What is the origin of tandav dance?

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Namaskar

Shiva is believed to assume two states - the superconscious

state (samadhi) and the tandav or lasya dance. The former refers to

the unmanifest (nirgun) and the latter to the manifest (sagun). `Body

movements which depict a particular event or issue is called 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 among actors (nats) the title Nataraj is

accorded to Him. The universe is His school of dance. Just as He is

the dancer so is He also its observer. The role that Nataraj plays is

to bring about activity in the universe with the commencement of His

dance and to merge the movable and unmovable (animate and inanimate)

creation into Him when He stops it. Thereafter He remains engrossed

in Bliss solitarily. In short, Nataraj is the manifest representation

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 (Maya) and initiation (anugraha)

(God's grace to be liberated from the Great Illusion).'

Tandav dance is of seven types - 1. Anandtandav, 2. Sandhyatandav

(Pradosh dance), 3. Kalikatandav, 4. Tripurtandav, 5. Gouritandav, 6.

Sanhartandav and 7. Umatandav.

 

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origin-of-tandav-dance.html