Lord Shiva in Cosmic Dance

This exceptional masterpiece of Madhubani portrays the Divine-trayi of Indian Gods - Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, along with Shiva's sons, the six headed Karttikeya and the elephant headed Ganesha. Besides Vishnu's primeval form he is also present in his incarnated form as Krishna. The robust and fully evolved form of Lord Shiva is engaged in dance whereas Vishnu is accompanying him on 'mradanga', the long drum, Brahma on cymbals and Krishna on his flute. Ganesha with his trunk afloat in air and Karttikeya with his waving hands are seen accompanying their father in his dance. Karttikeya's peacock and Ganesha's mouse are as much jubilant and engaged in dance. Thus, what apparently appears to be the portrayal of the three faceted Divine-trayi of Hindu gods is actually the depiction of Shiva's cosmic dance.

Bharata Muni, in his Natya-Shashtra, a 2nd century B.C. treatise on performing arts - dance, drama and music, acclaims Shiva to be the 'Adiguru', the ever first teacher of dance and the greatest of the dancers ever born for it was in the dance of Shiva alone that there manifested all the six cosmic 'bhavas' - 'shrishti', 'sanhara', 'vidya', 'avidya', 'gati' and 'agati'. This cosmic magnanimity of Shiva's dance, which encompassed within it the entire cosmos, the manifest and non-manifest, namely, the creation and destruction, the knowledge and ignorance and the mot ion and inertness, which these six 'bhavas' represent, is the real theme of this Madhubani painting. What Bharata underlined textually the Madhubani artist, a consciousness deeply imbued in India's rich spiritual tradition and mythology, has portrayed visually.

The artist has portrayed Shiva in dance wherein his body manifests the great self, which, when radiates, becomes the Creation manifest. This dance form of Shiva is not the one, which he performed while annihilating Tripura for that would confine to only one 'bhava', namely, the destruction. Artist's vision of Shiva's dance is cosmic, the one which was undefined or encompassed at least all six 'bhavas'. To this cosmic dance of Lord Shiva she has added as accompaniment to it Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Sustainer, Krishna, the harbinger of love, Ganesha, the controller of detrimental forces and Karttikeya, the devotion incarnate. The peacock is both, the manifest and non-manifest nature for its material form is manifest and the dance inherent in its form is non-manifest.

The artist has depicted the ecstasy of dance in Shiva's unfurling hair and snakes coiling around his person. Besides the dance he is also playing on his tiny drum. Shiva's face portrays on it the emotions of 'lasya', the aesthetic beauty and love. The flames of fire emitting from his person during his 'tandava' are absent here. He has the crescent upon his hair and the garland of skulls around his neck. He is thus both in his most tender demeanour of Chandrashekhara as well as awe striking Bhairava. With his prominent third eye he poses to be the destroyer of Kamadeva. The total depiction is highly colourful and strictly pertaining to its theme.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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