dance genres involves acting out
episodes from the life of the god
Krishna, especially the Ras lilaand his
dalliance with his lover Radha. In other
genres dancers play a two-headed drum
or cymbals, leaping dramatically during
the performance. This form has roots in
devotional Vaishnavism, particularly the
ecstatic singing and dancing associated
with the Gaudiya Vaishnavacommunity
in Bengal. For further information see
Mohan Khokar, Traditions of Indian
Classical Dance, 1984.
Man Lila
A divine play (lila) between Krishnaand
his devotees (bhakta). In this lila, one of
Krishna’s female companions feigns
wounded pride (man), usually because
he makes some sort of error, such as
calling her by another woman’s name.
For some time she pretends to be angry,
but is eventually won over by his charm
and undivided attention. This motif
of a woman feigning anger—to make
her lover flatter and fawn over her,
and to sweeten the joy of the eventual
reconciliation—has a venerable history
in Sanskritpoetry. In modern times,
this lila is often presented in devotional
theatrical presentations, which are
themselves known as lilas (“plays”),
since their function is to reveal the work
of the divine.
Man-Lion Avatar
Fourth avataror incarnation of the god
Vishnu; the man-lion’s form is usually
rendered as the head and shoulders of a
lion, and the torso and legs of a man. As
with all the avatars of Vishnu, the Man-
Lion avatar comes to restore the cosmic
balance, which has been thrown out of
equilibrium by the disproportionate
power of some individual. In this case
the source of trouble is the demon-king
Hiranyakashipu, who by the power of
his asceticism(tapas) has gained three
boons from the gods: that he cannot be
killed by man nor beast, by day or by
night, and neither inside nor outdoors.
These boons render him virtually
invulnerable; Hiranyakashipu proceeds
to conquer the earth and drive the
gods from heaven. He oppresses his
son Prahlada, who despite his
father’s power remains a sincere devotee
(bhakta) of Vishnu. The more devotion
Prahlada shows to Vishnu the more
abuse his father gives him, until
finally Hiranyakashipu, maddened at
the thought that someone refuses
to worshiphim, is at the point of
killing Prahlada.
Prahlada calls on Vishnu for help,
and the Man-Lion, a being which is nei-
ther man nor beast, bursts forth from a
pillar in the palace. The Man-Lion seizes
Hiranyakashipu in the palace doorway,
which is neither inside nor out, at twi-
light, which is neither day nor night, and
uses his sharp claws to tear out the
demon’s entrails, killing him. Once
Hiranyakashipu has been killed, Vishnu
installs the righteous Prahlada as the
king of the realm. This action reveals an
important truth about the Hindu view of
reality. Although Prahlada is a “demon”
(asura), he is not inherently evil, nor is
he simply a being to be exterminated.
All kinds of beings have their rightful
place in the Hindu cosmos—problemsMan-Lion AvatarPortrait of the god Vishnu’s Man-Lion avatar.
Vishnu takes this form to defeat a demon who
has conquered heaven and earth.