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Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture)

by Bhagyashree Sarma | 2021 | 59,457 words

This page relates �7(e): Reflection of Symbolization in Portrait through 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.

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7(e): Reflection of Symbolization in Portrait through Painting

[Full title: 3.7: Different Kinds of Portrait used in Painting (citra) (e): Reflection of Symbolization in Portrait through Painting]

Symbolization is an action of representing something through a symbol or sign.[1] It is a practice of showing things with symbolic meaning. In the վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa, some natural phenomena are referred to be portrayed with the help of symbolization in a picture. According to the վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa darkness of night should be shown with the picture of men approaching their abodes.[2] In the ѱ𲵳󲹻ūٲ, projected the scene of night with a path, persuaded by some love affected women.[3] According to the վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa, Moon light is portrayed with the blooming of water lilies.[4] In Sanskrit literature, Kavisamaya or poetic convention is used as a technical term to denote certain situations or things or ideas which have no practical cause in reality.[5]

In the 󾱳ٲⲹ岹貹ṇa, kumuda i.e., water lily is said to be bloomed at night.[6] A reference of this poetic convention is found in the Ծś峾ܰ󲹱ṇa of 岹ī.[7] A picture of well covered person indicates the shower of rain.[8] In ancient time Brahmins had to be engaged with their daily rituals during evening time. Taking this as a theme the վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa suggests the painters to show the evening time with the picture of the Brahmins who are busy in their rituals of evening and the picture should be adorned with red glow.[9] Bānabhatta projects the picture of the evening time with the colour of glowing red as that time the Sun adopts the color like red sandal.[10] The վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa has given the idea that the picture of some living beings suffering from heat identifies the sun shine.[11] Here the living beings and their conditions reflect the environment. Thus the picture or the portrait appears to be realistic.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

The Oxford English Dictionary, Vol-10, p.364

[2]:

tamaso 岹śԲ� ⲹ� vāse saṃsarpakairnarai�/ վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa, 3.42.71

[3]:

…Ħnś �..sūcyate kāminīnām/ ѱ𲵳󲹻ūٲ, 2.11

[4]:

kumudānā� vikāśe ca dzٲ� candre 岹ś/ վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa, 3.42.71

[5]:

kavīnā� samaye khyāte ṇa� ٲܻ󲹳/ 󾱳ٲⲹ岹貹ṇa, 7.22

[6]:

…�. niśāyā� vikasati ܻܳ岹�…�../ 󾱳ٲⲹ岹貹ṇa, 7.25

[7]:

…�.kumudasarāṃsi candrapādai�/ 岹ī, 1.p.83

[8]:

屹ṛtٲԲ� ṛṣṭi� ṛṣṭy峾岹ś// վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa, 3.42.72

[9]:

屹ᲹԾⲹ󾱰ܰ� Ի� 岹ś/ Ibid., 3.42.70

[10]:

anena ca samayena pariṇato 徱�/ snānotthitena munijanenārghavidhimupapādatayā ya� kṣititale dattastamambaratalagata� sākṣādiva raktacandanāṅgarāga� ravirudavahat/ 岹ī, 1.p.81

[11]:

prāṇinā� kleśataptānāmādityanena ni岹śԲ�/ վṣṇܻ󲹰dzٳٲܰṇa, 3.42.73

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