THE AIMS AND METHODS OF INDIAN ART. 3^

:and conditioned representations, even of Divinity,. And
so we find a classification of images into three, sattvik.
rajasik) and tamasik :

, ••;" An image of God, seated self-contained, in thfe
posture of a yogi, with handvS turned as if granting boon,
iind encouragement to his worshippers, surrounded by
praying and worshipping Indra and other gods, is called a
-sattvik image.

" An image seated on a vaJwtn, decked with various
•ornaments, with hands bearing weapons, as well as granting
boon and encouragement, is called a rajasik image.

"A tamaslk image is a terrible armed figure fighting
And destroying the demons "—(Sukracharya}.

The Indian conception of a,rt, which may be defined as
the Controlled and rhythmic expression of emotion (rasa). The
•conception of rasa (feeling, flavour, burden, passion) is tho
-essential,factor in Hindu ideas of aesthetics. The aesthetic
faculty is called ranjini vritti, i colouring faculty,' because
in art all tilings are conditioned or coloured by rasa^
All true artistic creation is a passionate experience.

Now the rasas are nine in number: Sringara—-
Love, with a, sex reference, but fundamentally as a
spiritual experience ; in-m-—the heroic ; karuna—-'
sympathy ; compassion ; adhlwta—wonder ; hasya—the
ridiculous ; "hhayanaka—fear ; htbhatsa—disgust; raudra—
•fihe terrible ; and lastly ,sA<m£«—dispassion, peace, the sum-
mation and antithesis of the other eight. Of these svingara;
ift called the fundamental (adi) rasa. The first and last,'
which involve the conception of unity, are pennanent,*

* It is not to form and colour, but to feeling that the art,
•consciousness fcuicHmen.tally relates us. Form, colour an u sound
are merely means of expression, the immediate beauty of which i»
very f**r from representing the \vhole content of art.