Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture)
by Bhagyashree Sarma | 2021 | 59,457 words
This page relates �7(d): Portrait of Different Places in Painting� of the study on the elements of Art and Architecture according to the Vishnudharmottara Purana: an ancient text whose third book deals with various artisan themes such as Architecture, Painting, Dance, Grammar, etc. Many chapters are devoted to Hindu Temple architecture and the iconography of Deities and their installation rites and ceremonies.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
7(d): Portrait of Different Places in Painting
[Full title: 3.7: Different Kinds of Portrait used in Painting (citra) (d): Portrait of Different Places in Painting]
In the context of identification of some particular places through picture, the վṣṇܻdzٳٲܰṇa gives some instructions. According to this book, a city should be represented in a picture with various temples, mansions, markets, residences and royal roads.[1] The lofty temples, huge mansions, markets, specious market roads etc. of the city of Ჹ⾱ī as stated in the 岹ī[2] be a model for a picture of a well designed city.
The վṣṇܻdzٳٲܰṇa states that a picture of village should be adorned with some houses along with gardens.[3] According to this book, the picture of a fort should be accompanied by entrances of the enclosures of the fort, mud walls, palaces and mountains.[4] The picture of a market should contain merchandise land.[5] A beautiful picturisation of a market which replicates same of the qualities is portrayed in the ѱūٲ of . According to the description of the ѱūٲ, the market is filled with conches, pearl shells, emerald gems etc.[6] Again, drinking places are shown with some men engaged in consuming liquors.[7]
According to the վṣṇܻdzٳٲܰṇa, the picture of funeral piles and dead bodies indicate burial sites.[8] This book says that the picture of battle field should have ٳܰṅg i.e., a complete section of army consisting of elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry[9] . Moreover, the ground of the battle field should be filled with scattered dead bodies smeared with blood.[10] In the ձṇīsṃh, a fierce description of a battle field is found where the field is filled with dead bodies, human flashes, blood etc.[11] In the վṣṇܻdzٳٲܰṇa, the picture of road is prescribed to be depicted through animals like camel carrying loads.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
devatāveśmabhiścitrai� prāsādāpaṇaveśmabhi�/
Բ� darśayedvidvān rājamārgaiśca śobhanai�/ վṣṇܻdzٳٲܰṇa, 3.42.61-62
[2]:
[3]:
vamatyā darśayedvāma� kiñcidudyānabhūṣita�/ վṣṇܻdzٳٲܰṇa, 3.42.62
[5]:
paṇyayuktāstu kartavyāstathaivāpaṇabhūmaya�/ Ibid., 3.42.64
[6]:
[7]:
ādhānabhūmi� kartavyā pānayuktā narākulā�/ վṣṇܻdzٳٲܰṇa, 3.42.64
[10]:
caturaṅgabalopetā� praharadbhirnarairyutām/ mṛtāvayavaraktāḍhyā� raṇabhūmi� pradarśayet/ վṣṇܻdzٳٲܰṇa, 3.42.66