Woman Who Carved Her Own Mudra - Dr. Narthaki Nataraj

Narthaki Nataraj, is a visionary Bharatanatyam artist who made history in 2019 as the first transgender woman to be awarded the Padma Shri. She also serves as a member of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Her insights on womanhood offer a unique perspective on strength and identity She compares women to the light within the eyes. Having eyes is useless if there is no light to see; similarly, while the physical form exists, it is the spirit of womanhood that provides vision, clarity, and beauty to the world.

Narthaki Nataraj believes that a woman’s true defeat occurs only when she fights against her own "Penmai" (womanhood/femininity). To her, womanhood is not a weakness to be overcome, but an essence to be embraced. When a woman loses touch with this core identity, she loses her greatest source of power.

One of her most striking comparisons is that of a woman to an elephant. An elephant possesses immense, world-shaking power, yet often remains unaware of its own scale. Because the elephant does not realize its strength, it allows itself to be driven by a mahout holding a small stick or an Angusam (a sharp goad used to tame elephants).

Nataraj links the Angusam to the restrictive norms of society. A woman often runs or hides in fear of societal pressure, not realizing that the power she holds is far greater than the "stick" used to control her. On the whole, A woman is like an elephant that does not know its own strength, allowing itself to be controlled by the small 'Angusam' of society's expectations.

Narthaki Nataraj’s insight shifts the focus from external barriers to internal blueprints. She suggests that when a woman feels restricted, the culprit is rarely a specific man or woman standing in her way, but rather her own perception of them. By viewing others as obstacles, we inadvertently give them power over our progress. The true breakthrough occurs when a woman refines her own vision, recognizing that her path is defined by her own stride rather than the shadows cast by those around her.

There is a profound social irony in how women navigate their relationships. Traditionally, women have mastered the art of compromise and coexistence with the men in their lives, fathers, brothers, and in-laws. Yet, a different standard is often applied to other women. Mothers, sisters, and colleagues, they are often viewed as rivals or "competitors”. Nataraj challenges this conditioning, reminding us that another woman’s achievement is not a theft of our own opportunity, but a evidence to what is possible. "A woman cannot outrun another woman”. Instead of exhausting energy trying to move faster than one another, Nataraj advocates for a model of parallel growth. When women stop treating life as a zero-sum game, they create an ecosystem where they can improve alongside each other. In this view, success is not about being the first or the only, but about the collective elevation of the entire group.

She asks for a simple freedom: "Leave us alone, and we will thrive." She believes that when women are allowed to strive on their own terms, the world will eventually receive the greatness they give back.

Narthaki has turned her philosophy into action through her trust, which operates on a remarkably simple and compassionate "Two-Form Concept": "Pay if you have": If a student is financially capable, they contribute to their education. "I will pay for you": If a student lacks the means, Narthaki herself covers the cost. There is no compulsion to give; it must come from a place of willingness. This creates a classroom filled not with financial stress, but with "Veri", an intense, unstoppable passion and spirit for Bharatanatyam. Her classes are absolutely free for those who face the greatest barriers: The visually challenged, The physically challenged, Transgender women. “She doesn't ask for money; she asks for the spirit. In her classroom, the only currency that matters is the fire for the art."

It ensures that the "light in the eyes" she speaks of is never dimmed by a lack of money. Narthaki’s approach to achievement is built on the principle of “Sarva Nichayam” meaning total certainty and absolute effort. She is a fierce advocate against laziness and half-hearted attempts. Her rule is simple. Give 110% effort to everything you do.

She teaches that if you put in that 110% and still do not achieve a specific goal, you should not grieve. "If you cry for an opportunity and it still doesn't come to you, then it was never meant for you," she says. This is not a philosophy of defeatism, but one of divine alignment. By giving more than what is required, you clear your conscience.

The ultimate freedom is the realization that your worth is not tied to the "yes" or "no" of a committee, but to the depth of your own sacrifice.

She stands on the stage of life, bells on her ankles, the rhythm of the universe in her heart, and a gaze that pierces through the veil of societal "expectations." She is not the elephant that fears the goad; she is the earthquake that renders the goad irrelevant. She is the great light that knows, with absolute certainty, that she is her own source, her own power, and her own destiny.

Narthaki Nataraj is the dance, the dancer, and the divine fire that ensures the light in the eyes of the world will never, ever go out.