Goddess Swaraswati

Goddess Swaraswati 

Mt. Adu,  Dilwara Temple,14th Century AD,National Museum, New Delhi

           Considered to be the purest of the three Goddesses, Goddess Swaraswati is the goddess of learning and wisdom. Without learning there can be no creation. Thus, She is the shakti (power) of Lord Brahma, the creator.  According to Hindu iconography all goddesses are to be depicted as eternally young, bejewelled, and bare chested. Here even Goddess Swaraswati is shown as bare chested. But when M. F. Hussain painted her thus, a national outcry was raised as offending religious sentiments. Bare chest is merely symbolic of the life giving energy which is so essential for survival. Goddesses personify the life energy. Thus, they are bare from the top. 

          Despite the fact that Japan happens to be a Buddhist nation, Goddess Swaraswati is the second most popular diety in Japan , after Lord Buddha. We are progressively forgetting her as a Hindu diety.

Lord Ganesh

Lord Ganesh

Kangra School, 18th Century AD, National Museum, New Delhi



           A very unusual painting of Lord Ganesh. Generally He is shown as fair skinned person, but here He is shown in vermillion color. He rarely carries a rosary in his hand, yet here He does. He is hardly ever portrayed with a lotus, but He is carrying a lotus here. Although He does wear a serpant as a belt on his stomach, here the serpant is around his neck.

           His vermilion color points towards the strength of wisdom; the rosary to meditation; the axe to the ability of learning and wisdom to cut through every difficulty / obstacles;  lotus to beauty and reward; the snake to the ability to rejuvenate and life. He sits on a white lotus--pointing towards the ability to detach oneself from the material world. The image is as much of a God, as it is of a wise Man or a sage. 

Bodhisattva Manjushri

Bodhisattva  Manjushri

Palau Dynasty,10th Century AD,National Museum, New Delhi

            The Palate dynasty were great patrons of art and architecture. The largest stupa was built under them and can be found in what is today called Bangladesh. They patronised both Buddhism and Hinduism. The figures in their sculptures are tallish, slim, graceful and serene. In their simplicity and elegance and tranquility they carry the tradition of Gutta art. 

           Bodhisattva are Buddhist figures who forgo Nirvana in order to save the people from their miseries. We all are innate Bodhisattvas.  The need is merely to take on salvation of others on our shoulders. 

Kal Bhairav

 Kal Bhairav

 Khajaraho School, 11th Century AD,  National Museum, New Delhi

          Kal Bhairav represents the destructive side of Lord Shiva. In order to destroy evil He causes natural calamities. Although he is supposed to be ferocious looking, here he is represented as a bearded young man. He holds a bell in his left upper hand, which symbolises Time. In other hands, He would have held a bowl of fire, a severed head of a demon, and an axe or other sharp edged weapon. 

           Although we mortals live as though we are immortals, but natural calamities remind us of our fragile existence.

Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi

Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi

Pratihara Dynasty, 10th Century AD, Ajmer Museum

One of the finest sculptures of the Ajmer Museum. Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi quietly sit over Garuda. The serenity of their face, the tranquility of their pose imbibes a sense of divinity to the sculpture. The elaborate jewelry, the young bodies of the God and Goddess makes them eternally young and immortals. One can only bow in reverence to such idols

Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati

Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati

Pratihara Dynasty, 10th Century AD, Ajmer Museum

The Hindu Trinity is depicted here. While Lord Brahma sits in meditation, Lord Vishnu flies of on his vehicle, the Garuda. Meanwhile, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati sit quietly. Interestingly, while Lord Shiva is shown with his consort, the other two Gods are without their consorts. Is it that the God of destruction requires more energy than the God of creation, and the God of maintenance do? A point to ponder.

Mahadev

Mahadev

Elephanta Caves,8th Century AD

The Rashtrakuta dynasty were great builders. The Elephanta Caves, dedicated to Lord Shiva, were carved during their period. When the Portuguese came, they saw an island off the shore of Bombay, which had a sculpture of an elephant standing on the shore. Hence, the name Elephanta.

This sculpture depicts Lord Shiva in His three aspects as the creator, the maintainer, and the destroyer. He is the Supreme Being or Mahadev. The sculpture captures the eternal existence of the cosmos, where things are being created, maintained and destroyed simultaneously. The sculpture is symbolic and portrays a philosophical concept. The Europeans could not understand the deep philosophical aspect of Indian art. Seeing art from the prism of "realism", they found the Indian art as grotesque and bizzar. But these sculpture depict the essence of Indian philosophy.

Bodhisattva Padampani

Bodhisattva Padampani

Pala Dynasty,10th Century AD

Bodhisattva Padampani is known as the Bodhisattva of compassion. Hence his downward gaze at the devotees. Bodhisattvas are unique to Buddhism. Like Lord Buddha they can reach Nirvana (the final release from the cycle of life and death), but they choose not to do so. They wish to come back to this 'mrityulok' (world of death) in order to relieve the miseries of the people. They are the noble souls we see around us. We can find them in our parents and servants, in our teachers and friends. We ourselves should strive to be like the Bodhisattva Padampani, the compassionate.

Lord Vishnu with Godess Laxmi and Godess Saraswati

Lord Vishnu with Godess Laxmi and Godess Saraswati

Pala Dynasty, 10th Century AD

According to the belief prevalent during the 10th century, Lord Vishnu was married to both Godesses Lakshmi and Saraswati. Hence, both the godesses are show in this sculpture. After all you need both money (wealth ) and learning in order to maintain the cosmos.

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati

Post-Gupta period, 6th Century AD.

The Gupta period is considered the 'golden period' of India. In the fine arts it achieved its zenith. It created an art of simplicity, harmony and tranquillity where the figures were detached, serene, and inward looking. They were simply dressed, but exuded noble souls. The iconography created during this period, set the standard for art of Asia.

Here we see Lord Shiva sitting with his wife, Goddess Parvati on Nandi, the bull. Curiously, Goddess Parvati sits on a cushion even while she is mounted on the bull ! Lord Shiva, known for his meditation and detachment, has been transformed into a loving husband, for he gently embrasses Goddess Parvati. The mind and the matter sit aloft the wild untamed Nature keeping it under control.