This sculpture of Shiva represents a balancing of opposites. Shiva dances the ananda-tandava—the tandava is the dance of destruction, but ananda means pleasure. One of his four hands holds fire which destroys, but is also the heat that is necessary for life. Another holds the small drum commonly called a damaru, which provides the rhythm or pulse of life associated with Shiva as Nataraja (Lord of the Dance). This is the dance of cyclical time, where rebirth follows death, one that Shiva performs actively, but witnesses with a detached smile.
His masculine right hand halts all fear in the gesture of abhaya, while the feminine left extends forward providing protection. The dance of the god squashes apasmara, the demon of the ego or ignorance that lies beneath Shiva’s feet.
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