Arudra Darshan on Ardra nakshatra
Arudra = the Maha Rudra who’s dancing (Rudra Tandav)
Darshan = the special opportunity to see
It is said that Lord Nataraja blessed the devotees on this day by giving them the opportunity to witness his cosmic dance (Rudra Tandav). This is the fifth stage of a soul, “the revelation”. Another specialty is that it is also the beginning of Brahma Muhurta of the Devas in their world known as Deva loka or Swarga loka. So Ardra nakshatra of every year in the month of Margashira/Margazhi is celebrated as the day of Arudra Darshan. Devotees usually perform early morning pooja such as milk abhishekam (pouring) and curd abhishekam on Shiva Lingam. The ancient temple of Lord Nataraja in the South India town of Chidambram will perform special annual pooja for the Lord on this day.
Performing fasting, mantra chanting and poojas for Lord Shiva, milk abhishekam are all best remedies for people with Ardra, Mrigashira, Magha, Purva & Uttara Phalguni, Swati, Moola, Uttarashadha, Dhanishta, Purva and Uttara Bhadrapada.
Five faces of Shiva
Lord Nataraja, the dancing form of Shiva represents the 5 different aspects of the Universe.
Creation
Preservation (maintenance)
Destruction
Concealment
Salvation aka revelation aka great blessing.
Shaiva Siddhantam says that the five above said duties are done by Lord Shiva using Maya (illusion) while performing a dance known as Shiv Tandav (Shiva’s cosmic dance) in Sanskrit. This dancing form of Shiva is called Nataraja, meaning the King of Dance.
Why dancing?
You may wonder why the Supreme God of an age old culture is depicted as dancing while no other religion has anything similar to this.
Shiva is doing the above said five duties through his dance. Dance is the supreme form of art, it combines the expressions of all other art forms. His dance moves have the power to create, preserve, destroy, conceal and reveal (forever) till he wants to dance. So that life will take different forms over time to reach the final stage. While explaining the Shiva’s dance, it says that the dance continues forever but there comes a time when he pauses the dance to destroy the existence of everything (maha pralaya) only to start over it again. This time is called “end of all ages aka maha pralaya”. During pralaya, Shiva stands on single foot without dancing. This form is known as “Ekapada”, a form of Lord Shiva, also the deity of Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra.
Ekapada Rudra is the purest form: a state in which even Lord Vishnu and Brahma dissolve into the Ekapada. Only when Shiva chooses to initiate creation again does his Shakti become his second leg (better half), enabling the cosmic dance that gives rise to the gods and goddesses who then assume their roles in the process of creation.
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