You may explain what the various parts of the statue mean or you may ask them to infer the meaning based on what they already know or what they can figure out together. Notice the fourth hand. If you could look at the image sideways, you would see that the raised foot is in a different plane from the rest of the image. That would be assurance in this world. Ask students to summarize the meaning of the Nataraj in their own words.
Dance represents the symbolic of the movement of the universe.
Dance is an important aspect in Indian life. Two-sided drum held by the first right hand is a symbol of creation. It is beating the pulse of the universe. The drum also provides the music that accompanies Shiva's dance. The drum represents sound as the first element in an unfolding universe.