The Bliss of Sublime

The mild stroking of the face manifests the erotic as much, as the various sexual postures seen on the facades of Indian temples and in vibrant Rajasthani miniatures. Etymologically, erotica has a western implication. It is derived from 'Eros ' the Greek god of physical desire. The word 'erotic' came into force only as late as the 19th century when booksellers who wanted to give respectability to a category of books that the police could otherwise confiscate as pornographic started to use this word. Today artists openly produce erotica.

That which is amatory, stimulating, sexual. That which is between the romantic and the lascivious. That which evokes the ' Shringer rasa ' and leads to the 'vilasam bhava' (pleasure), which in turn leads to 'maithuna' (sexual act) and ultimately to the state of 'ananda' (bliss) - is erotic. Sages of yore laid great emphasis on teaching both women and men how to fully explore today as they were 2000 years ago.

From the luminous wall paintings of Ajanta, to the pattachitras of Orissa or the miniatures of Rajasthan, the element of the erotic in Indian art, is ubiquitous.

Hindu artists accepted the sensual and erotic as an integral part of life and dealt with them accordingly in their carvings, paintings and writing. To some Western eyes, used to Victorian standards, the results may appear offensive. But it is so only because unless one has some knowledge of the ideals that governed the Indian mind, one cannot fully appreciate erotic art and its representations in India. It is deeply rooted in Indian philosophy and religion and most often than not, in its varied expressions, there is a sublime urge, a search beyond.

'Kama' or the Indian god of love has been integral to the Indian ethos right from the dawn of civilization. In fact one must begin by understanding the role of sex in the scheme of thing according to the Hindu ethos.

More than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life according to prescribed codes of ancient India. Every Hindu had to undergo 16 denotary rituals ( samskaras ) and 4 stage of life (ashrama). The final aim of life is salvation or moksha. Which is the merging of the individual soul (atma) with the supreme soul (the paramatma). One can attain moksha by following the aims of life or 'purushartha' i.e. dharma. Artha and kama. While 'dharma' signifying duty. Social obligations and justice, and 'artha' underpinning power and material success. The Vedas translate 'kama' as the third aim of human life or 'purushartha'. It represents love pleasure and sex and more broadly the sensual experience in its totality encompassing all of the arts.

The pursuit of pleasure (kama) is therefore one of the important aims of life on the path to deliverance. The ancient Indians took a healthy and integrated view of all aspects of life and gave sex its due importance in the overall picture 'Maithuna' or the sexual act was believed to be as natural as any other life process and hence no taboo or inhibitions were attached to it. The worship of the genatalia has been prevalent for centuries and it is considered a part and parcel of Hindu worship.

In fact, so broad is the category of 'kama' that a very thin line divides the concept of the erotic from the esoteric i.e. the bhakti' (devotional ) and 'tantric' (ritualistic) traditions. In ancient India erotica was conceived as sacred - a sexual impulse, which generated divine pleasure and led to union with the Superior Being. Hindus put creation itself in sexual terms.

'The Hymn of Creation' in the Rig-veda dated around 900 B.C attributes thee beginning of creation to sexual desire and call it 'the primal germ of the human mind.' One of the earliest representations of the sexual motifs in art is found in sculptures from the Buddhist period in the form of 'dampati' scenes. Hinduism, the oldest religion in the world, teaches that the literature of sex and love is of divine origin, derived from a collection of all knowledge compiled in some he study of ' kama' or the pursuit of sexual pleasure10,.000 chapters by prajapati, the Supreme God and creator of heaven and earth. Include in this text was the study of 'kama' or the pursuit of sexual pleasure.

Eventually the sage Vatsyayana in his 'Kamasutra' ( 4th century A.D. ) put it down in the form it has survived. The most celebrated deity of the Hindu pantheon; Krishna is particularly noted for his interest in the female sex, having some 16,018 wives. But the etern! Love of Krishna - Radha gave sex a whole new meaning - it was one attached closely to religion through the union of the human self and the divine. Sexual and sensual desires coalesced and turned from being ordinary and common to the divine leading to 'ananda' or heavenly pleasure.

Another strain involving the principles of 'kama ' is the tradition of the 'tantra'. Highly misunderstood today as a free - love cult, a survival of the psychedelic sixties a new age spiritual sex therapy, the sanskrit word ' Tantra' is a mystical subject lining us with the universe. Tantricism is so called because its adherents follow scriptures known as 'tantras'. These scriptures provide detailed instructions on a wide range of topics, including spiritual knowledge, technology and science. Their content is often paradoxical. In Tantra, science and mysticism go hand in hand Tantra yoga texts are dated to the medieval period during the Pala rule in north India (8th-12th century A.D.) several archaeological remains of the 'yoni' and 'lingam' from the Neolithic period have led theorists that 'sex worship' in one form or another is the oldest religion in the world.

Starting with Vedic literature, the magical aspect of sex assumed an imperative role in everyday life as was evident in the Ashuamedha 'yagna'. This ritual, a sacrifice, lasted for a complete year in which a monarch displayed his power over neighbouring kingdom. Ritual and copulation and sexual dialogue were an important component of the rite. The wives of the king participated; the chief queen was made to lie with the horse while the other queens used abusive language. This was a part of the agricultural theme. Yet another rite enjoyed restraint, with the king being made to lie between the legs of his favourite wife, without enjoying her.

Another popular tradition was that of the 'devadasis' (girls who danced for the gods ) of ancient India. They included the their dances were a subtle unveiling who made erotica a part of their musical and dance performance. The primordial Indian god Shiva is the pinnacle of Indian erotica. He is at once the 'mahayogi' and 'mahabhogi'. Within Shiva, resides the strictest ascetic and the playful lover of his consort Parvati. While Shiva and Parvati epitomize the generative aspect of sex, Krishna and Radha symbolize pure 'shringara' or the recreational aspect of sex. In fact, in the last chapter of the 'Brihadarankya' Upanishad' the concept of the mind and the earth imagery is related to the bliss of coital union. The philosophical base of the idea rests on 'samkhya' dualism.

These instances highlight the social scenario of ancient India. The Hindus gave a much freer reign to feelings for the sensual and erotic as compared to the contemporary Judeo-Christrian communities. Sex was not only for procreation but was deeply embedded in recreation, pleasure power and magic. It was only with the coming of the British that such free depiction of the erotic in texts and its various manifestations was inhibited and restrained. Subsequently, from the 4th till the 16th centuries Indian literature abound in erotic texts, mostly written in Sanskrit.

Kamasutra

'Vatsayana's kamasutra-'Treatise on Desire' was written in literary Sanskrit in 3rd century AD. No details are available on the sage Vatsayana except that it was composed in chastity and highest meditation. Vatsayana cites earlier authors in the course of his own text either to strengthen his own standpoint or to refute earlier viewpoints. In that sense the kamasutra was more a "summation of all existing ideas on sexuality rather than a path breaking work." However all the later works on eroticism such as the ' kokashatra' of Kukkoka regard Vatsayana's treatise as the authoritative test on the subject and use it as a source book for their own works.

Contrary to popular belief the Kamasutra is not " oriental erotica" or "pornographic literature". It elucidates the means to attain" kama" or the third purusharth of human life. It does delineate the famous '64 erotic sexual positions' but there are innumerable lists besides these. It offers detailed advice but it also set the context in which erotic experiences were to be viewed i.e. moral and social underpinnings were also clarified. It gives us a detailed picture of our lives and adventures and the prevalent social conditions of the time i.e. pre-Gupta period where there is already a settled urban and cosmopolitan context.

It is divided into 7 books, each one dealing with subjects like types of erotic desires, virgins, wives, adultery (though he does not favour its practise), courtesans and aphrodisiacs. It also states the 64 arts which need to be studied along with the kamasutra for a'nagarika' to find success in his relations with women. It is clearly distinct it completed from 'romatic love'. There is no adoration of the beloved or pinning for the passionate lover. From being a scholastic text book the Kamasutra is full of dramatic dialogues and soliloquies. The Kamasutra in a nutshell is meant for the cultured hedonist who seeks his pleasure within the moral and social order in which it is placed.

Several erotic texts and regional translations derived from the Kamasutra, soon followed. With time, erotica found its way into the lifestyles of the people- from shringar combs and ornamented mirror rings to erotic imagery on dwarpals and the facades of their temples. So integrated was this element in the lives of contemporary society that local rajas and patrons began commissioning artists and writers to produce erotica in the form of pleasure books; folios, naughty texts and toys. As a result erotica found expression over a wide spectrum crossing boundaries in materials (from palm leaf manuscripts, terracotta objects and erotic bronze figures) and geographical space. Each region developed its own semblance and distinctiveness while representing the erotic element an its assorted manifestations.

In retrospection, India can boast of a history of over 4.000 years of erotica manifested in literature and the arts diffused over the length and breadth of the country, which offer a breathtaking visual feast.

In classic Sanskrit treatises, the sculptor has been given various names. He is known as the Sadhak (Admirer), the Manrtrin (Wizard), and the Yogi (Visionary). This is perhaps explained by the ultimate aim of the sculptor to be primarily spiritual and only secondarily aesthetic. The sculptor was not endeavouring to portray the mere perfection of the physical structure, as with the Greeks. He believed that even the perfect human figure could not fully manifest the higher spiritual values of life, nor contain within itself the attributes and qualities of the divinity.

India-home to 5,000 year old Indus Valley Civilisation, one of the oldest in the world has been witness to a sea change of mores, ethnicity and traditions. From the coming of the Aryan tribes in 1500 BC to the early Arabs, Turks, and the Mughals and finally the Europeans in the 15th century AD, India has subsequently inherited an extraordinary classical and amalgamated culture. As religion, thought and language began to diversify from region to region, so did art and its varied erotic manifestations.

Beginning with the north, the two greatest literary renditions of this region of glorious literary and philosophical profundity are the Indian epics Vyasa's 'Mahabharata' and Valmiki's 'Ramayana'. These contain several episodes of erotic love and recreated the superlative images of what men and women ought to be and we get a glimpse of their spontaneous urges for free love.

After the Mauryan dynasty fell in 184 BC the Guptas (3rd to 8th century A.D.) revived the northern empire and ushered in what is today called the golden age of Indian Culture. Literature, poetry and drama flourished under the aegis of Chandra Gupta II. Kalidasa adorned his court, whose unprecedented poetic excellence was hardly ever surpassed. His 'Kumarasambhava' is a feted piece of Sanskrit erotic poetry of the classical period. He gave the most intense expression of free in this poem, which is essentially the celebration of the marriage of Shiva- Parvati whom he regards as the 'primordial parents.' The concept erotic love was always perceived as a manifestation of the divine love of the gods and hence was completed accepted into and liberated from the imperatives of society.

King Harshvardhan of the 7th century AD encouraged Sanskrit writers like Bana who wrote 'Kadambari'- a masterpiece of erotic pose, which was completed by his son Bhushana Bhatta.

The 11th century Kashmiri poet Bilhana composed the love lyric 'Chaurpanchasika' The poem purports to be the final testament of a tutor sentenced to death for falling in love with his pupil, a princess. It consists of 50 confessional, erotic verses written in first person. This piece of work marks a shift in the depiction of the erotic in this region with artists giving bolder expression to their imaginative and creative liberies.

Kokashatra

Following these is the 'Rati Rahasya' (Mysteries of Passion) better known as the 'Kokashatra'

By Pandit Kukkoka in the 12th century A.D. he composed the wotk to please one Vendutta, who was perhaps a king. It is essentially identical in matter to the 'Kamasutra' and these two works are often used discriminately. The work contains nearly 800 verses and is divided into ten chapters, which are called 'Pachivedas'. Some of the subjects treated in this text are not to be found in the Kamasutra' like the classification of women into 4 groups i.e. Padmini, Chitrini, Shankini, and Hastini. Also not mentioned ever before is Koka's enumeration of the days and hours on which women of the different classes become subject to love.

With these proliferating texts divide between spiritual and the secular was being blurred. Temple worship has always been central to the Hindu religion. But one would notice how most Hindu Temples are lusciously carved with erotic sculptures and embellishments. The woman has been as ubiquitous symbol in these manifestations. It is possible that some temple builders regarded creation or reproduction as the greatest miracle and hence glorified it. Shakti or the Feminine principle or the Yin of Hinduism was and still is much reversed in India. She has been extensively worshipped as Durga and Kali in West Bengal and Orissa.

This brings us to Central India, where the undoubted masterpiece of erotic temple architecture is epitomised in the temples of Khajuraho. They represent the culmination of the central Indian style of architecture. They are India's unique gift of love to the world, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, were built between 950 and 1050 AD.

Khajuraho derives its name from the Khajur tree ( the date palm tree ), which can be found in abundance in the area. The divine sculptures in these temples, are tributes to life itself, embodying every - thing that is sublime and spontaneous about it. The murals depict the life and times of the Chandelas, and celebrate the erotic state of being. They not only testify to the mastery of the craftsman, but also to the extraordinary breadth of vision of the Chandela Rajputs under whose reign, these temples were constructed. The temples are linked to the Universal Being and the body of the temple, like the human body,has several interrelated parts a metaphor similar to the Western medieval concept of a church.

Not all erotic expressions found in temples in India can be considered sacred or pure. Many perceive them as obscene. But they are worthy expressions of art nonetheless.

Geet Govinda

Jaidev's 'Geet Govinda' written in the 12th century is a symbolic representation of the love of Krishna - Radha revived through the 'Bhakti' cults of devotion to the God of happiness. The hero, who is god and the mortal woman, his consort experience fluid feelings, intense feelings and evanescent stirings. But the actual variegated personal relationship between the poet jaidev and his dancer wife is lifted into sublime universality.

The bhakti cult of devotion to God held a strong grip over Northern India. The eternal love of Krishna- Radha was extensively portrayed in litreture and art. This theme was extensively depicted in painting too especially in the miniatures, which became popular with the coming of the Mughals in India in the 15th century. This rich indigenous tradition then spread to the west to the present day states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The miniature tradition of painting goes back at least to the 11th century when palm-leaf manuscripts of jaina religious texts were prepared in different parts of south west and central Rajasthan. After the introduction of paper in the 14th century the Rajasthani painter had more freedom to creative ideas. Miniatures are small, colourful pictures painted in glowing mineral and vegetable colours on hand made papers.

Miniatures painting, like many other great arts, were brought to India by the Mughals with the valuable assistance of the Persians. Of all the art forms in the Mughal period, miniature paintings are painstakingly painted creations that depict the events and life-style of the Mughals in their magnificent palaces.

The purpose of Rajasthani paintings is pleasure. Hence, women have been given prominence in all the artists’ creations. Folk paintings have also developed side by side. Use of vibrant colours, bold lines, two-dimensional treatment of figures and entire composition distributed in compartments are some of the unique features of these paintings, popularly known as ‘phad’ paintings.

In Orissa, the major iconographic representation of the erotic is found in the form of patachitras.

Patachitras are religious folk paintings, many of which abound with the erotic element. Patachitras exhibit the strong line and brilliant colour that are the two principal aspects of Orissan folk painting.

The artists who paint patachitras are called chitarakas. Sometimes a whole family is engaged in the work of preparing pata-chitras, under the supervision of the master painter in the family. The chitrakars typically live in the vicinities of temples, such as the famous temple of Jagananth (considered a manifestation of the God Vishnu) in Puri, a seaside pilgrimage city on the Bay of Bengal. Chitrakars are also concentrated in the nearby village of Raghurajpur.

The term Pata-chitra is a compound of two Sanskrit words. Pata means “cloth” or “ canvas” or a cloth with a painting on it or the painting itself. The term is used in other areas of northeast India to mean a painting, typically a folk painting. The other part of the compound chitra means “painting” or a “picture” or “illustration”. Thus pata-chitra means a picture on cloth.

The subject matter of patachitras often contain erotic themes like the kandarpa ratha ( Cupid-car) and the nari ashva (women-horse). In the former, a group of gopi (cowherd) maidens form themselves into a chariot in which the rides their beloved Krishna or sometimes Krishna and his sweetheart Radha ride together.

This theme involves the gopis whose bodies are arranged in such a manner as to create the impression of a sportive horse. In this image, just as the chariot of the kandarpa ratha

Is comprised of gopi maidens. So is horse composed of the naked bodies of young women. Krishna rides joyfully on this horse holding his flute and striding perhaps upon the buttocks of that pretty maiden whose body forms the back of the horse. Furthermore the frenzied girls are the vehicles on which or in which Krishna rides. Thus the picture also reveals the undercurrents of sexuality that are present in the Vrindavan episodes in Krishna's life as told in the Srimad Bhagavata Purana.

But one cannot talk of the pattachitras without tracing their origin to the palm leaf paintings of central and south India Palm leaf is called Olaichuvadi in Tamil. Hundreds of years back before the invention of paper, people used to write and draw on palm leave. Strips of palm leaf are collected from different trees and then sorted on the basis of their similarity in appearance, colour and texture. These are then dried and stitched together with a string. These paintings are made by making incision with an iron stylus (ezhuththaani). Palm leaf illustrations are mainly of two types simple engravings or illustrations in pure line and engraving with colour fillings. The majority of the illustrations are in lines only.

Palm leaf illustrations are executed on oblong sections of palm leaf. When these are intended for a manuscript they are bound together with a thread, passing just through the middle of the leaves.

Apart from making illustrated palm leaves into manuscripts, other types of innovations were made. When a story is depicted within the limit of six or seven folios or even a few more these are joined lengthwise with the help of threads to form a rectangular or square format. These could be folded and opened or could be hung on the wall. This practice is borrowed from the Pata Paintings. Some illustrated palm leaves are shaped like a temple. The illustrations in these rectangular hangings may be limited to a single leaf of the format or may spread to the other leaves. A temple is incised on this with a pair of palm leaf doors provided to create the impression of the shrine.

Sex education was also prevalent in some form or the other in the kingdoms of south India as is illustrated in the study chambers of the royal palaces of the Chola dynasty of the 10th century (?) A.D.

The poetry of 'cankum' in Tamil literature dates from around the time of Christ. These poems are arranged in two categories, the interior or 'akam' pertaining to love and family and the exterior or 'puram' relation to wars and kings. The 'akam' perms classify five stages of erotic love according to the five types of landscape in Tamil Nadu. For example a flower or tree of a particular region evokes a particular type of love.

Pancha

'Panchacayala' ('Five Arrows' ) written by Jyotirisha in the 14th century. He is called the chief ornament of poets, the treasure of thee 64 art and the best teacher of the rules of music lle said that he composed the work after reflecting on the aphorisims of love as revealed by the gods and pays allegiance to Gonikaputra, Babhravya, Ramtideva, Nanikeshwara and Ksheendra. This work contains nearly 600 verses and is divided into 5 charters 'sayakas' or 'arrows'

Anang Ranga

Anang Ranga ('Theatre of the Love God') written by Kalayanmalla in the 15th century. The purpose for writing this book was stated emphatically - "No one yet has written a book to prevent the separation of the married couple and to show them how they may pass their life in union . Seeing this I felt compassion and composed this book". As is evident, this along with the 'Rati Rahasya' was written for a society, which had changed from one of gay abandon to a more sedate one. Romance had taken a back seat and the woman's place was rooted in the house. Men and Women no longer met socially and one marital courtship was unheard of. Thus the 'Anang Ranga' is a marriage manual not a lover's handbook. It states that while sex in marriage loses its passion it gains in spiritual mystery.

Kumara Sambhav

The famous composition of Kalidasa on ertic love between Shiva and Parvati whom he calles as our 'primodial parents is called 'Kumara Sambhav.' It is said that in its eight and last section the descriptions of Shiva's and Parvati's love play become so obscene that Parvati pronounced a curse and the poet could not proceed any further.

Rasik Priya

Keshav Das's 'Rasik Priya' is a celebrated treatise on erotic love. It describes how Krishna would arrange to send to an angry Radha flowers 'longing to become fragrant by the touch of her breasts' or an ivory necklace ' yearning to fulfil its destiny by going on a pilgrimage to her bosom.