Bhadrasana Ardhanarishvara Water Painting - Exotic India Art
by Kapil Goel DirectorThe
Ardhanarishvara is a powerful image of Sankhyadarshana (‘darshana’ is
equivalent to what in the West counts as philosophy). It is the confluence of
purusha and prakrti, the manifesting deva for the former being Lord Shiva and
the manifesting devi for the latter being His wife, Devi Parvati. From this
confluence emerges the entirety of existence; the union of the two is the very
picture of life-force and fecundity, and even destruction.
This gentle water color depicts the two deities as one, seated in bhadrasana on a mat of tiger-skin.
They are the primordial yogis, Lord Shiva having imparted the knowledge of yoga
to His Parvat; in fact, Yogadarshana is the applied aspect of the more
theoretical Sankhyadarshana. Bhadrasana Ardhanarishvara wields a trishool; She, a noose. A sliver of
the moon graces His matted locks, while Her gorgeous curls are held in place by
a bejewelled crown. He is bare-bodied but for the loincloth, in stark contrast
to which She is drawing the pallu of Her saree over Her torso with Her anterior
hand.
Their mat is spread on the
transverse section of a gigantic tree, set amidst the pale landscape of the
lower Himalayan reaches. The painter has chosen a particularly verdant spot to
depict his Ardhanarishvara in. In the foreground is the devoted Nandi on His
haunches, looking ahead with a gaze as gathered and serene as the
Ardhanarishvara’s.
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Created on Dec 19th 2019 08:28. Viewed 1,270 times.