Illustration
Shiva Nataraja, Lord of the Dance, bronze sculpture, 11th century.
Musée Guimet, Paris.
The Hindu god is represented in his triple role as Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. He stands within a flaming halo representing Time, which is cyclical and has no end. He has one foot on the dwarf figure Apasmara Purusha, who represents illusion and who leads men away from truth. He holds in his top left hand the fire (agni) which will destroy the universe and in his top right hand the drum (damaru) which made the first sounds of the creation. The lower right hand makes the abhayamudra gesture, which calms all fear and the lower left hand points to his left foot, symbol of salvation.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Dalbéra, J. (2015, September 01). Shiva Nataraja. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4045/shiva-nataraja/
Chicago Style
Dalbéra, Jean-Pierre. "Shiva Nataraja." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified September 01, 2015. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4045/shiva-nataraja/.
MLA Style
Dalbéra, Jean-Pierre. "Shiva Nataraja." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 01 Sep 2015. Web. 20 Feb 2025.
