shivanatarajadancebharatanatyam

Angikam Bhuvanam Yasya (Nataraja Dhyana)

अङ्गिकं भुवनं यस्य (नटराज ध्यान) in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Before dance or music practice and performance; during Nataraja worship; Pradosha and Maha Shivaratri·📜 Mangala (invocatory) shloka traditionally associated with the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeshvara

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

Angikam Bhuvanam Yasya is the celebrated invocatory shloka to Shiva as Nataraja, recited at the very beginning of Bharatanatyam and other classical dance performances. It maps the four modes of dramatic expression (abhinaya) onto the cosmos itself: the Lord's body is the universe, his speech is all language, his ornament is the moon and stars, and his innermost being is pure feeling. Thus the dancer bows to the supreme dancer before whom all art is offered.

Origin & Story

Mangala (invocatory) shloka traditionally associated with the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeshvara · Attributed to the tradition of Nandikeshvara (Abhinaya Darpana) · Classical (treatise tradition of Indian dramaturgy)

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.

✦ As told in scripture

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.

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The Mantra

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Āṅgikaṃ bhuvanaṃ yasya vāchikaṃ sarvavāṅmayam Āhāryaṃ chandratārādi taṃ numaḥ sāttvikaṃ śivam

Meaning:We bow to Shiva, the very soul of expression (sattva), whose bodily gesture (angika) is the entire universe, whose speech (vachika) is the whole of language and sound, and whose costume and adornment (aharya) are the moon, the stars and all the heavens.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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Āṅgikaṃ🔊Angika abhinaya — expression through bodily movement and gesture

Bhuvanaṃ🔊The whole world / universe

Yasya🔊Whose; of whom

Vāchikaṃ🔊Vachika abhinaya — expression through speech and song

Sarvavāṅmayam🔊All language, all that is spoken — the entirety of sound and speech

Āhāryaṃ🔊Aharya abhinaya — expression through costume, ornament and adornment

Chandratārādi🔊The moon, the stars and so forth (his cosmic adornments)

Taṃ🔊To Him

Numaḥ🔊We bow / we salute / we praise

Sāttvikaṃ🔊Sattvika abhinaya — the inner, soulful expression of true feeling; the embodiment of purity (sattva)

Śivam🔊Shiva — the auspicious one (here as Nataraja, the King of Dance)

Benefits of Chanting अङ्गिकं भुवनं यस्य (नटराज ध्यान)

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The traditional opening invocation for classical dance and music — sanctifies the art as worship

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Reminds the artist that all expression ultimately points to the divine

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Cultivates humility and devotion before performance or practice

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Connects the seeker with Nataraja, whose cosmic dance creates and dissolves the universe

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Brings focus, grace and inner harmony (sattva) to the body and voice

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Considered auspicious to recite before any creative or artistic endeavour

How to Chant अङ्गिकं भुवनं यस्य (नटराज ध्यान)

Repetitions1times

Best TimeBefore dance or music practice and performance; during Nataraja worship; Pradosha and Maha Shivaratri

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete अङ्गिकं भुवनं यस्य (नटराज ध्यान) written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is the well-known invocatory (mangala) shloka traditionally associated with the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeshvara, the classical treatise on gesture and expression. It is recited at the start of Bharatanatyam and other classical performances.

Angika (expression through the body), Vachika (through speech and song), Aharya (through costume and ornament), and Sattvika (through genuine inner emotion). The verse declares that for Shiva-Nataraja these four are the universe, all language, the moon and stars, and pure feeling itself.

Because Nataraja is the lord of dance and the original dancer. By bowing to him first, the artist offers the performance as worship and seeks grace, focus and blessing for the art.

Yes. Anyone may recite it as a beautiful salutation to Shiva as Nataraja, especially before any creative work, to dedicate the activity to the divine.