Dhyana Shlokam (Dance Prayer) | Angikam Bhuvanam Yasya | Natyakriya Episode 03

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Today, I'm going to tell y'll about Dhyaana Shlokam (read: dhi-yaa-nuh sh-loh-kum). It is traditional to start a dance practice with a dhyaana shlokam. 'DhyAna' is a Sanskrit word that means meditation and 'Shlokam' means a prayer.

This is a popular shloka in praise of Lord Shiva, who is said to be the King of Dance. The dancing form of Lord Shiva is known as 'Nataraja' (read: Nuh-tuh-raa-jaa).We have hand gestures (mudraas) for this Shlokam too. But we'll deal with that later.

Here's the video -

Thillai Ambalam | Bharatanatyam Shiva Shabdam | Lyrics & Meaning

Shabdam is a Bharatanatyam Item in which the Expressions (or Abhinaya) are introduced for the first time in the repertoire. The song (saahityam) is usually separated into stanzas and between each stanza, you'll have a simple Korvai (nritta steps). To read more about a Shabdam in Bharatanatyam, please click here.

source: Nataraja

"Thillai Ambalam" is a Shabdam on Lord Shiva. This Shabdam depicts a female devotee, who is amazed and enamored by the dance of Lord Shiva and describes the myriad feelings and dreams that she experiences in the hopes of uniting with him. The 'Naayika' wonders if Lord Nataraja, the one who dances at the golden temple of Chidambaram, would ever realize her love and accept her as his own

Natanam Adinar | Song Lyrics & Meaning

One of the songs describing the Blissful Dance of Lord Siva which I love is, "Natanam Aadinaar" by Gopalakrishna Bharatiyaar. The references to the story of Agastya, Tillai (Chidambaram) and the Sollukattu swaras make this dance energizing, interesting and beautiful. It is a celebration of Shiva, the cosmic dancer, who balances creation and destruction.

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