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34
PRABUDDHA JIVAN
FEBRUARY 2013
ART AND RESPECT
A Story From Aagam Katha
ACHARYA VATSALYADEEPJI . English Translation : PUSHPA PARIKH
Once there was a painter who was blessed by God. The mole on the thai added to the beauty of the queen. He could complete a pciture of a thing or human being The next day when the king came to the gallery he or anything even after looking at a part of that thing. saw the picture and was astonished to see the picture His art was wonderful and typical of its own kind. His of the queen with a mole. The king throughly gazed at paintings were graphic. He became very popular in a the picture. The king now had a doubt and was very short period and was praised and appreciated by ev- angry at the artist. He doubted that the artist had seen erybody. People used to visit him and see his paintings the queen's mole and so he has painted it like that. from a far distance also. Everybody seemed to be sur- Immediately he ordered for the impresonment of the prised by his paintings. He became very famous and artist. He also ordered for the capital punishment. slowly he also used to feel himself to be proud of his art The secretary of the king knew about the boon reand that was a drawback of his nature. He then started ceived by the artist. He had developed friendship with visiting different countries also.
the artist. He went to the king and tried to convince him Once he visited Kaushambi the city which was ruled that queen was pious and the artist was not at fault, he by the king Shatnik. He met the king also. The king was innocent. His art is very peculiar. Even if he sees also received him with pleasure and respect. The king a part of the subject he can draw the full picture wanted to open one art gallery in his capital so he re- throughly. quested the artist to draw some good paintings for his Naturally the king was very angry but he had some art gallery. He also requested him to see that the gal- faith in the secretary also. So he said, "If you believe lery becomes unique gallery. The artist also agreed and so, can he be tested?' started woking from the next day only. The king re- 'Yes', said the secretary. quested him to stay in the city only.
The artist was called in the assembly the next day. The artist was sincerly working on the project. He The king showed him the face of an ugly lady and told painted many pictures in few months. The king and the the artist to draw her picture. queen often used to visit the artist and were satisfied The artist closed his eyes, took the brush and crewith his pictures. They used to appereciate him and ated an exact picture of that lady on the opposite wall. were feeling very happy.
It was a perfectly resembling picture of that lady. Every Usually when the queen was visiting she was al- one was astonished and apprericiated his art. Realising ways in the veil. (Burkha). She used to see the work the truth the king told the artist, 'Oh artist! Now I can through the curtain made of golden strings.
believe that you and the queen both are pious. But you She used to follow the custom and maintain the de- should remember one thing that there should be a limit corum. The atrist also had never seen the queen per- to everything. Art is for enjoyment. It is an effort. It is sonally.
like a religious rite. It should not be misused. Any art Sometime in life a person has to suffer because of which disturbs the life has no value. Your art is best but some or the other unknown reason. It happened so in you are lacking in the art of making it elegant. Therecase of this artist also. Once the queen was standing fore I order to cut your thumb so that the art is not misin the balcony and the artist happened to see her toe. used. What is not for the benefit of the people has no He did not even know that the lady standing was a value. queen. He incidently drew the picture of that lady with The thumb of the artist was cut and he left the city a flower bouquet in her hand. There was one mole on for ever.
* ** the thai of the lady's picture. It was a full size picture.
"Live as it you were to die to-morrow. The artist had dropped one drop of colour on the thai.
Learn as if you were to live forever.' He tried to remove it also. But again a drop fell, so the
- Mahatma Gandhiji artist thought that in reality it must be something there.
