The Cosmic Dance of Shiva: The Mystery of the Universe Unveiled

We all know quite well that the physical world we perceive is filled with countless phenomena. We look at them with wonder, perhaps not really understanding them. Every phenomenon is indeed an appearance; appearances can be mostly misleading. Take, for instance, the sunset where the sun seems to go downward when it really doesn’t. Similarly, the sky looks blue while the air is colorless and the outer space is black. Furthermore, all material objects look solid, while in reality they are not — both scientifically and philosophically. Because of the limitations of our five senses, we can’t fully and accurately perceive the world around us. So, the phenomena we observe need explanation for a better understanding of what they truly are: their essential nature.

Naturally, the question arises as to what is the secret behind the phenomena we call as universe, a crucial question that has engaged the minds of thinkers ever since the dawn of civilization. Many serious enquiries have ensued since then, pursuing different ways of approach. Among them, the ways of the Eastern mystics and the Western scientists stand out as the most prominent in terms of their revolutionary findings. Their insights have been profoundly helpful in explaining the mystery of the universe.

For our present study, the Eastern mystic wisdom consists of the philosophies of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism; whereas, the wisdom of the Western science is confined to the modern physics, or quantum physics, only. True, there are several similarities between these two findings, but there are differences as well that set them apart.

First of all, the mystic wisdom, in general, is ancient; the modern physics is of recent origin. While the mystic wisdom is direct, conclusive, limitless, and beyond the reach of senses, the scientific wisdom is indirect, inconclusive, limited in scope, and intellectual — a product of study. The mystic wisdom is of the “observer,” but the scientific wisdom is of the “observed.” In other words, the mystic wisdom concerns the subject — the observer — for which the field of enquiry is one’s own inner world of consciousness. In contrast, the scientific wisdom concerns the object — the observed — for which the field of enquiry is the outer world of objects. Regardless, both insights are valid in their own respective spheres, and we need both for leading a healthy and fulfilling life.

It is not surprising that the idea of the cosmic dance of Shiva was conceived by the ancient mystics of India to help us understand the universe as it truly is, as opposed to what it appears to be. The cosmic dance, therefore, provides a deeper understanding of the universal phenomena, most of which the quantum physics is credited with proving to be true. Before we go to the specifics of the image of the cosmic dance, it would be helpful to set a context in the light of which the details of the dance could be better understood.

The cosmic dance is a unique and symbolic presentation of the process of creation, preservation, destruction, and recreation of the universe. The dancer is Shiva, the cosmic Lord — also known as Adi Yogi and one of the three conceptual gods of Hinduism — who is portrayed as wielding all these powers, including the power of liberating souls. However, we should not mistake concepts and symbols as reality. As such, Shiva is not the ultimate Reality in Hinduism, but he is depicted as an agent of Brahman who is the ultimate Reality behind all phenomena — like the Father in Christianity, or the Tao in Taoism — without which the phenomena wouldn’t exist.

Philosophically speaking, Brahman is never involved in any activity, but always remains an eternal witness. It is only for the sake of creation that the divine power of dynamism — the potentiality for creation, or Para Sakti, that is eternally inherent in Brahman, like heat is inherent in fire — finds its manifestation through an agent who is Shiva. To be more precise, the universe, a phenomena of matter, is the visible outcome of an apparent union between Spirit and matter. These two concepts constitute the core principles of our worldly existence, regarding which Spirit alone is real, while matter is considered unreal, or midhya.

Yet, matter is an unavoidable concept in our worldly life. Remember, the universe itself is a product of matter, or energy to be more precise. All scientific researches have centered on the concept of matter for the study of the universe. Even though the mystics are focused on the spiritual truth, they also possess the intuitive wisdom concerning matter and its countless forms. Most interestingly, the mystics and the modern scientists have a lot in common, but only in the area of matter, to share with us. Let us therefore consider some of the striking parallels that exist between the findings of the mystics and the scientists in regard to the world of multiplicity.

Both the Eastern mystics and modern physicists hold the view that the manifold world is in reality a unified whole, a unity, in which everything is inter-connected in a ceaseless chain of rhythmic motions and interactions. They also maintain with certainty that the solidity that we attribute to matter is illusory. Rightly put, all matter is a process rather than a material substance. In the words of Werner Heisenberg, the father of quantum physics, “All that we perceive in the world of phenomena around us is formed matter. Matter is in itself not a reality but only a possibility; it exists only by means of form.” To elaborate, matter is nothing but energy, which appears in various forms, and all forms are subject to constant changes and hence unreal. Let me explain.

To a mystic, the physical world is merely “names and forms,” all of which reveal only a shadowy existence — just like the bubbles and the waves of the ocean. The mystic, therefore, compares all worldly experiences to a dream, or maya. Listen to Paramahansa Yogananda, a Hindu mystic and the founder of the Self Realization Fellowship in the U.S., who underscores the illusory nature of this world in these words, “This world, this cosmos, are only shadows of life thrown on the screen of space, and reflected in our conscious and sub-conscious mental chambers.” Metaphorically, this description of the world resembles with an action movie being projected on a screen where the actors and actions in the movie are only images, though they appear as real. Similarly, the physicist sees the world as an endless and rhythmic dance of energy in the form of waves — a dance of shadowy images.

In the aftermath of their intensive research in the sub-atomic world of particles, modern physicists have reportedly used expressions such as “dance of creation and dance of energy” more frequently. What is fascinating about these expressions is the fact that they bear a close affinity with the image of the cosmic dance for the obvious reason that the cosmic dance itself is a remarkable revelation of the rhythmic and endless flow of energy throughout the cosmos.

It gets even more fascinating when we listen to a modern physicist who has studied the Eastern mystic insights, including the cosmic dance, at length. In his book The Tao of Physics, Fritjof Capra, an eminent physicist himself, says: “The ideas of rhythm and dance naturally come into mind when one tries to imagine the flow of energy going through the patterns that make up the particle world. Modern physics has shown us that movement and rhythm are essential properties of matter; that all matter, whether here on Earth or in outer space, is involved in a continual cosmic dance.”

Let us now listen to a Buddhist mystic who also shares similar views about the physical world of matter. In her Tibetan Journey, Alexandra David Neel quotes a Tibetan Lama as saying: “All things are aggregations of atoms that dance and by their movements produce sounds. When the rhythm of the dance changes, the sound it produces also changes. Each atom perpetually sings its song, and the sound, at every moment, creates dense and subtle forms.” Recapping the highlights of the cosmic dance, Fritjof Capra continues: “The dance of Shiva symbolizes not only the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, but also the daily rhythm of birth and death which is seen in Indian mysticism as the basis of all existence. At the same time, Shiva reminds us that the manifold forms in the world are maya — not fundamental, but illusory and ever-changing — as he keeps creating and dissolving them in the ceaseless flow of his dance.”

Now comes the next step, perhaps the most important, where we examine the details of the image of the cosmic dance itself and see to what extent the metaphor of the cosmic dance resonates what we have studied thus far. For that, we need to unveil the symbolism surrounding the figure of the cosmic dance of Shiva.

The upper right hand of Shiva holds a drum that represents the primordial sound — the cosmic vibration or the creative vibration, or simply the Word. The rhythmic beat of the drum marks the beginning of the cosmic dance. As you can see, the ring of fire that encircles the figure of the dance signifies the condensed universe, whose endless cycles of creation, destruction, and recreation go on in tune with the rhythmic beat of the drum and also the rhythm of the dancer’s steps. All forms of matter are believed to have sprung up from the sound of the drum. It is relevant to point out here that the ancient concept of the primordial sound or Word as the origin of the universe is remindful of the modern concept of the Big Bang theory of the quantum physics as the genesis of the universe.

Shiva’s upper left hand is seen as holding fire, the symbol of destruction. It is noteworthy that Shiva’s upper right hand and his upper left hand are balanced, indicating the dynamic balance of creation and destruction. Before we proceed further, notice that the dancing Shiva has four arms — two upper and two lower. His lower right hand with his palm raised and facing us conveys a gesture of “be not afraid,” or abhaya mudra. It is a sign of blessing, consolation, and protection that is extended to all those who care to follow the path of righteousness.

Meanwhile, his lower left hand stretches diagonally across his chest with his palm pointed towards his uplifted left foot — a sign of sharana mudra — a symbolic way of assuring liberation from the spell of maya to all those who take refuge at the feet of the Lord. Shiva’s right foot is portrayed as pressing down on the body of a demon, the embodiment of ignorance. It is incumbent on us to concentrate on removing our ignorance — ignorance of who we truly are — before we can attain liberation.

Another interesting feature of the dance refers to Shiva’s calm and detached face expression even in the midst of a tumultuous act of creation and destruction. Being a yogi, Shiva performs his dance as a yogi established within his own Self — his inner Divinity. Having no selfish attachments to anything in this world, it empowers Shiva to execute his dance by staying focused and with mental poise, leading his performance to perfection. Here is yet another crucial message for us: Work we must as long as we live in this world, but without the expectation of its reward. Whatever we do, we do our best by renouncing our sense of possessiveness and attachment. We have no right to be possessive of anything, since everything belongs to the Lord. Recognizing these fundamental principles, we can enjoy that which we legitimately possess. These are the ways to freedom, or yoga.

It is indeed intriguing to watch even the symbolism surrounding Shiva’s hair. His long hair of the yogi is shown as pervading the entire cosmos encircled by fire, indicating the cosmic flow of energy. In fact, the entire dance is all about the universe that is pervaded by the swift and rhythmic flow of energy as if in a whirlwind, sparking everything in the universe into a dramatic process of perpetual and rhythmic motion and transformation. Commenting on the cosmic dance, Heinrich Zimmer says, “His gestures wild and full of grace precipitate the cosmic illusion; his flying arms and legs and the sway of his torso produce — indeed, they are — the continuous creation-destruction of the universe.”

The cosmic dance of Shiva is considered perfect that he is called the Nataraja — the King of Dancers. Admittedly, the dance is universal in scope; it is phenomenal by all accounts; the message it conveys is profound, both spiritually and physically; and above all, it is deep science. Most of all, the dance shows us that the universe is a process, a becoming, not an entity as we would otherwise imagine it to be.

Let me conclude the most enlightening story of the cosmic dance with an insightful observation of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, a distinguished scholar and art-historian of India, who puts all about the cosmic dance in a nutshell: “The eternal significance of Shiva’s dance is three-fold: Firstly, it is the image of his rhythmic play as the source of all movements within the cosmos. Secondly, the purpose of his dance is to release the countless souls of men from the snare of illusion. Thirdly, the place of dance, Chidambaram, the center of the universe, is within the heart.”

Here the striking lesson to take to heart is the supreme truth that the universe is only a mental occurrence, a cosmic dream projected by maya. Thus, we can make a fair conclusion that the image of the cosmic dance does reveal the mystery of the universe, thereby giving us a realistic picture of the universal phenomena.