Elements of Hindu Iconography v2.c16.s7.129

v2.c16.s7.129

From a study of the so-called nine different forms of the Nṛttamūrtis it becomes patent that these do not really represent nine varieties of dances as described in the Nāṭya-śāstra. We find the dance of the common form of Naṭarāja to be what is technically known as the bhujaṅgatrāsa mode of dancing. Besides these nine varieties of the Nṛittamūrtis described in the Aṁśumadbhēdāgama, we meet with several different images of Naṭanamūrtis in actual sculpture. Some of them do, as a matter of fact, represent a few of the modes of dance whose descriptions are found in the Bharata Nāṭya-śāstra. Since the art of dancing, which was very popular till so recently as twenty years ago, is fast going out of fashion owing to the notion of a large section of the English-educated people of India that nautch ought to be discouraged owing to its association in practice with dancing girls who have, quite contrary to the original lofty ideals of the institution, degenerated into professional prostitutes, the study and practice of one of the Fine Arts of India is gradually dying out and is least understood by the educated classes at the present day. The works dealing with the science have almost perished for want of appreciation, and it is very difficult to meet a scholar who is really well versed with the Nāṭya-śāstra in its theoretical and practical aspects. Consequently the explanations of the few modes of dance of Śiva met with in actual sculpture which are attempted below are, it is feared, likely to be somewhat inaccurate, but endeavour is made, with the help of the only commentary on the subject written by the great