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LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
Then other dramas known as mahuyarīgiya and soyāmani are mentioned ® The Pinila niryuktı refers to the rat thavila drama which was staged in Pataliputra by the monk Asādhabhui It depicted the life of Bharata, the universal monarch, and it is stated that after seeing this drama a large number of kings and princes retired from the worldly life and joined the ascetic order Later on, thinking that the drama might do great harm to the world and the earth may be devoid of the Ksatriyas, ir was destroyed."
(6) PAINTING The art of painting was considerably developed in ancient India ! The painters are mentioned along with brushes (tūliyão) and colours (vannaya) , first they divided the wall surface (bhūmibhāga) and then prcpared the surface (bhumim sagjer). There were painters who were adepts in their profession. One painter is mentioned who, could portray the complete figure of bipeds (duvaya), quadrupeds (cauppaya) and things without foot (apaya) even if he saw a part of their body.98
Trees, mountains, rivers, seas, houses, creepers, full vesscl and sovalihiro etc 99 were painted.
Pictures were drawn on walls as well as on panels or boards (phalaka) A courtesan, who got painted the characteristics of different castcs, diffcrent phases of the art of love depicting the icconciliation of lovers, has been already referred to 100 Paintings on panels were a very liclpfu. medium in cncouraging love affaus We are told that a pailinā painted the portrait of the princess Sujetthā on a board and shoucd it to king Seniya, 101 who fell in love with her Similarly, princc Sāgai acanda became enamoured of Kamalāmelā when her portrait was shown to him 102
Picture gallerics (citlasabha) are mentioned which were a matter of great pride for thc kings in ancient India These galleries were constructed on many hundred pillars. One such picture-gallery was bult by. banker of Rāyagıha in the adjoining forest of the city which was decorated with wooden (katthakamma), earthen (polthakamma) 103 and plastci decuration (leppa), wreaths (ganthima),images (vedhima), and dolls (premu)
95 Citară Ti 13, 196, 18,240 98 474-480 97 Cuta or painting is mentioned in the Kutlinimata (is 124, 236) among various arts to LC studied by a courtesan The following six great i equisites of painting aic mentioned knowlcclge of appcaranccs, correct perception, mcasure and structure of forms, action of feelings on forlag infusion of grace or artistic representation, sunulitude and artistic manner of using brush ar' colouis (P BID 316), see also A R Coomaraswamy's Asediae, al Senholce :01 PP 10! 11 98 Maja 8, p 106 1, also cf Uttarā 35 4. 99 Brh Bhä ] 2429 100 Supra, P 275 101 Ata cü 11, p165 108 Brh Bhā Pi, 172 109 See also Kutfinimata (vs. 124).
