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SEMINAR ON INDIAN ARTPRESENTED BY :-AR. RUCHI ARORASADANGA OR SIX LIMBS OF INDIAN PAINTING

Around 1st century BC the Sadanga or Six Limbs of Indian Painting, were evolved, a series of canons laying down the main principles of the art.These 'Six Limbs' have been translated as follows:

Rupabheda -The knowledge of appearance.Pramanam -Correct perception, measure and structure.Bhava -Action of feelings and emotions on forms.Lavanya Yojanam- Infusion of grace, artistic representation.Sadrisyam -Similitude.Varnika bhanga- Artistic manner of using the brush and colors. (Tagore.)

The subsequent development of painting by the Buddhists indicates that these ' Six Limbs ' were put into practice by Indian artists, and are the basic principles on which their art was founded.Roopa Bheda-( knowledge of form or form impactRoopa means shape or form and Bheda means mystery. In the Shanti Parva of Mahabharta 16 types of forms have been mentioned as, small, long, thin and angular etc. The form can be seen by eye and soul. First of all this is eye which sees the Roopa but after that it is introduced to the soul. This is the knowlede of Roopa Bheda. There are so many forms in the world but we are supposed to know that one, which we are going to paint. A simple example will make both Form (Roop) and Mystery (Bheda) clear. Suppose three artists paint a women . One paints a dancing woman, the other paints a women combing her hair and the third artist paints a mother feeding her baby. Who ever sees them will call each, the painting of a woman. But how will it be known that the dancing woman is a girl of a noble family practising dance. Whether the combing woman is a newlywed lady or a maid servant preparing herself for going to the job. In the same way whether the feeding lady is a mother or a foster mother? All these questions are related to Roopa Bheda. If it is written under every painting that lady is a professional dancer, that is a newly wed bride and that is a mother, we will at once understood the same. But unless the artist has got the proper knowledge of the same, he can not paint a successful picture, which might convey the artists idea to the observer. Our eye only does not see any form, which is before us, our minds eye or insight (gyana Chakshhoo), which is our soul also observes the mystery of the same. What pecularities should be there on the face of a bride to express her shyness, curiosity, Happiness etc. ? What is the speciality in the face of a foster mother or a real mother, so that both may be distinguished? All these things are to be understood through our soul or keen perception, only

Madonna with child

Dancing woman

Woman combing her hair

Woman feeding her babyThen we can understand the real mystery of the shape or form in a painting. Whenever we see a thing and try to understand it, we should have a definite fancy (Ruchi) for the same. Unless we have Ruchi for a thing we can not understand the same. Whenever our fancy coincides with the fancy innate in the picture, we understand its reality. Therefore we gain knowledge only by seeing everything with fancy and taking its inner beauty in our heart.The emotional expression of all the things of the world is correct proportion comes under Roopa Bheda which an artist can depict after normally achieving inner and out knowledge forms.

2. PRAMANA- ( Proportion)Pramana means correct knowledge of the proportion of different forms. There should be harmonious division in the composition and measurement of the form drawn. The correct sense of proportion is known as Prama.If we going to paint a scene of Kashmir, we will have to know as to how we can arrange lake, mountains and sky etc. on a small piece of paper or canvas. After calculating we can say that this portion of paper will cover lake, this much mountain and the rest sky. This space organization will be done by our sense of proportion or Prama Shakti. Thereafter we use our sense of proportion in color scheme, so as to what atmosphere can be created be created by diff, colors. If a scene of sunset is to be painted, the proper color scheme has to be chose. Some flying birds should also be there, sun should touch the water and horizon behind the lake, there should be peace in the atmosphere etc. This Prama is the yardstick of our inner self to measure, see and understand the endless beauties in the universe.

This Prama is not only in man by birth, but it is found in almost all the living beings. We can feel Prama even in smaller creations. A little murmuring sound in a jungle created by leaves of trees alert the dear at once and his power of Prama starts working immediately and tell him whether this murmuring sound is created by a lions movement or just by some other casual animal. Prama does not give knowledge of nearness and distance only but it also decides as to how much exposure of a thing will make it beautiful. It shows that Prama is not the yards, feet and inches of mathematics but our innate consciousness which includes our inner and outer world also. The more we use it the more it will be sharpened. If we stop its use it will lose it sharpness.We adopt the mysteries of variety and distinction of animals, birds and human beings through Prama. What is the mystery in the tallness of man and woman? A mans body should be seven and a half times. The length of his face and seven times the length of the face of a woman. And what is the difference in a god and a man can only be judged by Prama or the sense of proportion.

3. BHAVA- (Expression)Bhava is the representation of sentimental grace in portion and is the action of feeling of form. Expression conveyed through form is Bhava. Modifications of natural feelings under the influence of special circumstances reflect in facial expressions and facial expression betray the altered state of body as a whole. The expression of sentiments has been taken as one of the most important things in painting. Our eyes see the emotions and the same are expressed by graceful distortionof face. But the deepest expressions of the same are felt by heart only, showing of disposition of posture only is not enough in a painting. The Bhava is expressed in two ways i.e. overt and covert. We can easily see the overt expression of sentiment by our eyes, but only heart can feel its covert form. We can, see the sentimental expression in the beauty of the new flowers of spring, in weeping by covering ones eyes with hands , in wearing torn clothes and in the bowing of eyelids etc. But we cannot see the covert form with eyes, we can understand the subtle meaning with experience only. Bhava gives expression to form and the Vyangya (Satire) brings out the expression of gesture of feeling through the form. It is easy to express Bhava in a painting through distortion but it is not easy to give Vyangya to the same. For example how to know it that a certain pot belongs to a poor man. It is just possible that the same pot might be there with rich people also. Even broken pot can not suggest that it is of some poor man. But a dirty and torn cloth placed by a side of the same can express the reality. This is called Vyangya in the art of painting. It depends upon the ability of the artist how he expresses the same. According to Vachaspati Gairola three types of Bhavas are expressed through the alteration of human body. First type is produced by seeing and hearing, second type by speaking and doing some work and third type is produced by some reaction on feelings or thought.Bhava is the specialty of Indian art. Ajanta painting become famous in the world only because of the beauty of expression of Bhava in them. 4. LAVANYA YOJNA- (Aesthetic Scheme)To add beauty and grace to the painting is Lavanya Yojna. The painting will look insipid if beauty or grace is not there. Lavanya Yojna in a painting is a must. Shri Avanindra Nath Tagore has furthur elaborated the Lavanya Yojna in his Six limbs of Indian painting. Praman seems to be like a master who is setting right the boy ( Painting) by force and Lavanya is mother who is affectionately trying to mould him according to her desires in so many ways. Bhava is the expression of inner beauty and Lavanya is the making manifest of the outer beauty by adding grace and charm to it. Bhava at times makes painting dry but Lavanya Yajna gives gleam to beauty.The way Ruchi gives beauty to the form in the same way Lavanya adds lusture to the Bhava. The same thing has been beautifully said in Ujjoval Neelmani which is as follows :-The form of pearl is without glitter if there is no lusture of Lavanya in it. In the same way the Roopa, Pramana and Bhava of a painting are without glitter if there is no lusture of Lavanya in it. As the food without salt is tasteless, in the same way a painting is insipid without Lavanya Yojna. But as the improper use of salt makes a meal bitter and tasteless in the same way the unproportionate Laavanya mars the beauty of the painting. So only balance Lavanya Yojna should be there in the painting.

5. SADRASHYA- ( Similitude)The painting may be true or imaginary but it ought to be proficient. Sadrashya means the ascertainment or determination of the real form or resemblance or similarity in form and ideas. The painting should be clear. If Akbar is painted it should look like Akbar and not Aurangzeb.According to Avanindra Nath Tagore to express the Bhava of any form with the help of any other form is the function of Sadrashya. One thing produces the expression of another thing- inspite

of the dissimilitude if there is any proficiencies of similitude that will be because of their own nature. Because of similarity in form the Veni ( Knitted hair of woman) has been used as a smile for snake, but they can never be one, because the function of snake is to bite on the forehead not to hang there. In the same way Veni is not supposed to lie on the ground and bite. The Sadrashya in the portrait Paintings of Akbar and Aurangzeb etc. can not be taken as better than in the paintings which express our inner feelings.

6. VARNIKA BHANGA- (Color Scheme)It means the use of color in an artistic style. There should be appropriate color scheme to express the idea and atmosphere in a painting. Opposite or wrong colors should not be used otherwise the painting will be unattractive. For this the painter should be versatile and dextrous in the application of color. We should have the knowledge of what color scheme can make a definite atmosphere lively. Varnika Bhanga has been placed in the last of limbs of Indian painting. So that after the completion of picture the colors may be properly added. A small mistake in color scheme can alter a night into day and day into a night scene Different colors represent diff. feelings. Happiness and sorrow are beautifully expressed by creating definite atmosphere by definite color scheme. The full control of brush is a must for an artist in order to get good color scheme and fine touches. Without the knowledge of the proper use of brush, colors can not be applied to a painting properly to produce the desired effect. Colors are the life of a painting and in the mixture of the colors intellect plays the major role. Only be applying intellect, we know as to how we can get a definite color scheme after mixing definite colors and which will create a definite atmosphere.While painting a flower it has to be considered as to which is that shade in color of that flower which gives an impression of its smell as well. Whether the sunlight on it reflects summer, heat or mild heat because of cold. This expression is not possible without the correct knowledge of color. That is because Varnika Bhanga is taken to be important among the Shadangas. Earlier the word Shilpa has been used for painting that is why the word Shilpa Shadanga has been written therein. But the definition changed by the lapse of time and the word Kala was substituted in place of Shilpa under which come Sculpture, Architecture and Painting.

ABOUT THE PAINTING The painting personifies Ragini Gujari, wife of Raga Dipaka mesmerizing a pair of gazelles with the music of her vina (a stringed instrument like a lute).Ragini Gujari, a young woman is followed by a pair of gazelles, which are besotted by her beauty. The gazelles represent her lovers. This painting has adopted the phenomena prevalent in summers in the deserts of Rajasthan where the thirsty traveler often glimpses shimmering lake brimming with water but as the traveler moves towards the lake, it appear to recede. Mislead by such mirages herds of deer travel for miles till they lay down their lives. The deer thirst also called, as mriga trishna is symbolic of love.INDIAN PAINTINGIndian painting has a very long tradition and history inIndian art. The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings ofpre-historictimes, the petroglyphsas found in places likeBhimbetka, some of them from before 5500 BC.

India'sBuddhistliterature is replete with examples of texts which describe palaces of the army and the aristocratic class embellished with paintings, but the paintings of theAjanta Cavesare the most significant of the few survivals. Smaller scale painting in manuscripts was probably also practised in this period, though the earliest survivals are from the medieval period.CAVE PAINTINGS IN INDIAAlmost all early painting in India survives in caves. The history ofcave paintings in Indiarange from drawings and paintings from prehistoric times, beginning around 30,000 BCE in the caves of Central India.

FRESCO PAINTINGSIt is an art form which is practiced all over the world.These are usually done on walls of buildings, or as in ancient times on rocks and caves.These paintings are from the Buddhist period in the ancient Ajanta Caves in present day Madhya Pradesh in India..The paintings tells the story of Gautam Buddha and his teachings in pictures.These were painted by Buddhist monks who also illustrated stories from the Jataka Tales.