SHIVA, DANCE AND MUSIC

                                             

                                                                                 

SHIVA, MUSIC AND DANCE 

"I am not sure if my writing or words can describe the role and the essence of Shiva. My introduction to Shiva happened through His Bhairav. When I was four, or a bit older, I used to enjoy a fast composition, which is set in a 10-beat cycle at a faster tempo. My father and uncle, the Dagar Brothers, Ustad N Faiyazuddin and Ustad N Zahiruddin, used to sing with the fabulous Pakhawaj player of the era, Pandit Gopal Das Panseji, who accompanied them. Their presentation of the composition was so powerful that it used to shake the world for me. Things around me would vibrate. At that time, I was not aware of the word “Tandav”. I used to love this composition:-

Shankar, Girijapati, Parvati, Pitieswar, Galey Mund Maala, Mahamaheshwar,

Jata mein Ganga, Trilochan, Trishul, Dhar nano Kailashpati, Satiwar, Bhuvaneshwar...."

(Ustad Wasifudin Dagar, the well-known exponent of Dhrupad ) 

Shiva is believed to be the originator of all forms of creative expression, including dance and music. According to popular belief, the saints who acquired the knowledge of music from Shiva disseminated it amongst human beings on earth. The formless Shiva represents pure consciousness (Purusha), and his consort Shakti embodies the dynamic energy (Prakriti); their union is considered the source of all existence and movement in the universe. In ancient scriptures, Shiva is considered the source of music and cosmic dance, the Tandava. The primordial sounds of his Damaru drum are believed to have given birth to the seven musical notes (Swaras). 

OUR CLASSICAL MUSIC AND SHIVA

The sounds from his Damaru and dance are believed to have given birth to the Sapta Swaras, or the seven musical notes of Indian classical music (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni). It is believed that Shiva's Tandava, a dance of creation, destruction, and transformation, produced the first sounds. Each movement and rhythm from his dance generated sacred sounds that evolved into the basis of music. The Damaru, a small hand drum, is said to have produced the first sound, "Nada," from which all other vibrations and sounds originated. According to some traditions, Shiva and Parvati created the Rudra Veena, one of the first musical instruments, as a result of their love and devotion to each other. Several ragas in Hindustani and Carnatic classical music are linked to Shiva, with Bhairav,  Kedar and Shankara being prominently associated with him. Other ragas frequently linked to Shiva include Shankarabharanam, Panthuvarali, Kedaram, Hindolam, Bhupalam, Keeravani, and Malkauns. 

                                            

( Shiva's Bull , Nandi with a bell around its neck ) 

 According to the ancient texts, Goddess Parvati created Malkauns raga to pacify Shiva during his Tandava dance. Furthermore, the five primary ragas in classical music, namely Shree, Deepak, Hindol, Megh, and Bhairavi, are believed to have originated organically from the 'Panchmukhas' of Lord Shiva. Apart from Damaru and Rudra Veena, Shiva is also associated with musical instruments like Shankha or conch shell, Ghanta ( Shiva's bull Nandi wears a bell ), Singa ( mentioned in Shiv Purana, Shiv Samhita and Chandi Mangal Kavya) and Mridangam.

OUR CLASSICAL DANCE AND SHIVA 

 Shiva has many aspects or forms. As Natraja, he appears as the Lord of the Dance. The dance illustrates Shiva's role as the deity who destroys the cosmos so that it can be renewed again. Shiva oversees the endless cycles of time, marking its pace with his drum and footsteps. This dance symbolises the eternal rhythm of creation, preservation, and destruction, reflecting the cyclical nature of existence and the cosmic order. The Tandava is divided into two aspects: Ananda Tandava, representing the blissful dance of creation, and Rudra Tandava, representing the fierce dance of destruction. Both aspects illustrate the multifaceted nature of Shiva's cosmic dance, encompassing creation and dissolution within its divine rhythm.

In response to Shiva's Tandava, Parvati is believed to have performed the Lasya dance. The term literally translates to beauty, grace, and happiness. Lasya is a graceful, delicate, and it expresses happiness, beauty, and grace, often as a response to the masculine, vigorous dance of Tandava, performed by Lord Shiva.. According to ancient scriptures, Parvati taught Lasya to Usha, the daughter of King Bana, and Usha then passed the dance to the Gopis of Dwaraka, who eventually spread it throughout India. 

Garba dance is considered a form of Lasya, a graceful and feminine style of dance rooted in the feminine principle of divinity. Folklore in Gujarat suggests that the popularisation of Lasya Nritya, which became known as garba, was carried out by Usha, the granddaughter-in-law of Sri Krishna. Lasya is one of the two main types of dance in ancient Indian texts like the Natyashastra, the other being Tandava. 

Modern physics reveals that subatomic particles are not static objects but rather a dynamic "dance" of creation and destruction, a concept that resonates with Tandava or Shiva's cosmic dance. The ring of fire surrounding the Shiva Nataraja figure represents the continuous creation and destruction of the universe, with his dance symbolising the constant motion and change at the subatomic level. 

CERN is the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, an international scientific organisation that operates the world's largest particle physics laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland. It conducts research into the fundamental constituents of matter and the forces that govern them, using the Large Hadron Collider and other particle accelerators. Outside CERN in Geneva ( Switzerland), there is a 2 metre tall statue of Shiva Natraja. The statue is a visual representation of the complex, energetic, and cyclical nature of reality as understood by modern particle physicists. The plaque on this two-metre-tall statue of Shiva Natraja outside CERN reads this:-

"Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics."

( Avtar Mota)

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota

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