Nataraja

Dance

Let the damru beat

Let the trident wave

Let the naga uncoil and sway

Let the dreadlocks swirl

Let the river cascade

Let the crescent glow bright

Let Mount Kailasa vibrate

Let the universe echo with the Sound

Let the rhythm permeate within

Let the third eye open and scatter the ashes of ignorance

It’s the night of the Lord

Of cosmic creation and spiritual energy

Glorious bliss and moksha

So dance with abandon

Dance till the darkness recedes

 

On the occasion of MahaShivratri, or great night of Lord Shiva (one of the Hindu trinity), many Hindus offer their worship in the form of prayer and meditation, while many others in the form of nityanjali through dance. Tandava is Shiva’s divine dance and is the source of the cosmic cycle. There are 7 different types of Tandava, the one being performed with joy being the Ananda Tandava.

damru – Shiva’s drum
naga – the snake He wears around His neck
Mt Kailasa – His abode in the Himalayas in present-day Tibet