The human body is certainly one piece of classic engineering designed to enable positive physical, emotional and above all spiritual enhancement. It is well upon the individual to understand, utilize and then usher in great sense of fulfillment. In dance, one delves deep into the macrocosm and into the micro orbits of forces. The physical entity, the body form is never negated but it rather used as a Vāhana – a vehicle that promotes to spiritual awakening. The actors get transformed in appearance and their consciousness expands. Simultaneously, the audience is on an ‘ascent’ towards the same realm and gradually both actor and audience meet ‘there’. The meeting ground of the performer and the spectator/audience is a world of its own; a pure universal realm of the spirit, bereft of caste, creed or religion. The flow between the two levels is the energy of Rasā and their union is Ānanda or bliss. For this state of uninterrupted and untainted Rasā, the foreground certainly would have to be a competent, intense and soulful performer and a Sahrudaya Prekshaka, a spectator who has a heart that receives without bias, prejudice or conditions.
It is not an a exaggeration to suggest that be it dance or music, the shoot off to the astral world is a plunge into the axis of eternity itself, impossible to fathom the depth, width or even identity. Rasa, the aesthetic enjoyment is realized when the life forces and dramatic stories are first appropriated within and then transmitted across to the world around -the Rasikās, Bhaktās as and others, in creative, ecstatic and emancipatory ways.The epitomic personage Abhinavagupta calls Rasāyana [the science of art, of the rasās, or of vegetables juices, etc.) , more or less the Indian equivalent of alchemy, an esoteric science. But as in any other field, a lot depends ultimately on the dedicated ‘Sadhana’and devotional temperament. In dance, one could simultaneously consider oneself a Śakta (a devotee of Śakti), a Śaiva (a devotee of Śiva), and a Vaiṣnava (a devotee of Viṣnu). The two levels of the undifferentiated states of oneness, non-duality, and the differentiated states of diversity and multiplicity are connected. Similar to this is the ritualistic science of Tantra. The mind that thinks of itself as the object of cognition in the form of a deity, is transformed ultimately into the likeness of that deity. This is a fundamental principle of a Sādhana.
Kundalini, an important part of Tantrā is based on the principle that the whole Universe is a part of Śiva, and any part of it contains the entire universe. In our body, Śakti, resides in the Mulādhāra, at the base of the spine. She is asleep, and must be awakened. The subtle body is composed of seven Chakrās or energy centres. Chakrā means “what revolves” and hence signifies a wheel. They are also called lotuses, as they are shaped like flowers and composed of different petals. Each petal of a Chakrā relates to one of the prime letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. Each Chakrā governs a certain element, sense organ, organ of action, prāna (life force), and function of the mind. Each has a physical counterpart through a physiological system, nerve plexus and endocrine organ. The Tāntric practice of Kundalini Tantra. Yoga attempts to unify Śiva and Śakti by raising the serpent power from the lowest Mūlādhāra to the highest Sahasrāra Chakras through special breathing and meditation. All these Chakras are vibrated within the wonderful mind- body sphere. Kārmic impurities create blocks preventing Kundalini from rising.
Nātya, a kind of meditation is intended to establish a link with the HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS. With self-surrender, the Nātya Sādhaka transports himself and others to the ecstatic reign of the supreme consciousness. Even if we insist on being rational, divine experience is not going to change according to our logic; rather our logic must interpret this to understand true existence. Nātya portrays so many shades [Bhāvās] but all along the Śanta Rasānubhāva [element of peace] continues as the underlying sheath below all the myriad actions and remains after all the dramatic experience. This ninth Rasa signifies the Brahmavidyā, which is the ultimate joy after removing the veil of ignorance of names and forms or actions and reactions within Shakti’s illusory dance.Yogic āsanās, integrated in the dance Prayogās are helpful in raising the Kundalini Śakti. In fact, in Bharatanātyam, the basic posture, the Araimandi shapes up the body as a yogic Mahā Kumbhā with all the Chakrās in perfect opened –up position, enhancing the flow of energy. In Tāndava and Sukumāra, there is unification of Śiva and Śakti – male and female principles, matter and spirit, energy and consciousness. Pure Knowledge—Consciousness is Purusha (male) Śiva, the Self, and the equipments of the individual and the confusing universe of endless plurality constitute Prakriti, (female) Śakti, the non-self.
Life is a phenomenon of energy. The body, with its solar and lunar energies, five elements, senses and the mind becomes the perfect temple for this inner worship. The body is a mini universe and the energy centers or Chakrās are an important aspect of the yogic and artistic disciplines. A Tantra Śastra paradigm (Nātya can also be called as one such paradigm) exemplifies conception of supreme personality of God the dual aspect when the God himself becomes the Universe beyond Puruṣa and Prakriti – the complete, whole, an undivided ‘one’. The dancer thus would become the dance or the danced. THAT THOU ART is the highest realization in Tantra and during Nātya Sādhana, a feeling of being One and the same, yet different ; different yet one and the same is experienced because dance is Śiva and Śakti. The classical Indian music scale –the Saptaswaras can be used to locate the psychic centers. ‘SA’ Corresponds to Mulādhāra, ‘RE’ to Swādhishthāna , ‘GA’ to Manipura , ‘MA’ to Anāhata , ‘PA’ to Vishuddha , ‘DA’ to Ājna and ‘NI’ to Sahasrāra. A clear insight into the Chakrās indicates how the syllables in our pure dance movements for NRITTA would have originated. The beeja /seed Mantrās of each Chakrā according to Tāntric Yoga were very well known and practiced by the sages of yore and were absorbed into dances. Each Chakrā has its vibratory field and corresponds to points on our spine that have potent energy. The heart center is a medley of deep emotions like desire, love, joy, lust, and anger. Called Anāhatam, “unstruck”, this chakra or psycho-energy center is the seat of extra-sensory perception, higher intuitive perception and intelligence, the most active in the creation and transmission of Rasa.
The communion of all the arts contributes to cohesive transcendence as the most perfect vibration of the noumenon lies within the depths of a primordial silence of phenomena. Although the significance of drama according to the Nātya Śāstra, is linked to everyday life representation ; it’s ‘sine qua non’ is the sublime unification of individual and Universal spirit. The common coining of Nātya Yoga as synonymous with dance forms such as Bharatanātyam is since ages, not without sufficient ground. It is energy that consents to go from word to word, from thought to thought. It is the first moment of will, the initial motion of the spirit, which is presupposed by any form of consciousness. Spandā is the movement, the inner rhythm of the aesthetic experience. There are many investigators who recognize the fact that the ancient Rishis might have possessed a basic knowledge of Spanda, this mysterious energy and that they might have absorbed, transmitted and thus utilized it with unbelievably astounding results.
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