Dream predicts...

The Cosmic Dance of Shiva

Shiva as Nataraja stands in a halo or circle of flames. the halo symbolises Pranava,the mystic syllable Om. The drum in Shiva's right hand symbolises sound, primal creation. The primordial sounds of the alphabet emerged from Shiva's drum and formed the basis of grammar.

The deer on one side symbolises the mind - and just as the deer leaps all around, so too the human mind leaps from one thing to another. The tiger-skin that Shiva wears is the skin of ahamkara, egoism, which he has killed.

The Ganga issuing from Shiva's head is the wisdom, which is cool and refreshing. The moon symbolises the ethereal light and bliss of atman(soul). One foot is planted over the demon Muyalaka, symbolising maya or the delusion that has been torn asunder. The raised right foot signifies renunciation, the fourth state of mental absorption called turiya. The second right hand represents peace, and in one of the left hands is held Agni(fire), symbolising the lighting up of the atman. The place of the dance is the Tillai Vanam, the body of the individual self, the heart itself.
Shiva is represented with three eyes, symbols of the Sun, Moon and Fire; of time past, present and future. he wears in his right ear a man's earring called the makarakundala, and in his left a woman's earring called the tatanka, demonstrating his Ardhanarishvara(half man-half woman) form, combining the masculine and the feminine aspects of the Universe. Shiva's serpent represents the cosmic force in Yogic parlance.


P.S. no, im not a religious person(but i like Shiva very much,he is some sort of superhero to me). It is just that i loved this article printed in TOI way back in 1997...so i just kept it with me(so ,who says im not responsible;)) ...and this blog entry is more of a edited version of the article.