The symbol of shiva and the meaning

VT on Instagram: "There is one god in the world who dances. Physicists keep a statue of him on their desks. Here’s why. This is Nataraja — Lord of the Dance. A bronze cast in Chola-dynasty South India, eleventh century. He is Shiva, caught mid-tandava —

1,420 likes, 18 comments - whatiamreadingtoday7 on April 25, 2026: "There is one god in the world who dances. Physicists keep a statue of him on their desks. Here’s why. This is Nataraja — Lord of the Dance. A bronze cast in Chola-dynasty South India, eleventh century. He is Shiva, caught mid-tandava — the dance that creates and destroys the universe. In his upper right hand, a drum. The damaru — every beat, a new moment being born. In his upper left hand, fire. Agni — the destruction of what has outlived its form. His lower right hand is raised, palm outward. The gesture that says: do not be afraid. His lower left hand points across his body to his raised left foot. Liberation. Look at his two feet. The left foot is raised — moksha, release. The right foot presses down on a small figure. His name is Apasmara. It means forgetfulness. The god of the cosmic dance steps on amnesia. And around him — a ring of fire. The prabhavali. He is not dancing IN the universe. He IS the universe dancing. In 1975, Fritjof Capra wrote: “Modern physics has revealed the universe as a cosmic dance of energy. The Nataraja is its oldest image.” Four arms. Two feet. One dance. A thousand years before physics, this bronze already knew. 🛕 Chola bronze · c. 11th c. · Tamil Nadu · The Met (Open Access) 🔬 CERN, Geneva · 2004 (Shiva Nataraja installation) 🪔 Varanasi · today #ArtHistory #HinduArt #Nataraja #ShivaNataraja #Chola TamilNadu CosmicDance PhysicsAndPhilosophy FritjofCapra TaoOfPhysics CERN Iconography SymbolismInArt CosmicDanceOfShiva MetMuseum".

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