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Shiva, Lord of
the Cosmic Dance
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According to
Hindu mythology, Shiva is the lord of the cosmic dance and the cosmic sound of
AUM, from which the entire universe in generated. Shiva is often depicted with
an "hourglass drum" or damaru, which provides the music for the
dance, and symbolizes the act of the creation of the universe through sound. The
sounding of Shiva's drum produced the first sound (Nada, the source of
creation) in the void of nothingness; its pulse setting up a rhythm to which
Shiva began his dance of creation.
The damaru is a small drum with two drumheads, which
symbolize the two states of existence--unmanifest and manifest. When a damaru
is vibrated, it produces dissimilar sounds which are fused together by
resonance to create one sound. The drumbeat is the tuner sound, the sound that
fuses the unmanifest and manifest aspects of vibration into one resonance. The
sound thus produced by the damaru symbolizes Nada, the cosmic sound of AUM,
which can be heard during deep meditation. According to Hindu scriptures, Nada
is the source of creation. It is through this drum that the universe was
created, and through it the universe will be destroyed and renewed again in the
endless cycles (rhythms) of time.
The damaru, like all double-headed drums, constitutes a
microcosm of the universe, unites the masculine and feminine principles, and
produces sounds with a tremendous dynamic range. By playing a
double-headed drum we become co-creators. In such a drum there is balance
between male and female forces. Earth and Sky, Matter and Spirit, Shiva (divine
masculine) and Shakti (divine feminine) are working together in perfect
harmony. With clarity of thought and intent, the drummer becomes a co-creator
of all that is needed to benefit all beings unto seven generations. To learn
more, look inside my book Shamanic Drumming.
