Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c5.28

c5.28

The discovery of the subtle meaning of art forms only leads to full æsthetic enjoyment according to the Indian theory, which holds the form without meaning (*adhyātma-bhāva*) to be unholy. The human mind cannot remain without applying itself to one or the other of the manifest forms. It is therefore redeeming to concentrate on the spiritual or divine purpose underlying the form. Just as fire entering a house burns it, so does thought inspired by the beauty of the image removes darkness and fills the mind (*Chitta*) with light (*Viṣṇu P.* 6. 7. 74). Both the artist and the critic of art (*Rasika*) can approach real art only through meditation (*Dhyāna*) in order to have the proper aesthetic response.