Angikam Bhuvanam Yasya (Nataraja Dhyana) — Benefits & How to Chant
अङ्गिकं भुवनं यस्य (नटराज ध्यान)
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Angikam Bhuvanam Yasya (Nataraja Dhyana)
The traditional opening invocation for classical dance and music
sanctifies the art as worship
Reminds the artist that all expression ultimately points to the divine
Cultivates humility and devotion before performance or practice
Connects the seeker with Nataraja, whose cosmic dance creates and dissolves the universe
Brings focus, grace and inner harmony (sattva) to the body and voice
Considered auspicious to recite before any creative or artistic endeavour
How to Chant Angikam Bhuvanam Yasya (Nataraja Dhyana)
Instructions
Recite once (or three times) standing or seated, with folded hands, before beginning dance, music or artistic practice. Let the mind dwell on Nataraja, whose four-fold dance is the universe itself. Many dancers offer this verse together with the Namaskaram to the stage (rangapuja) and to the Guru before stepping into performance.
Spiritual Significance
It is said that Nataraja's cosmic dance at Chidambaram sustains the very rhythm of creation; artists who begin with this salutation testify that their performance gains an effortless grace, as though the supreme dancer himself moves through their limbs and voice.
Origin & History
Source: Mangala (invocatory) shloka traditionally associated with the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeshvara
Author: Attributed to the tradition of Nandikeshvara (Abhinaya Darpana)
In the classical theory of Indian dance and drama, abhinaya (dramatic expression) has four divisions. This invocatory verse beautifully declares that for Shiva as Nataraja these four divisions are nothing less than the cosmos itself: his angika is the world, his vachika is all speech, his aharya is the moon and stars, and his sattvika is pure being. Recited at the threshold of performance, it frames the entire art of dance as an offering to the divine dancer.