Indian Art & Aesthetics
I recently watched :
Master class on Indian Art and Aesthetics by Udayan Vajpeyii
My takeaway : The role of aesthetics in Indian thought is to evoke rasa — the emotional essence that touches the heart deeply. This rasa becomes a gateway to self-awareness, inviting you to notice what is happening inside you as you watch, listen, or experience something.
When you are able to give full attention to that inner movement, viveka (discernment) or prajñā (wisdom) begins to awaken. From this awakening, your actions can emerge from a dhārmik space — not just in a moral or religious sense, but in alignment with inner truth, right relationship, and the greater harmony of life.
To live dhārmikly, then, is to stay close to what is alive within you. In this, art and aesthetics become tools of inner refinement. They make you sensitive — not only to the outer world, but also to the subtle stirrings of your own being
Abhinavagupta: who saw rasa as a pathway to śānta rasa (peace), the highest aesthetic and spiritual state.
Tagore: who wrote about sahaj saundarya — a spontaneous aesthetic that brings inner harmony.
Anand Coomaraswamy: who said, “The artist is not a special kind of man, but every man is a special kind of artist when he is in tune with his own dharma.”
Comparison of Platonic Aesthetics and Indian Aesthetics to help you understand the essential differences:
📘 Platonic Aesthetics (Western/Greek Tradition)
| Aspect | Platonic Aesthetics |
|---|---|
| Core Idea of Beauty | Beauty is objective, eternal, and exists in the realm of ideal Forms (like the perfect “Form” of a flower or a tree). |
| Source of Beauty | Beauty lies in symmetry, proportion, order, and perfection. |
| Relation with Nature | Nature is an imperfect copy of the ideal world. Real beauty is not in material nature but in the abstract, ideal world. |
| Human-Nature Relationship | Dualistic: the observer is separate from the observed world. Nature is a subject for intellectual contemplation. |
| Purpose of Aesthetic Experience | To lead the soul upward — from sensory beauty to spiritual truth and knowledge of the ideal. |
| Emotion and Body | The body and emotions are often seen as lower or distracting from pure beauty and truth. |
| Approach | Philosophical, intellectual, abstract. Beauty is understood through reason. |
🪷 Indian Aesthetics (Indic Tradition)
| Aspect | Indian Aesthetics |
|---|---|
| Core Idea of Beauty | Beauty (Saundarya) is relational, experiential, and sacred. It is found in inner and outer harmony, rasa (emotional essence), and presence. |
| Source of Beauty | Beauty arises when emotion (bhāva), perception, and consciousness come into harmony — through art, nature, or devotion. |
| Relation with Nature | Nature is alive, sacred, and interconnected with the self (Tat tvam asi). Beauty in nature is an expression of dharma (cosmic harmony). |
| Human-Nature Relationship | Non-dualistic: No separation between self and nature. Experiencing beauty is a form of union or yoga. |
| Purpose of Aesthetic Experience | To evoke rasa (emotional states like love, peace, wonder), awaken consciousness, and lead to self-realization or compassion. |
| Emotion and Body | Emotions, sensations, and the body are essential to aesthetic experience. They are instruments of realization. |
| Approach | Sensory, emotional, poetic, spiritual. Beauty is felt through direct experience and reflection. |