THE COSMIC DANCE

Shiva Nataraj, in his manifestation as Lord of the Dance, dances to the rhythm of his own drum.  Dancing is unlike walking or running in that you don't go anywhere.  At the end you are where you were in the beginning.  Shiva doesn't go anywhere and he doesn't create anything.  He doesn't maintain anything and he doesn't destroy anything.  The destruction of the universe is merely the collapse of illusion.  Shiva's dance is pure movement, a play of consciousness, but from the rhythm of the drum comes the seeds of language beginning with his five-syllable mantra:

om namah shivaya!

Hari Puri  

via

Rampuri