Indian Art based on Hindu shilpa texts Silparatham

CEC-UGE-NME-ICT PROJECT 2017

Indian Art based on Hindu shilpa

texts Silparatham
(Academic Script)

INTRODUCTION

Indian Art based on Hindu Silpa Texts Silparatham

Shilpa Ratna is a 16th century classical treatise on traditional

south Indian performing arts. The basic norms and principles in
the south Indian paintings and mural art are laid down in Shilpa
Ratna. Composed and written by Shri Kumara. Shilpa means
sculpture and ratna means gem. Shilparatna is a broad term that
includes those artistic practices that either uses the body as a
medium of expressions, such as dance and drama or that which
represents the body as an expression such as sculpture and
murals.

The subject expert is Sana Afreen working and I am…

The Shilpa Ratna acknowledges the tenets of painting like the
proper set of colors and the right combinations which leads to
stylized balance and rhythm. According to Shilpa Ratna, a Chitra
(sculpture in round and relief and painting) is divided into three
styles:
1.Chitra
2.Ardhchitra
3.Chitrabhasha

Ardhachitra is a sketch work of a painting, and Chitra bhasa is

communication through painting.
The Shilpa Ratna suggests the use of pure color that is yellow,
white, red, black, and blue. Shilpa Ratna also guides on what type
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of brushes should be used. We get to know about the postures,

modes of light and shade, mixing of colors, application of gold and
its burnishing. Shilpa Ratna has mentioned the process of making
fine gold powder from thin gold leaves for painting applications.
The powder produced would have a flaky shape, which gives
higher covering area per unit mass.

Shilparatna describes various types of colors that were chiefly

used in Paintings.
Sita- white
Pita- yellow
Rakta- red
Kajjala- black
Syama- dark shade

The fresco seccos of Kerala are popular for its technical

characteristics where walls were painted only when they become
dry.

Shilpa ratna is believed to be a principle text on the painting

techniques of Kerala murals, where it mentions the use of pure
colors sometimes used alone and many times mixed to get a
particular hue. White, yellow, red, black and terreverte or Syama
are known as the pure colors.

Ochre-red, Ochre-yellow, white, bluish green and pure green are

the main colors that are used in Kerala murals, while limited use
of golden yellow, brown, yellowish green, greenish blue and sky
blue is also can be noticed. Lemon Juice or solution of Thurisu
(Copper Sulphate) was used to apply on the surface to mellow the
alkalinity of lime before starting the painting on that surface.

The colors for the murals were prepared from minerals and
vegetables, white was made from lime, black from carbon soot of
oil lamps, red and yellow were prepared from minerals, blue was
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produced plants like Neela Amari or Indigo Ferra. Green was

created from a local mineral called Eravikkara, deep red was
obtained from lac. Ancient scriptures also recommend use of
yellow arsenic (Realgar) and Vermilion (red lead) for getting
yellow and red colours.

Colors were mixed in wooden bowls, coconut water and exudes

from neem tree was used as binding medium. Pine resin and oil
provides luster, hence the paintings were over coated with this
mixture.

The type of brushes is also mentioned in the Shilpa Ratna, as it

categories three types of brushes i.e. flat, medium and fine. Flat
brushes are made from the hairs found on the ears of calves,
medium from the bottom of goat's belly and fine brushes were
made by the thin hairs from the tails of muskrats or narrow grass
blades. Shilpa Ratna advocates the use of nine brushes in the
above three types for applying each colour.

Once the subject or theme is selected, the outline is sketched with

dung crayons and then painted with appropriate colors.

Shilpa Ratna suggests three types of coloring the human

characters as per their qualities and status. The Hindu scriptures
classify human race as Satwa (the noble) Rajas (active after
power) and Tamas (low and mean characters). The Satwik is
depicted by shades of green, Rajasik by red or gold and Tamasik
in white and the demons and demonesses by black.
Shilpa Ratna also recommends various postures of human figure
drawing such as frontal, half-frontal, Askance, one-and-quarter
eyed and profile.

It is researched and stated that the style of Kerala murals took

inspiration from the Dravidian devotional art of Kalamezhuthu,
kalam is a unique drawing also called dhulee chithram or powder
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drawing. The artist uses the floor as his canvas. Kalamezhuthu

pattu is performed as part of the rituals to worship and propitiate
gods like Kaali, Ayyappan or Vettakkorumakan.

Mural tradition of Kerala influenced by the Pallava art can be

traced back to seventh and eighth century AD. The oldest in them
is believed to be in the rock-cut cave temple of Thirunandikkara
that is now in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.

Kerala art

The art of painting on walls in Kerala dates back to prehistoric

era. Paintings found in the Anjanad Valley of Idukki District are
believed to be the oldest. Archaeologists believe that these belong
to different periods from early Paleolithic era to recent past that
the history can reach. Rock engravings belonging to Mesolithic era
also were unearthed in Edakkal in Wynad and Perumkadavila in
Thiruvananthapuram District.

The best examples of Kerala mural could be found at

Padmanabhapuram Palace, Thiruvananthapuram. The walls of its
central hall are beautifully decorated with mural paintings in
abundance. The themes of paintings are various episodes and
moments drawn from Hindu epics. The Krishnapuram Palace is
situated in a village in Kayamkulam dynasty; this palace holds the
largest mural panels of Kerala, which depicts the scenes of
Gajendra Moksham of Bhagavatham.
Other sites that offer a glimpse of beautiful murals are
Panayannarkkavu (Parumala), Ettumanoor Murals at the Siva
Temple in Ettumanoor (Kottyam), Pundareekapuram Murals at
Pundareekapuram temple at Thalayolapparambu (Kottayam),
Mattancherry Murals at the Bhagavathy temple in Kochi,
Kottakkal Murals at Venkatta Tevar Siva Temple in Kottakkal
(Kozhikkode) are the famous examples of mural paintings. Most
of these depict lives or instances from sacred books and epics.
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Intricate carvings, murals and exquisite wall paintings reflect the

prolific talent of the sculptors and painters who enjoyed the
patronage of Travancore kings.

A traditional Kerala mural strictly follows the Pancha-varna (five

colors) scheme, using only red, yellow, green, and black and
white. In fact, it is this adherence to a limited earthy palette that
gives the murals much of their distinctive look and feel. White,
yellow, black and red are the pure colors, according to
Shilparatna. The ocher yellow, ocher red, white, bluish green and
pure green are the more important colors.

Shilpa Ratna discusses the preparation of white-clay or kaolin and

lime i.e. Sudha, prepared from burnt conch, oyster or other shells,
as the main source of white pigments. The red lead is called
Sindura, soft red is Mrdurakta, Red ochre or middle red is known
as Madhyarakta, Laksarasa is juice of Lac and deep red is called
Atirakta.

The metallic application in paintings is described in detail in

Shilpa Ratna. It says that the metal should be thinned into a kind
of leaves also called patravinyasa in Sanskrit, another way of
metal application is to melt the metal into a liquid by putting it
into a narrow vessel then giving a chemical treatment, that is
known as Rasakriya.

Shilpa Ratna has mentioned the process of making fine gold

powder from thin gold leaves for painting applications. The
powder produced would have a flaky shape, which gives higher
covering area per unit mass.

Shilparatna, makes a mention of the types of clay that were used

in the ancient period in the lost wax process of icon making. It
states the various grades of clay required fall into the following
five categories:
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a. Very hard clay: Clay plus powdered pottery tiles and nut water.
b. Medium clay: The above mixture should first be dried, then
pounded on a pounding stone to fine powder and mixed with
dung.
c. Soft clay: Three parts of clay plus one part of powdered pottery,
mixed together on a grinding stone.
d. Fine clay: The above mixture is again pounded on the grinding
stone with an admixture of dung.
e. Crucible-making clay: Husks which have been burned to
powder and cotton fabric pounded to powder, are mixed together
in equal parts, and in turn, pounded on the grinding stone. The
crucible is to be made of the above mixture and arranged by
means of thin wire and thread.

The ancient Sanskrit texts of Shilpa Shastra and Yantra Sarvasva

mentions the use of metal casting for the purpose of making
sculptures and other products like lamps, doors and frames, bells,
cooking utensils, agricultural implements and weapons.

A detailed description of metal casting has been included in

mediaeval texts such as Shilparatna and Manasara. The major
application was in creating the idols used for worship; and very
strict rules were laid down to achieve perfection in terms of
talmana (proportions), mudra (stance) and bhava (expression).
Natural resin and bees wax is obtained from specific trees, it is
mixed with a bit of mustard or ground nut or coconut oil to
prepare a mixture then it is heated on a high temperature and
pored into sheets. This mixture helps in the cutting of the models.

The Lost Wax Process

In some cases, when multiple (ten or more) orders for the same
model are placed, then a plaster or cement mould is made for
making a rough shape of the wax models before detailed carving
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using spatula, knife and scraper, etc.

The carved wax model is carefully pasted over (except for one or
two holes for wax removal and metal pouring) with initial layers
of fine river clay (or alumina sand plus bentonite), followed by
coarser clay. Small amounts of charcoal, gingillee oil, cow dung
and natural (tree) resin may be added to the clay, especially for
cores. The clay-covered models are kept for 2-4 weeks to dry in
the sun until they are hard enough for handling. Then they are
tied with metal wire (to prevent expansion and breakage during
de-waxing), the models are heated using cow dung cakes for
melting out the wax, which is collected for reuse.

The Chola bronzes are made up of an alloy of various metals, like

copper (84%), zinc (14%) and tin (2%). Gold and silver was also
added in the making of idols of deities and other gods and
goddesses who are to be worshipped and for common and
general statues iron and lead may be added. The metal charge is
calculated in terms of the weight of the wax model (usually 8-9
times) and melted in a crucible furnace using wood charcoal and
coal as fuel. Hand-operated bellows are used for blowing air into
the furnace. The mould is preheated to the metal temperature
before pouring. After cooling, the mould is broken to expose the
casting. The gates and risers are removed, followed by filing and
polishing to acquire a glossy shine. Finer features are obtained by
chiseling with iron nails.

The ancient lost wax process is still practiced in many districts all
over India, such as in Bankura (West Bengal), Mayurbhanj, Puri
and Cuttack in Orissa, Tirupathi (Andhra Pradesh), Thanjavur and
Salem in Tamil Nadu, Mannar in Kerala, Mysore, Gulbarga and
Belgaum in Karnataka, Kolhapur and Nashik in Maharashtra,
Bastar in Chattisgarh, Aligarh and Moradabad Uttar Pradesh and
Mandi Himachal Pradesh. Similar practice is also found in Nepal,
Thailand and beyond. The swamimalai temple complex in
Thanjavur contains a vast number of statues made with the lost
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wax process.

The shilparatna describes the iconographical details various

deities. According to the text the Yoga Narsimha has sixteen
arms. He is holding in his hands a gada, chakra, shankha, bow,
parashu, asi & khadga(sword), a hala (plough), a trishul, kunta,
arrow, a snake, a lotus, musala (a pestle), tramsha, pasha and
ankusha. The yoga Narsimha also known as chakra rupi, is a lion
man and an avatar of Vishnu. He is often depicted on the back of
the chakra sculpture. He is presented as radiant as the sun and
with protruding tusks from the sides of his mouth.

Garuda has been described in shilparatna as having eight arms, in

six of them he holds water vessel, mace, conch shell, discus, sword
and snake, while the feet of Vishnu rests on his two front hands.

Shilparatna prescribes that mahishasurmardini should have ten

hands. In her right hands, she holds a trishul, a khadga,
shaktyayudha, a chakra and a dhanush. In her left hands she
should be carrying a pasha, an ankush, a khatak, a parshu and a
ghanta. A third eye is on her forehead, she should be wearing a
jata makuta, adorned with Chandra kala or the digit of moon on
her head.

Durga or mahishasurmardini is known for her bravery and

courage, she has full high breasts and a slim waist, and she stands
in a Tribhanga mudra or contrapposto pose. This is an ideal
posture for the human figure statues in medieval India. A buffalo
demon whose head is cut off, blood is gushing down its neck and
he is lying at her feet, indicates the victory of good over evil.

From inside its neck should be visible a half emerging real asura,
bound by a naga pasha of the devi. The right leg of the devi should
be on back of her mount (lion) and her left leg touching the
buffalo-body of demon.
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Shilpa Ratna indicates that architecture was quite evolved in the

ancient period. The figure of lions in Asoka Pillar is so beautiful
that it has been adopted as Indian National Emblem. Many
temples that are still in existence proclaim that the art of building
had attained a high refinement.

The Shilpa-ratna talks about Dakshinamurthy, who is an aspect of

the Hindu god Shiva and is known as a guru (teacher) of all types
of knowledge. This aspect of Shiva is his personification as the
supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and
knowledge. This form represents Shiva as a teacher of yoga,
music, and wisdom, and giving exposition on the Shastras. As per
scriptures, if a person doesn't have a Guru, then they can consider
and worship Lord Dakshinamurthy as their Guru.

Sri Dakshinamurthy must be adorned with five emblems or the

pancha mudra: the gem on the forehead called mani in Sanskrit,
the ear rings or kundala, the necklaces known as kanthika, the
bracelets on arms and legs called ruchaka in sanskrit and , the
girdle or mekhala. These ornaments are said to symbolize the
spiritual power or virya, forbearance or shanty, generosity or
daana, moral virtue or shila and wisdom.

Sri Dakshinamurthy

According to Shilpa Ratna the nature of Sri Dakshinamurthy is

sattva, pure, blissful, bright and serene (shantha). His complexion
is radiant like a clear crystal (shuddha spatikopama) or
soothingly bright as the jasmine flower or the moon (kundendu
dhavala prabha). He is also described as glowing like gold (hema
prabha) or dark (shyamabha). Some Tantric texts describe his
complexion as white as milk (kshira-gaura) or snow-white
(Kailasadri – nibha ) absorbed in in self (bhava shuddha ). His
countenance is free from even the traces of disturbance (klesha
vargitam). A soothing and gentle smile lights up his expression.
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His steady gaze is fixed upon the tip of his nose (nasagra drshti
yuk) or on the tip his toes (padagre drhsti patam ). His eyes must
be slightly open (kimchid unmiltair netraih) as in contemplation
(yoga dhyananusarinam). He is dressed in white upper garments
(sittottariya) and a yajnopavita (sita-upavita). His lower garment
is of tiger skin (vyagra charmambara ) or silk (divyambara ) .

Shilparatna, captivatingly, describes a female form of Ganesha

(Ganapati) called Shakti-Ganapati, who resides in the mountains
of Vindhyas. The deity has an elephant head and two trunks. She
looks like a young woman having a curvaceous body, a slim waist,
pot bellied, round hips and full blossoming breasts, she is
vermilion red in colour and with ten arms. This icon probably
belongs to Shaktism, the Hindu Goddess-worshipping sect.

However, this form is also interpreted as a composite of Ganesha

and his shakti, due to the presence of the twin trunks.
A Vinayaki sculpture is found in Chitrapur Math in Shirali. Here,
Vinayaki is full-breasted, but slender, unlike pot-bellied Ganesha.
Her two front hands are held in abhaya, fear not and vrada, boon
giving mudras. She carries a sword and a noose. Her trunk is
turned to the left. This image is said to be a Shakta Goddess.

The Vira or Virabhadra is a fearsome form of the Hindu god Shiva.

In Shilpa Ratna vira is described with eight arms, in a walking
posture, carries a Trident, Sword, Arrow and Antelope in right
arms and the Skull-cup ( Kapala ), Shield ( Khadga ), Bow and
Goad ( Mazhu ) in his left hands. This form is beautifully
sculptured in Thiruvannamalai Temple and is worshipped as
Aghora-Rudra-Murthi or Maha-Bhairava-Murthi.

In Shilpa-Ratna he is eight armed and rides a Vedala-Vahana

(Vampire) and is surrounded by his Bhuta-Ghanas (Nija-Gana-
Sahita). He is white complexioned and fierce looking. His tawny
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red matted locks are tied into a Knot in the top of his head (Jata-
Bhandha) and adorned with the crescent Moon. His hands carry
Battle-Axe, Hand-Drum, Sword, Shield, Skull-cap, Spear and his
front two hands are in Abhaya-Varadha gestures. He is clad in
Tiger skin.

In his Digambara Form, his body is adorned with many Serpents

(Bhujanga-Gana-Bhushana) and his third eye is equally awesome.
His eyebrows are knit in anger and his hair is like flames (Jvala-
kesa). His body is smeared with the blood of the enemies slain by
him and he also carried a Gada (Club) and Trishula (Trident).

In Sapta-Matruka Panels we find Veera-Bhadra is in the right end

and Ganapathi is in the left end flanking the Seven Mother
Goddesses in between.

As per Roopamandanam :-
“Veereswaracha Bhagavan Vrisharoodo Dhanur dhara :
Veena hastha : Trisulamcha Mathrunaam akradho bavedh //”

Veerabhadra when placed along with the Sapta-Matrukas is seen

holding the Bow, Arrow, Veena and Trisula, with a Varadha-Hasta
in sitting posture with the Nandhi Vahana at his foot.

The iconographic works like Shilparatna, the Matsya Purana and

Agamic texts like Amshumadbhedagama, Kamikagama,
Supredagama and Karanagama describe the iconography of
Ardhanarishvara.
"Champeya Gaurardha Shareerakayai Karpoora Gaurardha
Shareerakaya
Dhammillakayai Cha Jataadharaya Namah Shivayai Cha Namah
Shivaya"

- Ardhanari Nateshwara Stotra.

The meaning of this verse is as follows:
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"Salutations to Shivaa, who has a jasmine-colored, fair half-form

and who has long and beautiful curly locks
Salutations to Shiva, who has camphor colored half-form and who
has matted tresses"

Ardhanarishvara is one of the 64 manifestations of Parashiva, the

aspect of Lord Shiva, who is Absolute, beyond all human
comprehension and is hence considered the Nirguna Brahman
(the Supreme One, who is beyond attributes). Since
Ardhanarishvara represents the perfect synthesis of male and
female forms, it also embodies the Prakriti and the Purusha, the
feminine and masculine energies of the cosmos and also
illustrates how Shakti, the Sacred Feminine, is inseparable from
Shiva, the male principle of God. This form also symbolizes the all-
pervasive, all-enduring nature of Lord Shiva.

The right superior side of the body usually is the male Shiva and
the left is the female Parvati; in rare depictions belonging to the
Shaktism school, the feminine holds the dominant right side.

The male half wears a jata-mukuta (a headdress formed of piled,

matted hair) on his head, adorned with a crescent moon.
Sometimes the jata-mukuta is adorned with serpents and the
river goddess Ganga flowing through the hair. The right ear wears
a nakra-kundala, sarpakundala (“serpent-earring”) or ordinary
kundala (“earring”).

The female half of the deity is shown having a karanda-mukuta or

basket-shaped crown. The well-combed hair is neatly held in
place. The left ear wears a valika-kundala. A bindu or tilaka
adorns her forehead. While the male half of the neck is shown
ornamented with a hooded serpent, the female neck has a blue
lotus.
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The male half of the body has a flat masculine chest, broader
shoulder, wider waist and muscular thigh. He also wears a
yagnopavita or sacred thread across the chest. This sacred thread
may sometimes divide the torso into its male and female halves.

Sometimes, the male eye is depicted smaller than the female one
and a half-moustache is also seen. A half third eye (trinetra) is
prescribed on the male side of the forehead in the canons; a full
eye may also be depicted in middle of forehead separated by both
the sides or a half eye may be shown above or below Parvati’s
round dot. A common elliptical halo (prabhamandala/prabhavali)
may be depicted behind the head; sometimes the shape of the
halo may differ on either side.

The Shilparatna specifically talks about the oneness of Vishnu and

Lakshmi. It also denotes the combination of Sat (truth) and Cit
(consciousness), producing ananda (bliss) called Satcitananda.
Like Ardhanarishvara, the left half is female signifying Lakshmi,
the right is the male Vishnu. The icon is depicted standing on a
lotus pedestal or may be seated on the Garuda (the vahana –
mount – of Vishnu) as well as a tortoise or Kurma, often
associated with Vishnu, but aligned with Lakshmi as her mount in
this particular iconography.

Ardhnareeshwara

The Vishnu half holds the four traditional attributes of Vishnu:

chakra (discus), shankha (conch), gada (mace) and lotus.
The female half holds a kalasha (coconut-mango leaves atop a
pot) or kumbha (water-pot) filled with gems, mirror, manuscript
or book and a lotus. The goddess side may also hold a bell or a
rosary.

It is believed that the early iconography of Ardhnareeshwara

could have been inspired by the Vedic literature's composite
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figure of Yama-Yami, the combination of the primordial Creator

Vishvarupa or Prajapati and Agni, the Fire God. This figure
appears as a bull, who is also a cow. Interestingly, the
androgynous forms of Hermaphroditus and Agdistis are famous
in Greek mythology as well.

Shilpa Ratna describes takshaka and vardhaki as wood Shilpins;

takshaka possesses the knowledge of wood types and practices
the art of cutting wood, while vardhaki possesses the knowledge
of wood forms and practices the art of carpentry. Carpentry was
also an essential Shilpa Shastra during the construction of a Hindu
temple.

A mythical genealogy of the artists is given in most of the

architectural treatises. The four faces of Brahma, the creator, are
believed to have created the four heavenly architects
Visvakarman, Maya, Tvashtar, and Manu. Their four sons are
called respectively Sthapati, Sutra-grahin, Vardhaki, and
Takshaka. Each is an expert in his own skills. Sthapati is in rank
the director-general and the consulting architect, Sutra-grahin is
the guide (guru) of the other two, and Vardhaki is the instructor
of Takshaka. The Sthapati should have a proficient knowledge of
all Vedas.

Sutragrahin should also be proficient in the Vedas and Shastras .

But the special branch of his study is measuring and he must be
an expert in drawing and measurements or tala.

Vardhaki, too, should have the general knowledge of the Vedas.

But the objective of his special study is painting. Apart from tala
he should also be able to design architectural and sculptural
objects from his own ideas.

Takshaka, is the carpenter or joiner, he needs to be skilled in

carpentry. But he should also be proficient in clay work. He
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should follow the instructions of his three superiors, but at the

same time he must be proficient enough of doing all his works
independently. And he should have aspiration to rise in rank. But
he should be of good behaviour, clever, dexterous, learned in
sciences, free from excessive desire for gain, and generous to
forgive his rivals.

The shilparatna also instructs about ethics for stage performance,

like the optimal space for a performance. The Natya Griha
(classical Dance spaces and theatres), Natya means Postural
dance and Griha mean house or home in Kerala. The natya griha is
made according to the principles of the Natya Shastra and as one
of the oldest performance arts it is still practiced according the
same rudiments.

The mudras play an essential role in classical dances like

Bharatnatyam, Kathakali. Shilparatna describes the elaborate
codified language of mudras. Mudras are stylized gestures and
symbolic signs made by the hands and body posture used in
Bharatanatyam and Kathakali and known as angika abhinaya that
literally means body-expressions.
I hope you liked the episode and found the information helpful in
your understanding of the ancient text of Shilpa Ratna and its
contribution in laying down the fundamentals of Indian Arts.