Lord Siva represents the positive aspect of the destruction of the world because creation comes out of every destruction. He dances the world into and out of being surrounded by tongues of fire with his right leg firmly on the back of the small dwarf – representing human frailty and the lie of all dualities. He displays his omnipotence by waving his many arms throughout the dance. And yet he is frozen in time within the sculpture. In this way, he is both static and dynamic; both creator and destroyer. He is the oldest and the youngest; he is the eternal youth as well as the infant. And the sage. He is the source of fertility in all living beings. He is omnipresent and resides in everyone as pure consciousness. As Nataraja (Lord of the Dance), Siva symbolizes the dance of the universe, with all its heavenly bodies and natural laws complimenting and balancing one another. He dances away maya, the world of illusion, so that each person can attain enlightenment. He has tamed the poisonous cobra, and the sacred Ganges flows from his hair. When he lowers his left leg, the universe will cease to exist … until a new dance begins.