Hi Everyone
Krsna art has gone through so many phases and I like all art pertaining to transcendental subject matter, but my question as an artist is: What does it really look like on the Vaikuntha planets, especially Goloka Vrndvana?
I know this has nothing to do with Bhakti, but this is something that interests me a lot. If our planet is a 7th class planet in the material universe and all Krsna art depicts Goloka, the Supreme Planet as a pastoral paradise, then does that mean that the climate in "India" 5000 years ago is a direct reflection of the supremely perfect environment? It makes sense to me that this environment provides possibly the ultimate playground for personal spiritual activity, but the issue of transcendental variegatedness sometimes bothers me.
I am aware that material variegatedness is but a flimsy reflection of spiritual variegatedness, but the topic of transcendental variegatedness has not been illustrated as far as I know. In the Vedic literature there are so many descriptions of elaborate buildings and paraphernalia, but artistically everything is presented typically in one style and that is "traditional Indian".
I put India in brackets because the political designation "India" came long after most of the Vedic literatures. The clothing that is depicted in the art makes sense to me in terms of comfort and beauty, but what about Vedic civilizations on other planets? Is it a cosmic standard fashion that is found on the progressively higher planets also? For example "futuristic planets" of the demi-gods that also follow Vedic Knowledge and worship of Visnu.
The art also never depicts entities with blonde (except Nrsimha) or red hair. These varieties must technically exist in Vaikuntha. I am wondering how different planets in different ages are excercising Krsna Consciousness. That is why I like Narada Muni so much - he can go anywhere and just check it out. If anyone could point me in a direction I'd really appreciate it.
Hare Krsna
Swami Prabhupada
My understanding from listening to the origial BBT artists is that Prabhupada guided them to the image he wanted to portray --
See: http://friendsofthebbt.org/bbt-art-seminar-0
There is a good video with the devotee artist that did the animal face morphing (and many more art plates) in the plates located in the current hard cover standard edition of the BBT Gita - plates 13 & 14 between pages 428 and 429 - she talks about (in the video) how Prabhupada guided her to arrive at the final image.
I would say the style that is predominant in much of the art is the general cultural styling of the time period that the Puranic liturature was compiled, and is generally referred to as the classical styling, or East Indian classical, the most heavily chronicled East Indian look.
If we go much earlier like to early rig period, we would not even recognize the look in comparison, so it is really a time sensitive cultural sentiment, like in early rig period you would have seen the blonde hair also, the black hair is Dravidian origin, but these are corporeal designations- I not sure if the transcendental has a look?
I like that phrase 'cosmic standard' though, I think thats something to look for!
Haribol
Thanks.
Its pretty funny how the first image on that link under the heading
"devotee power" actually shows a blonde entity. The Supersoul never ceases to surprise me.
I think the transcendental has a look, but it cannot be adequately portrayed in 2 dimensions. I am so grateful for progressively higher realities and intelligences. The poor humans who sincerely believe that their perception paints the full picture are ridiculously misinformed. As they say, the spirit soul becomes bored with the enjoyment of dead matter. Average human sense perception is hopelessly too limited to make accurate judgements. I think that Denim Jeans would actually hurt a higher entity because of their much subtler senses. Thats why the soft "Indian" garments actually make sense in terms of higher consciousness.
Hare Krsna
There is a historical side to Krshna ,
as he lived here in Dwapar Yuga among humans for 128 years. He and His associates had features like those people and wore clothes as per the Vedic tradition that prevailed in Bharat Varsh ~ 5200 yrs ago. Many paintings are really about pastimes on earth.
Ramayana (Treta Yuga) talks about long tusked animals (like in ice age) and shows some red haired individuals.
Of course, over the years, art schools, artists , with the help of their guides filled in details to the framework of Itihaas and Puranas , based on the past samskaaras accumulated by the mind. For instance - Rajasthani styles, Gujrati style saris, modern day saris (which were not around up until a few centuries ago), Variations in Krshna's crown , Gold crown, half crown, cloth turban, On the battlefield - traditional crown Vs. golden helmet ....
ISKCON's artists have done a wonderful job of depicting the pastimes, so have others in the past. The pictures look transcendental and serene , that's what matters.
Also, isn't the idea to make us selfless souls and better humans
at least as a first step - then the behavioral pastimes matter more
than dress and looks , i'm sure we all agree with that.
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You are right about perception.
Following is merely my perception - by mercy of Krshna, Vyasadev and devotees.
We do know that Golok, Vaikuntha, Shwetadweep is not physical space in sequential time. Its in the heart. Actually the Supreme Soul is its resting place, Krshna says so in the Gita.
That gets filtered and reflected thru' the subtle body, mind as long as its there.
We have to clear up the fog that surrounds this Swetadweep and "see" for ourselves what it "looks like".
Till then Krshna will facilitate the mind's eye , and the artist can work with our earthly knowledge of forms.
**It is not only the limited perception of the artist while in the body, but the limited perception capacity of the audience too.
**Another Point to note -
that Krshna has given and continues to give devotees visions of His forms including the Cosmic Form - Viraat Swarupa (VishwaRupa) that He showed Arjuna. So we cannot call it cultural bias from the human side.
Shrila Vyasadev wrote Bhagvatam and other Puranas based on Divine vision, Valmiki wrote Ramayana similarly - both on Narad Muni's insistence.
By the time the divine knowledge is put down in sound, space, time, we humans perceive this information in a format we can relate to. How the Vedas come down to us humans as well as Visions that Krshna chooses to give His devotees is all filtered and depends on the state of consciousness at the time.
So we need not worry about what form He reveals to extra-terrestrials on other planets, galaxies.
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Krshna in the Cosmos : tall , flourescent blue, beautiful,
Krshna in a more earthly setting : Black complexioned, ten feet tall crown touching the ceiling, snake like limbs, an iresistible smile ...
:)
Hare Krshna
BBT ARTIST
Yes you are right the BBT art department is the best!
We are working on a project to take 2d BBT and other Krishna art and transpose it to life size 3d sculpture, and with the original artist and BBT approval hope to produce a significant piece in the near future.
This was and still is ISKCON's strongest channel of communication, I still stop and stare at the picture plates, sometimes I forget what I was doing and get lost in paintings.
Haribol
WOW !
That's really great news. As if painting is not hard enough ... sculpture means really working for Krshna.
Hope you will upload or post pictures of these and other exibits.
Haribol