Some Sanskrit Texts on Painting
By V. Raghavan
Summary
This comprehensive survey collates references to painting (citra) in Sanskrit literature and identifies specific treatises on the subject. The author notes that painting was an integral part of ancient Indian culture, comparable to music and dance, and that Sanskrit texts often use pictorial metaphors. Artists began with rough sketches called varnaka, praticchanda or hastalekha before completing a composition. The article examines literary works such as Damodaragupta’s Kuttanimata and the Naisadha of Sriharsha, where artists are described creating preliminary sketches. It then reviews technical treatises on painting, including the Chitrasutra of the Vishnudharmottara Purāṇa, which outlines materials, colours and proportions; the Samaranganasutradhara attributed to King Bhoja; and chapters in the Kāmandakīya Nītisāra, Kāvyaprakāśa and Abhinavabhāratī. The author discusses classifications of painting into different genres (e.g., narrative, decorative), techniques like line drawing, shading and coloration, and the concept of śṛṅgāraprakāśa where painting is linked to rasa (aesthetic flavour). Quotations illustrate how poets liken the cosmos to a painting and compare drama to a painted horse (citra-turaga). The article also references commentaries by medieval scholars and mentions extant manuscripts of painting manuals in libraries. The author argues that these texts reveal a sophisticated theoretical framework for painting in India, challenging the view that Indian art lacked technical treatises. He concludes by calling for critical editions and translations of these works.
Conclusion
The article demonstrates that classical India possessed a rich corpus of literature on painting that addressed materials, techniques, genres and aesthetics. By analysing passages from plays, poems and technical treatises, it shows that painting was both an independent art and a metaphor for other arts. The author’s synthesis encourages further study of these texts to understand how visual art was theorised alongside music and drama in Sanskrit culture.