Page 10 - Jul - Sep 2021

SCIENCE OF THE ARTS DID YOU KNOW?
The most discussed form of
craft in the Shilpa Shastras is
SHILPA SHASTRA STORY the Madhuchista Vidhana (or lost
wax) casting process. What is so
interesting about this process?
Shilpa Shastra represents the ancient Indian science of creative arts. Shilpa
Shastra deals with art and crafts such as creating statues, icons, stone murals,
painting, carpentry, pottery, jewellery, dying, textiles and others.

The creative arts, as we all know, are Carpentry: Shilpa Shastra Manasara
highly varied and it is diffi cult to restrict discusses the measurement
them to just a few themes. Therefore, the principles for carpentry. Rig Veda
Shilpa Shastra consisted of a number of mentions the earliest carpentry
texts on the arts. Out of the many that arts. It was also an essential Shilpa
were covered in the texts of the Shilpa Shastra for the construction of
Shastra, some are: Hindu temples.

Painting: Shilpa Shastras include Metallurgy: Shilparatna and
chapters on paintings, both miniature Manasara describe the process
and large. The Sanskrit treatises, and principles for art work with
Narada and Saraswati Shilpa Shastra metals, particularly for alloys such
among others, discuss the technical as panchdhatu (fi ve metals) and
aspects of a painting in addition to ashtadhatu (eight metal alloys).
spiritual themes. The proportions of diff erent kinds
of arts and crafts like sculptures are
defi ned in the Sutras.

BHARAT MUNI’S NATYASHASTRA ACTIVITY: NAVARASA
The navarasas are the nine important
The Natyashastra is one of the most important texts from ancient India. It emotions that are depicted through
gave important details about the performing arts. dramas and other performances. Four of
Let us read more about this… them have been illustrated, draw the rest.
AUTHOR Hasya: laughter Shringara: love

The author for this text is Bharata Muni. While Raudra: anger Bhayanaka: fear
Karuna: sorrow Adbutha: wonder
some say the writer was a muni or a sage, others
Veera: courage Bibhatsa: disgust
believe that it could also be a short form ‘bha’ for
Shantha: peace
bhava or mood, ‘ra’ for raga or melody, and ‘ta’ for
tala or rhythm.
CONTENT

While it is offi cially believed to be a
documentation of the Science of Drama, it
was not just limited to that. It was a text for all
performing arts.
Haasya Karuna
CHAPTERS
It has 36 chapters with a total of 6000 poetic verses. However, the original
is said to have 12000 verses. Some of the topics that are covered are:
the creation of drama, the theory of rasa, emotions, facial expressions,
hand gestures, poses and postures, recitation, enunciation, make-up,
instruments, songs etc.
Veera Roudra

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