The Divine Dancer

In the Indian religious tradition we have that beautiful notion of God as a dancer, the Nataraja is often deemed as the symbol of the aesthetic elements mingled with religious spirit. But his is not so much the erotic dance, which many a temple art in India portray, the most important being the temple in Khajaraho in the state of Orissa, but his is the cosmic dance, which celebrates life, and no wonder at every formal Bharatanatyam recital this deity is invoked at the very beginning. I find it quite amusing to think of God as a dancer, and I would even go to the extent of extending the image to think of God as a choreographer par excellence, who composes, teaches, and helps perform the universal, cosmic dance with the whole of creation, a dance which unites all the worlds, and which gives life and sustenance to all creation.

I have never danced in public, and consider myself inept to dance, and have not even tried to dance; but it is not that I do not dance quietly, when I stand before the mirror in the morning or in the evening, or before or after a shower, or as a body warming exercise. There is a dance in each one of us, just as there is a song to be sung in all of us, whether we are aware of it or not. It is not an ethereal dance that we are capable of, but even if it is just to stand with awe before the presence of God, and stretch the hand forward to receive his gentle hand, that is good enough to be part of his divine dance party. In fact, it is not to be my concern what I would dance, and how I could do it; it is the responsibility of the Lord of the dance, and he knows what character I would best suit, and he would assign me accordingly. But from my part all that is required of me is to keep my heart and mind open to learn from the divine master the secrets of making moves, which would delight his divine soul.

But often in life, I realize that I too have a dance sequence which I would like to display before the divine master, and feel over confident in what I can do, without his help. When I consider myself superior to the master, then I am sure to end up in disappointment and despair. If it is my personal endeavor then it is my responsibility to bear the consequences, and when I am under the care of the master choreographer, then I have nothing to worry, even if the show is a flop, and there is no appreciation from others. The greatest advantage for me in being a humble student of the divine Lord is that I come in touch with so many persons, in whose lives I leave footprints; I begin to see that our lives criss-crossing, and building webs of relationships that last longer than our memories. We become co-dancers, and share the joys and sorrows collectively. The world of the divine dancer is quite different from the world I am used to; he/she may invite me to undertake things that are too hard for me to achieve, but I know that he/she is always at my side to hold me. That is a great consolation for me.

If my dance is going to give pleasure only to me, I cannot boast that I have achieved the purpose for which I have learned to dance; instead every dance that I perform should give pleasure to the people I live with; it is only when I cross the boundaries of my own satisfaction that I am able to enter into another person’s life. On another level, my dance needs to fit into the cosmic dance that the universe uninterruptedly performs; if I am aware of my specific role in the economy of salvation of the world, then I would just fit in well, or else I may feel myself a misfit, and that may make me perpetually unhappy.

Today I would like to pause for a while to think about what my specific role is in the cosmic dance of the divine dancer; what does he want me to do, or what is the specific role that he/she wishes me to fulfill. I would also reflect about my openness to his/her promptings at the depth of my being, so that I may not drown his/her voice with the noise of the world around me, and pretend as if I did not hear that voice speaking softly within. I would like to discern my part in the eternal cosmic dance, and do just that, without aspiring to do anything more than that, for I know if I do this to the best of my ability and knowledge, happiness will be mine for sure. Then I will be able to forget the world I live in, witnessing the mesmerizing dance of the whole of the universe, where life flows endlessly mingled with joy and happiness, where even a blade of grass will tell me the secret of a happy living, even a crow will sing for me melodies wondrously soothing, where even a gentle breeze will chide the troubling thoughts, and even a flashing moment will put me in place in eternity. If that is the outcome of being part of the troupe of the divine dancer, I would not need anything more!