Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c74.s9.5

v2.c74.s9.5

Here citra can stand both for the pictorial images as well as the sculptural ones. Hence according to the S. S. it is the supreme achievement of the image-maker or the sculptor to see to this side of aestheticism in art—the ‘bhāva-vyakti’. This aestheticism is really one of the major contributions of Indian canons of Art as propounded in the texts like Viṣṇudharmottara and the Samarāṅgaṇa-Sūtradhāra, to give a distinct and unique character. The oft-quoted aphorism ब्रह्मानन्दसहोदरः रसः is not without significance and high meaning. It aims at ennobling life. Even birds and beasts, the so called brutes, when characterized with the different sentiments in accordance with the different situations, if go higher up, men and women, when imbubed with it they simply become divine. Further more this aesthetic element in Indian art pre-supposes the ideal of ‘Beautiful’ in its real perspective. The beautiful is not only to be viewed in anatomical perspective, but also in the inner manifestation, the sole criterion of the beautiful, the ‘Sundara’ from the Hindu view of life. Beautiful internally, in its turn, presupposes the truthful,—the ‘Satya’ both internally and externally and the art which is both Satya and Sundara, that alone becomes the benficient the ‘Śiva’--the Supreme Ideal of life. It is this ‘Good’ of the humanity at large that the Indian seers have always aimed at. Any creation unless it is condusive to the well being of life, unless inspiring to ennoble it and unless high enough for creative urge, it is not worth the ideal. It is from this fundamental angle that aestheticism in iconographical art is to be viewed and purviewed. With this introduction to this subject, it may be wounded up here to be resumed in its more appropriate place—the canons of pictorial art—the subject matter of the 3rd part of this work—Pt. III.