Each has a different form and these avatars are meant to re-establish the dharma, the path of righteousness when humanity is threatened by evil. Dasavatharam (ten avatars) are the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The Dasavatharam as the main piece of today’s margam brings out all the important facets of a dancer such as footwork, expressions and endurance. This pivotal piece in the Bharathanatyam repertoire is one of Natyacharya S Aravindan’s crowned jewel compositions. This Shabdam elaborates the key stories from the life of Lord Ayyappan, from how he was born as the son of Mohini (female version of lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva – hence the name Hari-Hara-Suthan), the King of Pandalam finding him with a bell around his neck in the woods, Ayyappan as a young boy going to the forest to fetch tigress’ milk for the queen of Pandalam and finally renouncing all worldly pleasures and taking a vow of celibacy and making Sabarimala his home.
In Shabdam, emotions are withheld at the beginning, thereafter, when the dancer has clarified herself, they are released in a measured and disciplined manner. Each stanza can contain a different story or a continuation of one single story. The song (saahityam) usually has different stanzas and they are separated out by simple Korvais (nritta steps). Shabdam is a Bharatanatyam piece in which the Expressions (or Abhinaya) are introduced for the first time in the repertoire.
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