Ananda Coomaraswamy - The Dance of Shiva

 

Ananda Coomaraswamy - The Dance of Shiva

Ananda Coomaraswamy was a key thinker and writer on art, especially focusing on Indian art. His collection of essays, The Dance of Shiva, offers insight into his perspective on art and how he evaluated it. He had a fresh take on his time, challenging people to think beyond surface-level beauty.

 

As such , instead of simply asking, Is this art pretty? Coomaraswamy goes much deeper. He says that the meaning behind a piece of art is what really mattered, along with the philosophical or spiritual ideas it conveyed. Take his essay on the dancing Shiva statue, for instance. He did not just give a rundown of what it looked like but he talked about what it truly represented. It was not just a sculpture to him, but it was a powerful symbol of the universe's cycles—creation, living, and destruction. For Coomaraswamy, grasping that deeper significance was key to art criticism.

He also believed that understanding art meant appreciating it within its own cultural context. He pushed back against the idea that Indian art should be evaluated by Western standards, which were pretty typical at the time. He made it clear that traditional Indian art had its own important roles. As such it was not merely decorative but served religious purposes, conveyed spiritual ideas, and upheld social traditions. Coomaraswamy viewed traditional artists as skilled individuals, not just creative geniuses. They were more like custodians of age-old truths, using familiar styles and symbols to pass these ideas along.

One of his talent areas, nicely illustrated in The Dance of Shiva, was breaking down the symbols in Indian art. For example, think of statues depicting Gods with multiple arms. He argued this was not a mark of poor craftsmanship but a deliberate way to show the various abilities and cosmic roles of those deities. A big part of his critique involved unpacking these visual hints to reveal the intended messages behind the artwork.

Coomaraswamy also did not think art existed in a bubble. His book links art with religion, society, philosophy, and culture, showing how they all interconnect in Indian life. So, when he examined art, he did not narrow his focus. He considered the bigger picture and all the surrounding elements that influenced it.

A significant goal of Coomaraswamy's work, especially clear in his essays, was addressing misconceptions about Indian art that many Westerners had. He made a strong case that Indian art was highly sophisticated, rich in meaning, and beautiful in its own right. It was important to him that people recognized its worth and respected its unique standards.

Well, what does this mean for us when we look at him as an art critic through the lens of this book? His strong points included a deep understanding of Indian culture, his gift for contextualizing art within its traditions, and his knack for making Indian art more relatable to others. He really helped bridge the gap between Indian and Western perspectives.

The essay is full of references from various Tamil and Sanskrit texts. The essay deeply interwoven with references, quotations, and concepts drawn directly from a rich tapestry of Tamil and Sanskrit texts. This is not just a stylistic choice, but it's fundamental to his entire approach and argument.

Coomaraswamy's primary goal in the essay is to explain the profound philosophical and cosmological meaning embedded within the Nataraja icon (Shiva as Lord of Dance). To do this authentically, he does not rely on secondary interpretations or purely aesthetic analysis. Instead, he goes directly to the foundational texts of the tradition that produced and venerated this form – primarily the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition, which has deep roots in the Tamil cultural landscape, alongside broader Shaiva traditions expressed in Sanskrit.

Tamil Sources (Crucial for Nataraja Theology):

• Shaiva Siddhanta Texts: The specific philosophical interpretation of the Nataraja – embodying Shiva's five cosmic activities (creation, preservation, destruction, veiling/illusion, and grace/release) – is explicitly articulated in Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta philosophical texts. Coomaraswamy draws heavily on concepts found in works like the Unmai Vilakkam ("The Exposition of Truth") and others which codify this understanding.
• Tamil Bhakti Literature: He frequently quotes or alludes to the hymns of the Tamil Nayanmars (Shaivite saints), such as Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, and especially Manikkavachakar (Tiruvachakam). These devotional poems often describe Shiva's dance, its location (especially the sacred space of Tillai/Chidambaram), its cosmic power, and the ecstatic response it evokes in devotees. These texts provide the emotional and devotional context for the philosophical interpretations. For instance, descriptions of the dance in the "Golden Hall" of Chidambaram come alive through these hymns.  

Sanskrit Sources (Broader Context and Iconography):

• Agamas: These Sanskrit texts are crucial sources for understanding temple rituals, iconography (rules for making images), and theology within various Shaiva sects. Coomaraswamy would have drawn on Agamic descriptions for the correct forms, postures (mudras), and attributes (drum, fire, etc.) of the Nataraja image and their prescribed meanings.  
• Puranas: Texts like the Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, etc., provide mythological narratives about Shiva, including various forms of his dances and their significance, offering a broader mythological backdrop.  
• Upanishads and Philosophical Sutras: While the specific Nataraja theology is more Tamil-centric, Coomaraswamy connects the underlying concepts (like the nature of reality, illusion, liberation, the cosmic Self) to the broader stream of Hindu philosophy found in foundational Sanskrit texts like the Upanishads.
• Natya Shastra: While perhaps less directly quoted for the theological meaning, Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra, the foundational Sanskrit text on dramaturgy and dance, provides the classical framework for dance forms in India, which informs the aesthetic aspect of the Nataraja's pose, even as Coomaraswamy emphasizes its metaphysical significance above mere aesthetics

As such Coomaraswamy uses these Tamil and Sanskrit references as building blocks to construct his compelling interpretation of the Nataraja. The essay acts as a bridge, translating and explaining the essence of these often difficult texts to show the profound wisdom embodied in the visual form of the Dancing Shiva. Without this dense web of textual references, the essay would lose its depth, authority, and connection to the living tradition it seeks to explain.

Thus The Dance of Shiva presents Ananda Coomaraswamy as an innovative and influential figure in the art world. He shifted the focus from mere visual appeal to deeper meanings and purposes behind art in its cultural context. He changed how people recognized and valued Indian art, and his ideas still hold weight today, even as we explore other perspectives.