The Six limbs of Indian Art

The definition of art is the product of imagination and creativity, particularly in a physical form. A painting, theatrical performance and a sculpture are each an example of art.

Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.

 

Roopabhedah pramanani bhava-lavanya-yojanam | Sadrishyam varnakabhangam iti chitram shadakam ||”

This Shloka enumerates the six limbs of Indian Art- Rupa-bheda (secrets of form), pramanani (proportion), bhava (emotional Disposition), lavanya-yojanam (gracefulness in composition), sadrisyam (('similitude')and varnika-

Indian art is considered to have originated during the peak of the Indus Valley Civilization, somewhere around 2500 BC. Indian paintings during the time were often inspired by spirituality and sensuality, making it stand out in terms of content and aesthetics, an aspect that is appreciated even today.

Saranga-The Art Of Painting.  

Those are the variety of form, proportion, infusion of emotions,the creation of lustre and iridescence, portrayal of likeliness and the colour mixing to produce the effect of modelling. The Sadanga translated mean: Roopbheda – The knowledge of looks and appearances.

 

Now, India of the 1st century BC had seen the evolution of the ‘Sadanga’ or the Six Limbs of painting, which are considered as the prime principles of the art even today. 

 The Six Limbs are:“Roopabhedah pramanani bhava-lavanya-yojanam |  

The Sadanga translated mean:

Roopbheda – The knowledge of looks and appearances.

‘Roopa’ means the outer form or appearance of the subject. ‘Roopabheda’ enables an artist to perceive and depict things as they appear. Of course, this knowledge cannot depend solely on the power of sight. Experience is as much important as the former.

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Pramanani – Accuracy and precision of measurement and structure.

This principle is governed by certain laws, which give us the capability of proving the correctness of our perception and delineation. ‘Pramamani’ teaches us the exact measure, proportion and distance of the subjects. It provides an insight into the structural anatomy of objects, too.

Bhava – The feelings on forms.‘Bhava’ means an emotion, a feeling, an intention, or an idea. This aspect of art is depicted in the form of feelings expressed by the subject. . A bhava is like a breeze of air – it gives the painting the much-needed motion.

Lavanya Yojanam – Blending grace in an artistic representation.Your painting should be gracefully high in its artistic quality. 

Abanindranath Tagore, the famous artist from West Bengal, has described lavanya yojanam as a ‘loving mother,’ who is also careful about the rules of raising up her child. We can also imagine the aspect as a round pearl without its luster. It won’t attract buyers, anyway.

·         Sadrisyam or Resemblance.

This is perhaps the most challenging task of creating a painting. Sadrisyam suggests the degree to which a depiction is similar to an artist’s vision or the subject itself. In a way, it is also a way of depicting similitude.

Why do poets often compare a woman’s locks of hair with a snake? Why is a beautiful girl called ‘moon-faced’? Why are her lips like rose petals and eyes like those of a deer? . The delineation must come from their artistic way of painting.

·         Varnakabhangam - An artistic way of making use of the brush and colours.

The term translated means the way a subject is being drawn and coloured. So, obviously, there shall be the use of brush and pigments. What this principle focuses on, is the way the strokes are being applied to a canvas, and the knowledge of the artist about the different colours.

The Sadanga is an inevitable part of every great Indian masterpiece. From the ancient paintings of Ajanta to those created by Raja Ravi Verma, and Hussain of today, you will observe that every notable artist has silently put to use all the six principles.