Bhava, The Third Aphorism

This part of the ancient guide to painting focuses on the third of six key principles. It explains how to capture and express deep emotions in a painting or sculpture. "Bhava" essentially refers to the feelings that arise from our changing emotions. The author wanted artists to realize that this isn't just about human feelings; it's about finding the emotional life in everything around us—animals, trees, the sky, and even a single leaf or river. His advice to artists is to learn how to speak the emotional language of nature. It takes real effort and empathy to understand these subtle cues and feel life in every small detail. You have to open yourself up to truly hear the story of the flowers, the sky, and the morning birdsong.

Within their own unique spheres, animals possess a distinctive vocabulary for communication. They articulate their inner sentiments and shifting moods through a silent dialogue of physical gestures and vocalizations. Remarkably, we continue to mirror these ancient expressions in our daily lives, conveying our intentions through the subtle lift of a shoulder, the specific arch of a smile, or postures meant to influence those around us. While sophisticated speech flourished alongside the growth of human society, we remain deeply connected to these primal physical cues. This aboriginal somatic language, rooted in a prehistoric time when such gestures were our primary means of sharing emotion, remains a fundamental and often unconscious part of how we interact today.

By tracing the enduring current of human evolution, that ancient visionary unearthed a profound manual of expression centered upon the hands. This somatic vocabulary of the fingers, a discovery I find unparalleled in any other text from the third century BC or prior, reveals itself across the storied walls of the Ajanta and Ellora caves. In these sacred spaces, various manual configurations operate as unique vessels for meaning and symbolism. I view this as the most vital legacy of that prehistoric sage, who forged a silent lexicon capable of articulating the vast spectrum of our inner sentiments. Far transcending mere movement, this intricate language of the fingers has served as the bedrock for Indian classical traditions like Kathak, Manipuri, and Kathakali for centuries. Within these arts, each gesture possesses a distinct and inherent significance, often communicating its intent so clearly that formal interpretation becomes unnecessary.

To illustrate this point, I intend to present a curated selection of visual examples that exemplify these expressions in hand gesture of Indian classical dance.

It is my sincere aspiration that you have discerned the effortless manner in which these configurations evoke the essence of their subjects, independent of conventional human speech. Consequently, the lexicon of art remains an evocative medium, articulating the profound without the necessity of formal linguistic structures.

In alignment with the author’s vision, Bhava manifests as a universal phenomenon, transcending geographical boundaries, linguistic structures, and social or religious stratifications; it represents the quintessential vernacular of the human experience. Through this lens, a profound communion is forged between humanity and the natural world—capturing those subtle, often overlooked elements that remain indelibly linked to our conscious and subconscious realms. It is the artist’s imperative to perceive these intricate connections through a heightened state of empathy, distilling their deep-seated realizations and sentiments onto the canvas with precision.

I have previously noted the importance of "distilling their deep-seated realizations and sentiments onto the canvas with precision." Yet, a critical inquiry remains: by what mechanism does the artist accurately perceive the shifting emotional currents of the natural world and subsequently articulate them? That venerable sage of antiquity delineated the process in the following manner:—

By elevating the sun to a position of supreme importance, the ancient visionary unveils the mystery of interpreting nature’s shifting sentiments. He posits that the radiance of sunlight serves as the primary catalyst for every evocative effect within the natural world, functioning as its essential and vitalizing core. To the author, this celestial light is the very fountainhead of animateness. He suggests that the emotional resonance of the landscape is intimately bound to color, which itself is a direct manifestation of solar influence. Across the cycle of the six seasons, the interplay of varied hues establishes a specific aesthetic value that the artist must strive to perceive. The moods of dawn and dusk are never static; they transform with the seasons. A winter sunset may evoke a profound sense of melancholy, while the summer twilight offers a restorative tranquility to the human spirit. In contrast, the vernal evening descends with an unmistakably romantic air. This, according to the sage, is the singular alchemy of sunshine. He envisions light as an omnipotent architect of the world’s artistic splendor. It was his guiding tenet that artists should attentively observe the seasonal transitions of the firmament and the subsequent echoes they produce within the human psyche and form. Such deep-seated realizations of these transformations empower the creator to translate these experiences into a poetic narrative upon the canvas.

Given the profound significance of solar-derived hues discussed previously, it becomes the artist's deliberate responsibility to select a palette that most poignantly articulates the desired sentiment.

In this spirit, I wish to present my artwork to the emerging practitioner and the dedicated admirer of the arts, one which endeavors to capture the evocative essence of solitude.

Within a separate discourse of that venerable treatise on art, I encountered an exquisite metaphorical depiction of the monsoon. Here, the ancient visionary envisions the rainy season as a capricious adolescent maiden, descending upon the landscape in a sudden, rhythmic plunge. Her dance unfolds across the verdant terrain, her billowing, dark tresses mirroring the gathering rain clouds. Furthermore, the author perceives the fleeting streak of lightning as a celestial manifestation of her smile. One cannot help but conclude that this sage was as much a poet as a philosopher of the visual form.

An artist must cultivate a profound emotional resonance with their chosen subject and its environmental context; yet, this communion need not be articulated through literal representation. Rather, one may employ the evocative power of metaphor to distill and express these inner sentiments. To elucidate this approach, I seek to introduce a symbolic manifestation of the summer season, envisioned as a poetic allegory.

Tracing back to antiquity, the divine manifestation of Lord Shiva was reimagined as a potent allegory for the summer season and its tempestuous storms, assuming the moniker of "Nataraj." Within this iconic form, the deity is envisioned as the fierce personification of the solar intensity that defines the Asian summer. To articulate the searing acridity of this period, anonymous visionaries of the past choreographed a magnificent sequence of rhythmic movements that encapsulate the season's formidable heat. While a storied mythological narrative accompanies this sculptural representation, I shall refrain from its recitation here, as it remains extraneous to the focal point of our artistic inquiry.

The aforementioned illustrations were presented to illuminate the profound capacity for articulating inner sentiments through symbolic manifestations upon the canvas. For the artist, the horizon of possibility remains boundless, offering a myriad of pathways to distill and externalize one's unique emotional landscape. That venerable visionary of antiquity established no restrictive boundaries to tether the freedom of the creative spirit; rather, he merely offered the evocative term "Bhava" as a guiding light. Possessing an unparalleled depth of insight, he understood the vast and intricate potential inherent within the artist's own discernment and merit.

That venerable author exhorted the practitioner to immerse their contemplative consciousness within the vast emotional depths that originally birthed the form, thereby unearthing a singular, luminous insight of profound artistic merit.

He posits that the intellect mirrors the tranquil surface of a pool; once the turbulent ripples of distraction are stilled, it becomes a perfect vessel for articulating one’s inner realizations. While the modern spirit rarely finds moments of stillness, such unwavering concentration remains an essential imperative for the clarity of artistic perception.

Now, we shall endeavor to distill the fundamental essence of our collective inquiry.

1. Defining the Essence of Bhava

In its most fundamental sense, Bhava refers to the intricate spectrum of sentiments that emerge from our ever-shifting emotional landscape.


2. Discerning Emotional Resonance within Nature and the Human Psyche

The evocative currents of the natural world are inextricably linked to the influence of solar radiance; thus, the artist must meticulously observe how sunlight transforms across the cycle of seasons. Similarly, understanding the human spirit requires a deep immersion in the aboriginal somatic language of gestures and physical cues designed to influence our surroundings. To poignantly articulate these deep-seated realizations upon the canvas, one must assume the deliberate responsibility of selecting a palette that most accurately mirrors the desired sentiment.


3. The Articulation of Sentiment upon the Canvas

Through the synthesis of evocative hues, significant forms, or the potent power of metaphor, the practitioner may successfully distill and externalize their unique inner sentiments.