Studies in Indian Art c2: Introduction

Studies in Indian Art c2

Language: English

Introduction

c2.1

The book *Studies in Indian Art* is a collection of my papers on the subject of Indian art contributed to various Journals. They cover a wide range of subjects as sculpture, architecture, painting, arts and aesthetics. Indian art has a long history and is a subject of great importance as expressing the soul of Indian civilisation. Its value is equal to that of Indian religion, philosophy and literature, which are all to be tapped as perennial sources for the understanding of Indian art-forms.

c2.2

Indian art is to be studied at two different levels, viz. the external form and the inner meaning. Up to now it has been usual to approach Indian art from the external point of view, i.e. the objective description of images, statuary, architectural buildings and monuments. That is quite correct and essential as the primary basis of approach. But there is also the other side of the medal, viz. the esoteric side which consists in the study of meaning and purpose of art of which the roots lie hidden in Indian religion and philosophy. By looking at these two with equal insight one maybe able to recover the true and full significance of the Indian mind as expressed in the creations of art.

c2.3

In the essays assembled here we have given equal emphasis both on the external form and the inner meaning. Indian art consists of many great Schools of local and national character through which the soul of India found its adequate expression, which has been recorded in the religious and classical literature of the country. As such art is vested in a wide terminology found in literature and *Śilpa* texts. We believe in extracting this material with as much care as possible. This is a new approach about which much more needs to be done. This will reveal the truth of Indian art in a more intimate manner.

c2.4

Indian artists were, no doubt, interested in beautiful forms and aesthetic problems. They handled a vast and varied repertoire of geometrical, floral, arborial, animal and human forms but their greatest interest or appeal was to the divine figures, a rich pantheon of gods and goddesses who filled the centre of the picture and whose endless glory and great splendour was of real interest to human beings. Nothing affords greater pleasure to the Indian art critic than to feel divine presence of great gods like Rudra-Śiva, and Viṣṇu, of goddesses like Śrī-Lakṣmī and Pārvatī or such divine personages as Buddha and Tīrthaṅkara. This calls for a new approach both in the art connoisseur or the sculptor or painter. The papers collected here just make the first attempt to invoke this point of view.

c2.5

In the essays like 'The Alphabet of Indian Art Symbolism', 'Lalita-Kalā' we have handled the subject with the point of view in which the vista of interest is much extended and various strands of art, religion and philosophy are put together to deepen the springs of aesthetic joy, so far as Indian art is concerned.

c2.6

Indian art is full of hundreds of topics of an auspicious or symbolic character. The paper on Pūrṇaghaṭa is one instance of it. The Harivaṃśa gives a list of 108 auspicious signs (Aṣṭottaraśata maṅgalika cihna) and a standing call comes to the investigator to explore the field much further. Śrī-Lakṣmī is another fascinating subject. There has been extensive mingling of forms in making of divine and art forms. Śrī-Lakṣmī, Pūrṇaghaṭa, Padmavana, Diggaja, these several elements became mingled in evolving art-form of a very charming character. The Kalpavṛkṣa or the wish-fulfilling tree of heaven has a similar appeal and presents a long evolution controlling the decoration of the great Stūpas and railings. The Pūrṇaghaṭa was known as Pūrṇakumbha, Indrakumbha, Somakalaśa, Candana-Kalaśa, Puñja Viṭakāṃsya, (Droṇa-Parva II, 29), Bhadraghaṭa, Maṅgalaghaṭa. It was a well known auspicious symbol from the time of the Ṛgveda where a girl bearing auspicious pitcher was known as Udakakumbhinī (RV. I. 191. 14) same as the Pūrṇakumbhanārī of the Atharvaveda. In religious processions in a standard team of eight auspicious maidens there was one called Pūrṇakumbhakanyā mentioned in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa (Sundara Kāṇḍa) and the Lalitavistara (VII. p. 71).

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In the paper on the Great Stūpa of Bharhut an explanation is offered for the first time of the auspicious motifs of the land of Uttarakuru and of what gushing reception they received in the decoration of such great Stūpas as at Bharhut, Sanchi, Amaravati. This discovery bestows a new interest on the study of the making of these monuments. Certainly their embellishment was organised on the basis of folk-beliefs of long standing.

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In the paper on the Pre-Kuṣāṇa Art of Mathura the material about the Yakṣa in early Indian art and specially at Mathura was brought together for the first time and has its value even today.

c2.9

The Mathura school of sculpture has been my special field and a bunch of 15 papers appertains to the various aspects of the Mathura school. The section of Gupta Art is a class by itself. This was the epoch of Indian aesthetic endeavour and the few articles given here are only by way of a path-finding. The subject is very vast and attractive. The Śiva liṅgam from Nachna Kuthara is a perfect example of the beautiful creation of the Gupta School. The artist appears to have almost illustrated the description of Yogīśvara Śiva of the Kumārasambhava of Kālidāsa. [3.44—51.]

Linked texts (5)

Mahābhārata — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Ṛgvedasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Kumārasaṃbhava — Kālidāsa, Sanskrit
Atharvavedasaṃhitā — Atharvan & Aṅgiras, Sanskrit
Vālmīkirāmāyaṇa — Vālmīki, Sanskrit