Hindu Mythology: Nataraja
24 Questions
0 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the core concept of Sanatana dharma according to the Vedas?

  • The worship of multiple gods
  • The recognition of Reality as One and many (correct)
  • The idolization of symbols
  • The belief in the existence of a single supreme being

    • What is the purpose of Īśvara-symbols in Sanatana dharma?

  • To confuse and mislead followers
  • To worship different deities
  • To create distinctions between material and spiritual worlds
  • To represent subtle truths and maintain cultural heritage (correct)

    • What is the significance of the choice of deity in Sanatana dharma?

  • It is the individual worshipper's freedom (correct)
  • It is determined by the priests
  • It is based on the deity's power
  • It is a compulsory aspect of the religion

    • Why did the Colonial Rulers prohibit Idol Worship?

    <p>Because they believed it was a sin to worship another God</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the consequence of the west's misunderstanding of Sanatana dharma symbology?

    <p>The allegation of polytheism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the outcome of the lack of proper awareness and understanding of India's nation, traditions, and history?

    <p>A profound historical error</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the Īśvara-symbols in Sanatana dharma?

    <p>They are a language that articulates the verbally inarticulable</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the deity dear to the worshipper in Sanatana dharma?

    <p>Ishta devata</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the snakes worn by Siva symbolize?

    <p>The life forces that merge in the absolute</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the musical instrument in Goddess Saraswati's hands represent?

    <p>The path to spiritual awakening</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the symbolic meaning of the milky ocean in the story of Goddess Lakshmi?

    <p>The repository of good and bad thoughts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of Goddess Parvati being Annapurneswari?

    <p>She is the bestower of food and sense-objects</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the sacred ash on Siva's body represent?

    <p>The purest and ultimate state of materiality</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of the Devas in Hindu mythology?

    <p>They are spiritually evolved humans</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of Siva's dance in the aspect of Nataraja?

    <p>It is a rhythmic activity of vibrant cosmic phenomena</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the general significance of Goddess Saraswati in Hinduism?

    <p>She is the deity of knowledge and arts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the symbolic representation of Brahma's four faces?

    <p>The four Vedas, the totality of cosmic knowledge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of Vishnu's reclination on the thousand-headed Ananta serpent?

    <p>It signifies his mastery over endless ego-desires</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the symbolic representation of Vishnu's blue hue?

    <p>It represents the all-pervading reality, infinite in nature</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is the deity of knowledge, wedded to Brahma?

    <p>Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and arts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the symbolic representation of Siva's half-closed eyes?

    <p>It suggests his perception of inside as well as outside, and absorption in inner harmony</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of Siva's third eye?

    <p>It is the extra insight of intuition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is the deity of prosperity, wedded to Vishnu?

    <p>Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and good fortune</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the symbolic representation of the milky ocean on which Vishnu resides?

    <p>It represents the ocean of life, full of possibilities</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Nataraja

    • Nataraja's meagre attire contrasts with the rugged Himalayan landscape, suggesting detachment.
    • His dance represents the rhythmic activity of vibrant cosmic phenomena.
    • The snakes he wears symbolize the life forces that merge in the absolute.
    • The sacred ash he smears on his body signifies the purest and ultimate state of materiality.

    Goddess Saraswati

    • Saraswati is the deity of knowledge and arts.
    • The texts she holds represent the four Vedas.
    • The musical instrument in her hands indicates the melodious dimensions of a life that has attained perfection.
    • Her seated posture on the lotus shows her firm establishment in pure knowledge.

    Goddess Lakshmi

    • Lakshmi represents infinite riches and prosperity, not just material, but also ethical and moral.
    • Lakshmi was obtained from churning the milky ocean, symbolizing the acquisition of spiritual knowledge.
    • The milky ocean represents the ocean of the mind, a repository of good and bad, which yields negativities and then riches.

    Goddess Parvati

    • Parvati is the epitome of intelligence that discriminates between good and bad, and real and unreal.
    • She is also Annapurneswari, the bestower of food, where food represents sense-objects.

    The Devas

    • The Devas are spiritually evolved humans, or celestial beings.
    • The Vedas maintain that Reality is One, and the One also exists as the many.

    Sanatana Dharma

    • Sanatana Dharma is not a polytheistic religion, nor is it theistic.
    • It is not even a religion, but a unique system.
    • The allegation of polytheism is a consequence of the west's misunderstanding of Sanatana Dharma symbology.

    Symbols and Idol Worship

    • Symbols are gross representations of subtle truths, serving as a language that articulates the verbally inarticulable.
    • Īśvara-symbols are links between worlds, material and spiritual, inner and outer, lower and higher, gross and subtle.
    • The art of Īśvara-symbolism was gifted to us by the Self-realised sages.

    Brahma

    • Brahma's four faces represent the four Vedas, the totality of cosmic knowledge.
    • Brahma is wedded to Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, symbolizing the creative force wedded to the knowledge of how to create.

    Vishnu

    • Vishnu symbolizes the all-pervading reality, infinite in nature, as his blue hue suggests.
    • His reclination on the thousand-headed Ananta serpent speaks for mastery over endless ego-desires.
    • He is wedded to Lakshmi, the deity of all forms of prosperity.

    Siva

    • Siva, seated in the stable Padmasana posture, personifies the unruffled absolute state, beyond birth and death, and time and space.
    • His half-closed eyes suggest perception of inside as well as outside, and absorption in inner harmony while involved in outer activity.
    • His third eye represents the extra insight of intuition.

    Studying That Suits You

    Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

    Quiz Team

    Description

    This quiz is about the symbolism and significance of Lord Nataraja in Hindu mythology, exploring the meaning behind his attire, dance, and accessories.

    More Like This

    Use Quizgecko on...
    Browser
    Open
    Browser
    Browser