Introduction
When Indes, King of the Gods, haid destroyed the Tiran who held the waters of the earth captive in his entrails, he returned to the heights of the Central Mountain with the song of the rans and running waters in his cars. But where his dwelling once stood, he saw only ruins and ashes. So he summoned Visvakarman, god of works and arts, and asked him to build another palace to match his powers. The architect set to work; soon towers, buildings and gardens rose among lakes and woods Indra urged him forward impatiently. Each day he called for some fresh marvel, new delight for the eyes, walls more imperial, pavilions more richly adorned, statues greater in number and cunning A fever seemed to burn in him. And Visvakarman, exhausted by his labours, decided to lay a complaint before the Creator of the world. Brahma received him, gave ear, approved, and went to plead his cause before Vishnu, the supreme Being. Help was promised. Soon a young Brahman appeared at the King's palace and demanded audience. Charmed by the light of ha eves, Indra granted his request "Ob King," said the messenger, "thy palace shall be the noblest of all." These words were sweet to Indra's cats and he rejoiced Vishnu's messenger continued: "It shall be the noblest of the palaces which the Indras before thyself sought to build." The King became uneasy, "Dost thou say that there were other Indras, other Visvakarmans before ourselves, other palaces before mine?" "Indeed yes," the youth answered. "I have seen them. Moreover I have seen the world arise and vanish, arise and vanish again, like a tortoise's shell coming out of Infinite ocean and sinking back. I was present at the dawn and the twilight of the Cycles, past counting in their numbers, nor could I count all the Indras and Visvakar- mans, even the Vishnus and Brahmas, following one another without end." Perhaps there was a shadow doubt in Indra's astonishment. The messenger simply pointed to the ground of the audience chamber: long dark lines of ants were moving across the floor. "Behold these ants. Setic of these for their piety deserved to become kings one day like Indra, to command the gods even, and conquer dragons Yet these kings were found wanting and were borne away in the ebb and flow of lives, once more they became ants. Oh Indra, how many Indras are there among them, builders also of palaces!" Thereupon the King repented, recognising that Beauty exists only in deeds. He asked Visvakarman to forget the error of his ways and cease the useless work upon his palaces. He bade farewell to his wife, handed the royal powers to his son, and went into solitude, to transform his vain desires into the single desire for Redemption. This story of Indra's fault, told at great length in the Brahmavaivarta Purana and the Krishnajanma Khanda, may serve indirectly as an introduction to the study of Hindu art, and help the reader to approach an order of thought that might seem strange on first encounter. For it is the pleasure and pride that we should call aesthetic which the King entirely renounces, because the messenger has reminded him of the great verities. These are the trarismigration of souls, and the endless succession of lives, in the course of which our deeds never fail to find us out and decide what our future lives shall be. And to karma and samsara-our deeds and reincarnations there is also added moksha, the need for Release by union with the Divine. Such then was Indra's fault: an ardent longing for decorated palaces, which showed that he was under the spell of images and charms, of the manifold appearances of Illusion (m). Renouncing illusion, Indra passed into the desert to purify himself and seek the one and only Being. But there was another fault. Indra's proud monuments should have been dedicated to Release. The king had failed to see them as props and supports for meditation, helping beholders to become one with the Absolute. Mere aesthetic enjoyment (which is our enjoyment since Western art so strikingly lost its earlier religious significance) was in Indra's case not only foolish but alarming in prospect. His diversion from the true path was fraught with dangers. In his eagerness for loftier walls and chiselled stone, he showed what perils lie in wait for those who become slaves to maya in all its vigour and profusion, and do not master it.
About The Book
The erotic sculpture of India, most notably seen in temples like Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Konark (Odisha), and Sun Temple at Modhera (Gujarat), represents a unique integration of spirituality and sensuality. These sculptures, carved between the 9th and 13th centuries, are not merely depictions of physical intimacy but symbolic representations of cosmic union, fertility, and the celebration of life. Rooted in ancient Indian philosophy, particularly in Tantric traditions, these figures express the belief that human desires and passions, when understood and transcended, lead to spiritual awakening. Rather than promoting hedonism, the erotic imagery is a small fraction of the temple's overall iconography and is usually located on the outer walls, signifying the transition from the worldly to the divine. The carvings portray a wide range of human emotions, relationships, and social life, often with intricate detail and artistic sophistication. They reflect the openness and acceptance of sexuality in ancient Indian culture, contrasting starkly with later periods of moral conservatism. These sculptures continue to intrigue scholars, historians, and visitors, serving as a testament to India's rich artistic and philosophical heritage, where the sacred and sensual coexisted without contradiction.
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