James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 464–466. ISBN 978-0-8239-3180-4. The dance performed by Shiva's wife Parvati in response to Shiva's Tandava is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic. Some scholars consider Lasya to be the feminine version of Tandava. There are two types of Lasya, Jarita Lasya and Yauvaka Lasya.

On his upper right hand, he holds the Damru (hand drum in the shape of hourglass), which represents creation and time. His lower right hand is in Abhaya Mudra or blessing pose. His upper left-hand holds fire, the symbol of destruction, while his lower left hand is raised near his chest with his palms facing down. This symbolizes the mastery of meditation and enlightenment. His right leg is placed on a demon named Apasmara, which denotes the end of ignorance. The skull over his head denotes the conquest over death. Though named "Nataraja bronzes" in Western literature, the Chola Nataraja artworks are mostly in copper, and a few are in brass, typically cast by the cire-perdue ( lost-wax casting) process. [34] This metaphorical language is, of course, not totally new – and it might be a good idea to look at the coverage of the early Hubble images and see what language was used there. It seems as if astronomers have ‘always’ talked about the birth and death of stars in the context of star formation. Nebulae are quite conventionally called ‘stellar nurseries’. It would be interesting to find out when astronomers started to talk in that way, though. They can be more creative too, when they talk about “ cosmic skeletons dancing in a stellar graveyard” (2017) or about “ cool costumers in the stellar graveyard” (2005). The dance is so perfect that we almost forget the dancer, but there can be no dance without a dancer. We cannot see the dancer because our vision, our attention becomes so surface-oriented. To identify the dancer in the dance, either you must get so immersed in the dance that you also become the dance, that you are not a spectator, you are it. Then you know the dancer by experience, you are touched by him. But if you want to know the dancer in his full depth and dimension, you want to know the source of dance, that which is the basis of the act – then you must be able to pay absolute attention, in a way staying away from the dance. These things look contradictory. On one level I am saying you must plunge into the dance, on another level I am saying you must be able to watch the dance with utmost intensity. They are not contradictory. It is just that when you look at it fragmented, if you cut it down into pieces and look at it, everything seems to be contradictory. Become the Dance! a b c Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, "The Dance of Shiva", in The Dance of Shiva: Fourteen Indian Essays, rev. ed. (New York: Noonday Press), (1957) ISBN 81-215-0153-9. Cited, "Nataraja", Manas, UCLA

Bibliography

The Hindu scriptures narrate various occasions when Shiva performed the Tandava. When Sati (first wife of Shiva, who was reborn as Parvati) gave up her life in Daksha's sacrifice, Shiva is said to have performed the Rudra Tandava to express his grief and anger. The Shivapradosha stotra says when Shiva performs the Sandhya Tandava, the other gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Indra play musical instruments and sing Shiva's praises. [6] a b Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. p.642. ISBN 9788131711200.

Around the 10th century, it emerged in Tamil Nadu in its mature and best-known expression in Chola bronzes, of various heights typically less than four feet, [14] some over. [19] Nataraja reliefs are found in historic settings in many parts of South East Asia such as Ankor Wat, and in Bali, Cambodia, and central Asia. [13] [20] [21] The oldest free-standing stone sculptures of Nataraja were built by Chola queen Sembiyan Mahadevi. [51] Nataraja gained special significance and became a symbol of royalty in Tamil Nadu. The dancing Shiva became a part of Chola era processions and religious festivals, a practice that continued thereafter. [56] a b Anna Libera Dallapiccola (2007). Indian Art in Detail. Harvard University Press. p.28. ISBN 978-0-674-02691-9. It was not until Sati was reborn as Parvati that Shiva finally came out of meditation. Through her love and patience, she taught him about family life and the importance of moderation.Alessandra Iyer (1998). Prambanan: Sculpture and Dance in Ancient Java: a Study in Dance Iconography. White Lotus. pp.69–70. ISBN 978-974-8434-12-4. Roy C. Craven (1976). A concise history of Indian art. Praeger. pp.144–147, 160–161. ISBN 978-0-275-22950-4. We are entangled with everything around us in a cosmic tango. Every atom in every cell in our body is entangled with atoms in other bodies and objects in the universe. The dance is fluid, the movement continuous, the partners (atoms) changing positions at every opportunity. The dance is endless and the music never stops.