Summary:
The cultural heritage of India lies in its recognition of inner landscape of man which expresses itself in outer landscape of man comprising myriad petal of louts flower.
The diversities are hold together like planets in their orbit. Two examples are given here to understand this unity in diversity. First is of human body. It is made up of different system each inter related and interconnected and in which both physical and spiritual are contained.
The second example is of chariot wheel. The centre is still which represents nirvana or moksha. The era between the spokes represent sensory desires, all harnessed at the centre. The Rigveda stated it as "Truth is one but its expressions are many."
Know thou the soul as riding in a chariot.
The body as the chariot.
Know thou the intellect as the chariot driver and the mind as the reins.
The senses they say are the horses
The object of sense what they range over.
The self combined with senses and mind
Wise man call it enjoyer
Indian Architecture whether stupas or temples or the mosques embodies the same world view, The mud walls, bricks and stones are expressions of the multiple forms following and in to a still centre. Invariably it begins with interior unity and manifests itself through a spectrum of multiple forms which evokes harmony and equanimity. There is first and foremost a center. The center enlarges itself to a vast circle or square. The ornamentations play their role a ascending oneness. Each detail can be separated but in fact none is autonomous, each unit is part of whole, interwoven and interlocked. In totality it represents heaven on the Earth the Sumeru. Ultimately it evokes a transcendental experience of bliss.
The centre of mosque or temple present Sunya, Nirvana or Moksha. All the temples or mosques speak the same language of transcendence and heightened experience.
Sculpture likewise manifest the vision of wholeness through method of impersonalization. Indian art is not portraiture of specific. Buddha is Buddha, the prince Siddharth but he is more. He is compassion, pathos and grace in absolute. They are beyond their cultural boundaries, an aspect of vast ocean of Karuna, the Compassion.
The image of Shiva and Vishnu, on the other hand combining three principles of involution and devolution as conjoined images of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are only the principles of creation or destruction, all express unmanifested unity.
The many faces and arms of the image are parts of the whole which leads to transcendental experience of bliss. The famous image of Shiva in Elephanta called "Trimurti" is Shiva as Sadasiva, as Parvati and as Aghora.
Paintings schools likewise give further evidence of this dominant mood. The range of painting is vast from Ajanta to Islamic geometrical designs but they all are abstract and impersonal.
Music, dance and drama express the same vision. The beginning is the same still Centre, the invariable inwardness, than there is enlargement in expanding circles of the cosmos. The micro units of sound, light, shade, accents are only the periphery. Together the still Centre and its flowering like lotus petal evoke the state of heightened experience. Through the beautiful language of movement Indian dance provides the most concrete manifestation of inner state of vision.
The dance like poetry, music, sculpture seeks to communicate universal emotions through the medium of human form, it transcends the physical plane. Dance interprets in movement what music interprets in sound.
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Questions & Answers:
Q.1 In what does the cultural heritage of India lie?
Ans. The cultural heritage of India lies in recognition of inner world of man which express itself in diverse from like myriad petal of lotus flower.
Q.2 "Truth is one but its expressions are many." Tell the source from where this quotation has been extracted.
Ans. "Truth is one but its expressions are many." This quotation has been extracted from the Rig Veda
Q.3 What did the Katha Upnishad speak about the body of man?
Ans. The Katha Upnishad speaks about the body of man as the charioteer and the chariot wheel
Q.4 Is Indian figurative art portraiture of specific?
Ans. No, Indian figurative art is not portraiture of specific.
Q.5 What is the significance of Trimurti in Elephanta?
Ans. The significance of Trimurti in Elephanta is that it is made up of Shiva as Sdsiva, as Parvati and as Aghora. Through the union of these three the fourth state of complete equanimity is achieved.
Q.6 How does Indian dance provide manifestation of the inner state and vision?
Ans. Indian dance provide manifestation of the inner state and vision through a beautiful and complete language movement.
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