Kalidasa’s‘Sakuntala

Raja Varma, “Sakuntala”

(1901)

Modern Painting:

‘Sakuntala

Varma, “Sakuntala”

(1890s)

Varma“Sakunta

la”(1897)

Varma,“The Lady

with a Mirror”(1894)

Kshitin Majumdar

“Sakuntala”( c. 1900)

Modern Painting:

‘Sakuntala and Dusyanta

Modern Painting:

‘Sakuntala and Dusyanta

rasa

Modern Painting:Vishnu/Shringar

a

According the Bharata in the Natya’sastra, there are eight rasas. Each one is associated with a color, a sentiment and a god(dess):

ShringaraShringara ((shyamashyama/bluish-black); the erotic; Vishnu/bluish-black); the erotic; VishnuHasyaHasya (white) the comic; Shiva(white) the comic; ShivaKarunaKaruna (dove-colored/light gray) the pathetic; Yama (dove-colored/light gray) the pathetic; Yama RaudraRaudra (red) the furious; Rudra (red) the furious; Rudra ViraVira (yellow) the heroic; Indra(yellow) the heroic; IndraBhayanakaBhayanaka (black) the terrible; Kala(black) the terrible; KalaBibhatsaBibhatsa (blue) the hateful; Mahakala(blue) the hateful; MahakalaAdbhutaAdbhuta (gold) the marvelous; Ghandarva(gold) the marvelous; GhandarvaLater writers added a ninth Later writers added a ninth rasarasa::

• • ShantaShanta (jasmine- or moon-colored/pinkish or yellowish (jasmine- or moon-colored/pinkish or yellowish white) the tranquil; Narayanawhite) the tranquil; Narayana

Dharma धर्म�: the teachings of the Buddha which lead to Enlightenment, the constituent elements of the experienced world; we must strive to be dharmic.

Buddha, Sarnah (3Buddha, Sarnah (3rdrd c. CE) c. CE)

Karma कर्म�: the “action” or “deed” a person takes which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect; it does not trigger punishment or reward but there are consequences to what we do and desire.

And it is all about the happy ending…