left hand is in gaja-hasta or the elephant trunk. The right leg is placed on the ground in 办峁辫迟补 and the left leg is raised. P膩rvat墨 is seen holding a flower in the right hand in 办补峁璦办补/蝉颈峁僪补办补谤峁嘺-丑补蝉迟补 and the left hand in 诲辞濒腻-hasta.

2) 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 is also depicted in the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai (or Madura), which represents a sacred place for the worship of The Goddess (Dev墨).鈥擭ext to Kaly膩峁嘺 Sundarar鈥檚 sannidhi is the hundred-pillared hall (meditation hall) where the dancing 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 is seen with P膩rvat墨. The dancing 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 is described thus: The right leg of the lord is placed on the back of a demon called Muyalaga and the left leg is raised and in the upper right hand he holds a kettle-drum or 耻岣岛办办补颈 in 岣峚尘补谤耻-hasta or 蝉颈峁僪补尘耻办丑补鈥檚 mouth opened. In the upper left hand, he carries a fire pot (agni) in 辫谤腻濒补尘产丑补-hasta. The lower right hand is held in the 辫补迟腻办补-hasta while the lower left hand is bent across to the right in the position of an elephant鈥檚 trunk, its fingers pointing below towards the left leg which is raised in a dancing position. P膩rvat墨 is seen holding a flower in the right hand in kapittha-hasta and the left hand is in 诲辞濒腻-丑补蝉迟补.

When seen from the view of iconography, dancing 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 is seen with four hands where the upper right hand holds the 岣峚尘补谤耻-hasta (udukkai) and the upper left hand holds ardhacandra-hasta (agni). The lower right hand is in abhaya-hasta and the lower left hand is in gaja-hasta or the elephant trunk. The right leg is placed on the ground in 办峁辫迟补 and the left leg is raised. P膩rvat墨 is seen holding a flower in the right hand using the 办补峁璦办补/蝉颈峁僪补办补谤峁嘺-hasta and the left hand is in 诲辞濒腻-丑补蝉迟补.

context information

Shilpashastra (啶多た啶侧啶ざ啶距じ啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ, 艣ilpa艣膩stra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: N膩峁瓂a-艣膩stra

狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 (啶ㄠ啶班ぞ啶�) refers to 鈥済reat dancer-actor鈥�. The term is used throughout 苍腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补 literature.

context information

Natyashastra (啶ㄠぞ啶熰啶ざ啶距じ啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ, 苍腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya鈥攖heatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

Vastushastra (architecture)

: Shodhganga: Temples of Salem region Up to 1336 AD

狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 (啶ㄠ啶班ぞ啶�).鈥敱凡贯弓a谤腻箩补 is the dancing form of 艢iva, also called by the name T膩峁囜笉ava. There are different forms of dancing 艢iva identified by different names. The most popular is the 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补. Other forms are Sandhyat膩峁囜笉ava, 弄rdhvat膩峁囜笉ava, Gaj膩ntakat膩峁囜笉ava, etc. The sculptures of this deity as wall reliefs and also in the round on the shafts of pillars are noticed. 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 is a very important form of 艢iva worshiped throughout Tamilnadu.

context information

Vastushastra (啶掂ぞ啶膏啶む啶多ぞ啶膏啶む啶�, v膩stu艣膩stra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

: Shodhganga: The significance of the 尘奴濒补-产别谤补s (shaivism)

狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 refers to one of the manifestations of 艢iva.鈥斉歩va is manifested in various forms [viz., 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补]. In these forms, the primary substance is 艢iva, with various other forms and attributes. The manifestations of 艢iva, with their respective characteristics, have their own peculiarity and individuality. Each divinity has a specific attribute of its own. Amongst all his manifestations, the form of 艢iva鈥摫凡贯弓a谤腻箩补 is very special in appearance and it connotes high philosophical meanings.

It is believed that a prayer made by the devotee to 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 helps him/her to free from the cycle of births and deaths. It gives great hope to him/her for freedom from all sin and attainment of the highest bliss. 艢iva dancing on the pedestal shaped like a lotus flower makes the devotees feel that the Lord is dancing in their hearts. The lotus shaped pedestal usually represents Muyalaga denoting the three impurities (腻峁嘺惫补, 尘腻测补, kanma).

context information

Shaiva (啶多啶�, 艣aiva) or Shaivism (艣aivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

Languages of India and abroad

Kannada-English dictionary

: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

狈补峁璦谤腻箩补 (嗖ㄠ矡嗖班簿嗖�):鈥擺noun] 艢iva, the presiding deity of dancing art.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Relevant text

Search found 57 books and stories containing Nataraja, Nata-raja, Na峁璦-r膩ja, 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补; (plurals include: Natarajas, rajas, r膩jas, 狈补峁璦谤腻箩补s). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

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