This timeless masterpiece represents Shiva accompanied by
Parvati, his spouse, in a mode of 'lasya', the dance-form that
manifests beauty and all softer aspects of being and kindles love
and emotions. 'Lasya' and 'tandava' are the legendary dance forms
associated with
Lord Shiva. 'Lasya' descends in oceanic depths
and 'tandava' rides the winds. Different from 'tandava', which is
the dance of destruction and dissolution, 'lasya' is the dance of
creation. 'Tandava' has cosmic dimensions spanning earth and
heavens, blowing winds, kindling fire, tossing mountains and
storming oceans. In 'tandava', friction of winds sends forth
flames of fire and eyes yield devastation and destruction.
'Lasya' buds within the being and blooms in eyes, in the lustre
of crimson cheeks, in sensually glowing lips and in the entire
being. When the spell of 'lasya' begins working, each of body
parts sprouts like petals of a drowsy rose. Love, union and
creation are its modes. As fire defines 'tandava', ocean defines
'lasya' and Shiva as Natesh is the Lord of both, the dance of
fire and the oceanic dance.
Shiva, the Lord of destruction and dissolution, is more widely
represented in 'tandava' or in one of its allied forms as Natesh
or Nataraj. His manifestations as Nataraj is the prime theme of
the South Indian Shaiva iconography. Even Shiva's spouse in her
Bhairavi, Kali, Mahakali and Shmashana-Kali manifestations,
preferred dancing on corpses or around a burning pyre. Shiva is
the first of the Divine lovers, the progenitor of dance and the
root of creation, yet, despite, 'lasya', the manifestation of
love, sensuous emotionality and creativity, is a rarity with
Shiva. One of its reasons may be that he was inseparably in union
and 'lasya', which leads from duality to union, required at least
initial separation, which Lord Shiva could not bear with. In
Shaiva thought, duality meant dissolution, the disintegration of
'Purusha' and 'Prakriti', the self and matter, and thus a
recourse to 'tandava'. 'Lasya' leads duality to unite, create and
sustain. Hence, "lasya' is more akin to Lord Vishnu who, as Lord
Krishna, led it to its greatest perfection. Lord Krishna danced
to love, create and delight. He has been conceived as
'Lokaranjaka', the one who delights the world by his 'leela', or
his sportiveness. His 'leela' manifested in his dance and his
dance, the 'lasya', sought unity out of duality and in that the
accomplishment of love and creation.
This excellent piece of canvas by the known artist Gopal Kumawat,
who revived and led to glorious heights the medieval Kishangarh
miniature art style, represents Shiva and Parvati, half
sub-merged into water, engaged in oceanic dance, the cosmic form
of 'lasya'. The artist has blended in Shiva's form not only the
'lasya' but also its master Lord Krishna and in the form of
Parvati he has discovered the form of Radha. The figures of Shiva
and Parvati, drawn with fine lines and subdued colour tones, both
inside the water and beyond, are little perceptible or
perceptible to only sensitive eyes. The symbolism that the artist
has sought to create by such subdued manifestations of the divine
couple has spiritual dimensions. Merged with the cosmos Shiva and
his Shakti are themes of such eyes that are capable to see them.
Parvati, Shiva's spouse, is independently painted, but, despite,
not only in his body language but also in his body-build, Lord
Shiva has a semi-feminine look. The artist seems to emphasise
that it is in 'Prakriti', the matter, which is feminine, that the
'Purusha' or the Self, has his manifest form. In abundance of
lotuses manifests the mood of the painting. They are scattered
all around the figures of Lord Shiva and Parvati as if sprouting
from their beings. They are all, except one, in bud forms yet to
bloom, which is suggestive of 'lasya' or of love and creation. In
the painting, the full bloomed lotus is only one, the primordial
lotus that is the Divine Couple. Radha and Krishna in lotus pond
constituted the theme of quite a few medieval masterpieces from
Kishangarh. Gopal Kumawat, by associating Lord Shiva and Parvati
with such concept, created not only his own vision of 'lasya' but
also a new legend of the primordial Divine Couple and the Great
Creator.
This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.
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