Nataraja's Earring

[N. Ganesan]

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Nataraja wears a female earring in his left ear (kundala) while his
 right ear, though pierced, is bare. One can explain this by child
like stories which say that his right earring fell off while dancing.
 The truth of the matter is that Nataraja is an ardhanirshvara and
therefore must express his feminine aspect.  This is stylised
by the kundala.
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  Is something like "Dancing 'Siva is a form
  ArdhanAri" attested anywhere in Kashmiri
  'Saivaite texts?

  Want to know because the term, "NaTarAja"
  does not appear in Kashmir 'Saivism texts
  before 19th century. So if at all,
  the above statement appears in a 'Saivaite
  text decidedly from a Northern school of
  'Saivism, what would Shiva, the dancer
  be called?

  Regards,
  N. Ganesan






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