COSMIC DANCE

COSMIC DANCE

Lord Nataraja's dance pose is symbolic of the non-phenomena expressing as phenomena. There is a famous temple in Chidambaram (in the State of Tamil Nadu in India) where the deity is Lord Nataraja. The place Chidambaram is aptly named for it denotes 'Chit" (Cosmic Knowledge) and 'Ambaram' (Cosmic Existence) Avyaktha expressing Vyaktha, Akshara expressing Kshara, Bhodam expressing Jagat, Consciousness expressing Cosmos, Latent power expressing dynamic - all these signify the Cosmic Dance.


As we know there are different art forms such as painting, music, dance. The dance form is however unique. In the case of music and painting the creator i.e. the musician and the painter can be separated from their respective creation whereas the dance cannot be separated from the dancer. The dance cannot be viewed in the absence of the dancer. The cosmos has no existence in the absence of Consciousness. We have personified Consciousness in Lord Nataraja and we view His dance in 'Existence'. The very knowledge of Existence (SAT) is CHIT. In the dance of Lord Nataraja we view 'thirukoothu' - sat-chit-anandam together.


Sage Thirumoolar in his famous work Thirumandiram has explained "the dance of human beings is of two kinds 'maruthaikoothu' and 'inbha koothu'.; they are otherwise known as 'namankoothu'; they end when the life ends. The Cosmic Dance is 'thirukoothu'. Even if the 'namankoothu' ends the 'thirukoothu' would continue. (Even if the movement of an individual wave ends the totality of movement in the ocean would continue. Sage Thirumoolar advises that if only we constantly remember Lord (consciousness personified) we would outlive the namankoothu and merge with the Lord for ever. This merging is 'atma-nivedhanam'.


Lord Nataraja witnesses His own dance. At any time he can put an end to His cosmic dance if He wills so. Each movement of the dance has no independent volition without the conscious function of the Dancer. (The movement of each individual wave is decided by the ocean). Lord Nataraja is Consciousness personified and every animate and inanimate being including the five great elements, planets and stars - the entire Cosmos - are the expressions of that One Consciousness.


There is a tamil saying conveying the idea that unwanted desire and aversion and the consequent cycle of birth and death are as willed by God. Understanding this great truth, Be Still in the thought of God. There is another tamil saying conveying the idea 'Lord, you give what I deserve (and not what I desire) and You shower your grace in full. In case I do not deserve/desire anything that too is your command."


The question of Free Will or Fate gets dissolved in our understanding that the all pervading Consciousness is the only Truth. Because of non-understanding or mis-understanding of this Truth, ego sprouts in. Ego is the feeling of individualiy against totality. An egoless mind is the total mind of Consciouness. The total mind is the witness to its own diversified expression similar to ocean as a witness to the waves and dancer as a witness to his own dance.


To sum up: shed the ego; fill the mind with Lord Nataraja. He knows our 'hitam' while our ego craves for priyam. Lord Nataraja is symblic of that great Truth that whatever is, is Bhodam - Consciousness.