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EDUCATION, LITERATURE AND ART
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painting etc. The citizens as well as the foreigners came to him to venture his expert opinion on their skill in that art as well as other crafts and lores.? Vajrārgalā the portress (Pratihārī) had invited Gandharvaka the courier to conduct him to Harivāhana and had obtained the picture-canvas (Citrapata) from him after he had brought to the fore having brought it out of a bag made of a fine China silk-cloth.'
'Painting' denoted by 'Citrakarma'-and Citrasilpa-Citravidya occurs in many contexts. It has been considered to be a matter of fun (narma)* Appreciating and commenting on the merits of the painting of Tilakamanjarī brought by Gandharvaka, Harivāhana as an expert in the art of painting, finds every aspect in its budding form except one fault being an intentional omission that she was not surrounded by forms of men naturally graceful in so far as in budding youth the company of men with women was a necessary evil.' Here Sarvavastu-Visayam Citrakarmakausalam' is significant. Citralekhā, the personal attendant (Dhātrī) of Patralekha and a nurse of Tilakamañjarī has been considered extremely skilful in the art of painting and Tilakamañjarī has been called as having great love for the art. Moreover, all the shampooing maids in the harem of Patralekhā were skilled in the art of painting Gandharvaka begged leave of Harivāhana in so far as his more exacting task of meeting Gandharvadatta and Vicitravīrya encroached upon his privilege of adding the forms of men to the painting. Even Gandharvaka praises the skill of Harivāhana in the art of painting." Pining for a meeting with Tilakamañjarī, Harivāhana grew impatient after he did not see the return of Gandharvaka and intending to move away for a Digvijaya making it a pretext to search the maiden of his heart he spent long
1. नृत्यगीतचित्रादिकलाशास्त्रपारदृश्वा हरिवाहनो नाम कुमारः। TM. Vol. 111 p. 3. 2. प्रस्तुत विचित्र कथा विनोदं चैनमामत्यागत्य नगरनिवासिनो वैदेशिकाश्च लोकाः कलासु शास्त्रेषु शिल्पेषु च
प्रकाशयितुमात्मनो विचक्षणतामनुक्षणं पश्यन्ति। Ibid. Vol. III p..4. 3. प्रकृष्टचीनकर्पटप्रसेवकायाः सयत्नमाकृष्य चित्रपटमेनमुपनीतवान्। Ibid. Vol. III p. 4. 4. चित्रकर्मनर्मनिर्माणम्। Ibid. Vol. III p. 5. 5. यद्यदवलोक्यते तत् तत्सर्वमपि रूपमस्य चित्रपटस्य चारुताप्रकर्षहेतुः।
एक एव दोषो यदत्र पुरुष रूपमेकमपि न प्रकाशितम्। अनेन च मनागसमग्रशोभोऽयं तदधुनाऽस्य शोभातिशयमाधातुं प्रेक्षकजनस्य च कौतुकातिरेकमत्पादयितुमात्मनश्च सर्ववस्तुविषयं चित्रकर्मकौशलमाविष्कर्तुं युज्यन्ते कतिचिदस्याः नरेन्द्रदुहितुः प्रकृतिसुन्दराणि पुरुषरूपाणि परिवारतां नेतुम्। अविरुद्धो हि कन्यकावस्थायाम् मंगनानां मनुष्यसंनिधिः।
Ibid. Vol. III p. 9. 6. सर्वान्तः पुरप्रतिबद्धसैरन्ध्रीगणप्रष्ठाप्रेष्ठा प्रकृत्यैव जननी मे भर्तृदारिकायाः धात्री चित्रलेखा नाम सादरं समादिष्टा.. सखि
चित्रलेखे। त्वं हि चित्रकर्मणि परं प्रवीणा, चित्रदर्शनानुरगिणी च वत्सा तिलकमंजरी। Ibid. Vol. III p. 14. दक्षाश्चित्रकर्मणि समस्ता अपि स्वप्रतिबद्धाः शुद्धान्तसैरन्ध्रीदास्यः। Ibid. vol. III p. 15. उपदर्शितबहुविकल्पचित्र शिल्पेन च स्थिरता दिवसमेकमेकाग्रमनसा तथाभिलेखितव्यं यथावस्थितम् महाभागस्य रूपं यथा चित्रपटवर्तिना तेन पुरतो दृष्टमात्रेण सिद्धगारुडमन्त्रेणेव भर्तृदारिकायाः प्रशममुपयास्यति समस्तबान्धववर्गदुः सहोद्वेगः पुरुषद्वेषविषवेगः। Ibid. Vol. III pp 16-17.
