Page:South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses.djvu/104

84 (with the serpent-body, fig. 51) and Vyāghrapāda (with tiger's feet, fig. 52) worshipping on either side and the goddess Pārvatī standing on the left.

The Āgamas speak of seven dancing postures of Siva. The first, called Ānanda-tāndava or the joyous dance, has been described above.

The second is his evening dance Sandhya-tāndava. In this form the demon Apasmāra is absent and the symbols in the two left arms are the peacock-feathers and the pose of wonder called vismaya.

The third is the Umā-tāndava, i.e., dance with his consort Umā. In this Siva has two more arms, the additional right hand holding the trident (trisūla) and the three left hands exhibiting the skull, vismaya, and the gaja-hasta. The left leg is placed on Apasmāra and the right leg is stretched towards the left, and the goddess Umā stands on the left side.

The fourth, Gaurī-tāndava, is almost similar to the first, but in one of the left hands of the god is held a serpent. Nandi stands on the right side and Gaurī (Pārvatī) is on the left.

In the fifth form, called Kālikā-tāndava,the god has only two eyes, but eight arms. Three of the right arms hold the trident, noose and kettle-drum and the corresponding left hold the skull, fire-pot and the bell ; the two remaining arms exhibit the abhaya the right and gaja-hasta on the left (fig. 53).

The dance of Siva, with sixteen arms and as many symbols, having Gaurī and Skanda on the left and right sides respectively, receives the name Tripura-tāndava.

The last dance called Samhāra-tāndava " the death-dance " shows the god with three eyes and eight arms. The left leg is placed on Apasmāra and the right leg is raised. In the right

P- 33)' This description closely agrees with the figure of Patanjali on the eastern gopura of the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram. On the same gopura is the image of Vyaghrapada in which the sage is represented as having tiger's claws on both his hands and feet. The sage is carrying on his right shoulder a hook and a flower basket.