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