Nataraja's Secret: Who is the Demon Under His Foot?

• The figure under Lord Nataraja's foot is Apasmara (Muyalaka), symbolizing ignorance, ego, and spiritual forgetfulness.
• Apasmara emerged from the arrogance and confusion of sages in Darukavana, whom Shiva and Vishnu humbled.
• Shiva chose to suppress Apasmara, not destroy him, as complete eradication of ignorance would devalue knowledge.
• Nataraja's Ananda Tandava signifies the continuous suppression of inner ignorance through conscious effort.
• Apasmara represents our internal ego, laziness, and fear; conquering these leads to moksha.

Why It Matters: Nataraja's dance teaches us to continuously suppress inner ignorance and ego for spiritual liberation.