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    From Formless To Form

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    hari hara
    This document outlines a methodology from the Vastusutra Upanishad for giving form to ideas and concepts. It describes how to create visual symbols like mantras, mandalas, and murtis to convey essence through universally understood forms. The method involves visualizing the concept using a step-by-step process and hierarchical grid system to arrange components by importance. Hand gestures, weapons, vehicles, and attendants are used to reveal the nature and powers of the deity. The goal is to make attributes manifest and transform the formless into a recognizable form through sacred art.

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    From Formless To Form

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    hari hara
    207 views65 pages
    This document outlines a methodology from the Vastusutra Upanishad for giving form to ideas and concepts. It describes how to create visual symbols like mantras, mandalas, and murtis to convey essence through universally understood forms. The method involves visualizing the concept using a step-by-step process and hierarchical grid system to arrange components by importance. Hand gestures, weapons, vehicles, and attendants are used to reveal the nature and powers of the deity. The goal is to make attributes manifest and transform the formless into a recognizable form through sacred art.

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    presentation by Kirti Trivedi

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    From Formless to Form

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    This document outlines a methodology from the Vastusutra Upanishad for giving form to ideas and concepts. It describes how to create visual symbols like mantras, mandalas, and murtis to convey essence through universally understood forms. The method involves visualizing the concept using a step-by-step process and hierarchical grid system to arrange components by importance. Hand gestures, weapons, vehicles, and attendants are used to reveal the nature and powers of the deity. The goal is to make attributes manifest and transform the formless into a recognizable form through sacred art.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    207 views65 pages

    From Formless To Form

    Uploaded by

    hari hara
    This document outlines a methodology from the Vastusutra Upanishad for giving form to ideas and concepts. It describes how to create visual symbols like mantras, mandalas, and murtis to convey essence through universally understood forms. The method involves visualizing the concept using a step-by-step process and hierarchical grid system to arrange components by importance. Hand gestures, weapons, vehicles, and attendants are used to reveal the nature and powers of the deity. The goal is to make attributes manifest and transform the formless into a recognizable form through sacred art.

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    The text discusses different methods like mantra, mandala and murti for giving form to ideas from the Vastusutra Upanishad, an ancient Indian text.

    The text mentions that ideas can be given form through mantra (word/sound form), mandala (geometric diagrams), and murti (icons/images).

    According to the text, the purpose of creating visual symbols is to convey the essence of an idea through a form that would be universally understood.

    From Formless to Form

    A methodology for
    giving Form to Ideas

    Kirti Trivedi
    Creating Visual Symbols

    To convey the
    Essence of an Idea
    through a Form which would be
    universally understood.
    Vastusutra Upanishad
    - a classical text on creating symbolic form (2nd Century AD)

    Provides a detailed method for


    giving Form to Formless
    (invisible idea to visible form)
    A form message
    can be conveyed by

    Mantra (Word Form/Sound Form)

    Mandala (Geometric Diagram)

    Murti (Icon or Image)


    Main Features of the Method

    Step-by-step Visualizing Procedure

    The Concept of
    Hierarchic and Semantic Grid

    An Hierarchic Measurement System


    Mantra can be

    Beej-Mantra
    (Seed syllable)

    Dhyana-Mantra
    (Description for meditation)
    Beej-Mantra of Ganesha
    (Seed syllable)
    Dhyana-Mantra
    (Description for
    meditation)

    Vakratunda
    Mahakaya
    Suryakoti
    Samaprabha ..

    Bent Head,
    Big Bodied
    Shining like a
    billion suns ..
    Mandala
    Geometrical or structural diagram
    of the thought or phenomena

    Shri Ganesha Yantra


    Mandala
    Geometrical or structural diagram
    of the thought or phenomena
    Murti or
    Pratima
    An Icon or
    an Image
    Vastusutra Upanishad
    When worship is done without bodily images,
    the mind becomes particularly vitiated by
    indiscriminate imagination. 1.7
    The intention to worship (sankalpa) is the cause for
    the imagination (vikalpa) (of the particular form of
    god in which he is worshipped). 5.20
    An Image should be envisaged
    to express a specified meaning.
    Who has the knowledge of
    circle and line is a designer.
    Vertical lines have the nature of fire,
    horizontal lines have the nature of water,
    diagonal lines have the nature of wind.
    On the fire line upright forms are
    produced.
    On the horizontal lines forms having
    fluidity and longing are produced.
    On the diagonal lines
    energetic forms are produced.
    The world knows fire as a triangle form.
    The character of the form
    is the main aspect.
    The lines have to be
    arranged according to the character
    of the image.
    In the sacred songs the features
    are revealed.
    From the Realization
    comes the Symbol.
    The excellence of form becomes clear
    in the act of meditation.
    According to the form
    the components have to be arranged.
    In image making,
    feeling has to be infused in the form.
    Many variations develop of the mind,
    because of which forms assumes many types.
    In human beings,
    it is the mental modification
    which is most important.
    The purpose of form-giving
    is to make manifest the
    attributes.
    From the Formless arises the Form,
    that is the result.
    For making images,
    a grid is most important,
    according to the basic principles.
    In a grid,
    making divisions is the main work.
    The various parts of the image should be
    imagined within the grid.
    The form appears within the grid of sixteen
    compartments, this is best for making the images.
    Daiva
    Kshetra

    Jaya Jaya
    Up-daiva Up-daiva

    Brahma
    Kshetra

    Jaiva
    Stuvaka Stuvaka
    Kshetra

    The compartments in the sixteenfold grid are of


    five types: the main field, the higher beings,
    the living beings, secondary higher beings, and the
    worshippers.
    Higher This grid is a hierarchical
    Beings and semantic grid.
    Different parts of a given
    space are not the same,
    but have different
    meanings, importance
    Middle Middle and associations.
    Beings Beings
    Main
    Different beings have
    Field different importance,
    which is not connected
    with their physical size.
    A physically small being
    can be more important
    Side Living Side
    hierarchically.
    Beings Beings Beings
    Physical Grid

    Only physical division of


    space to arrange matter.

    Hierarchical and
    Semantic Grid

    A grid to arrange
    components according to
    their importance and
    meaning.
    Ornamentation means
    the decoration of divine images.
    6.14
    Decorated
    Image of
    Shri Nathji
    From the ornamentation
    (of the image) arises love.
    6.15
    Hand gestures manifest
    the emotional attitude
    of the image. 6.16
    Hand
    gestures
    Hand
    gestures
    Hand
    gestures
    Hand
    gestures
    The badhra (weapons) communicate the power
    of the figure. 6.17
    Weapons in multiple hands communicate
    the different powers of the deity
    The principal types of
    postures (asanas) are
    six. 6.20
    The vehicle is a
    special means for
    revealing the nature
    of the figure. 6.20
    Nandi Bull:
    Mouse: the vehicle of Shiva
    the vehicle of Ganapati
    Peacock:
    the vehicle of Kartikeya
    Garuda:
    the vehicle of Vishnu

    Nandi Bull:
    the vehicle of Shiva as
    Ardhanarishwara
    Attendant divinities
    are secondary figures.
    6.21
    Vishnu surrounded by
    attendant divinities
    The connection (of
    the main figure) with
    adversaries should be
    remembered. 6.23
    The Visualization Procedure
    according to Vastusutra Upanishad

    Realization of the principle to be visualized


    (understanding it completely)

    Verbal Articulation of
    the attributes

    Meditation on attributes and


    generation of mental image

    Projection of mental image


    on a visual grid-field
    The Visualization Procedure
    according to Vastusutra Upanishad

    Making of the Basic Image

    Enhancement of the Basic Image


    through addition of attributes and details

    Final Visualized Image


    VASTUSUTRA UPANISAD
    The Essence of Form in Sacred Art

    Alice Boner, Sadashiva Rath Sharma, Bettina Baumer

    Motilal Banrasidass
    Delhi, 1982

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