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Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture)

by Bhagyashree Sarma | 2021 | 59,457 words

This page relates ‘The Story Behind the Origin of Painting� of the study on the elements of Art and Architecture according to the Vishnudharmottara Purana: an ancient text whose third book deals with various artisan themes such as Architecture, Painting, Dance, Grammar, etc. Many chapters are devoted to Hindu Temple architecture and the iconography of Deities and their installation rites and ceremonies.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

3. The Story Behind the Origin of Painting

According to the Indian culture and belief, each and every art form generally has a divine and mythological origin. A divine origin of Painting is admitted in the վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa through the narration of a story. That story recognises the sage ⲹṇa and վś첹 as the main authorities in the field of citra i.e., Painting. According to the վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa, Painting was created by the sage ⲹṇa while he was making the picture of the damsel śī.[1] It is related in this book that extracting the juice from 󲹰 i.e., mango tree[2] , the sage ⲹṇa created the most beautiful woman in this world.[3] Through the application of Painting, she became the most beautiful damsel.[4] After that the sage ⲹṇa gave this knowledge of Painting to վś첹[5] and thus this art form had received momentum through the ages.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

urvaśīm sṛjata� pūrvam citrasūtram nṛpātmaja/ nārāyaṇena muninā lokānām hitakāmyayā// Ibid., 3.35.1-2

[2]:

V.S Apte, The student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.594

[3]:

󲹰rasam ṛhⲹ urvyām cakre varastriyam/ վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa, 3.35.3

[4]:

citreṇa sā tato rūpayuktā varāpsarā/ Ibid., 3.35.3

[5]:

grāhayāmāsa sa ٲ ś첹ṇaܳٲ/ վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa, 3.35.5

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