Sadanga of Indian painting

Around 1st century BC the Sadanga or Six Limbs of Indian Painting, were evolved, a series of canons laying down the main principles of the art. Vatsyayana, who lived during the third century A.D., enumerates these in his Kamasutra having extracted them from still more ancient works.

These 'Six Limbs' have been translated as follows:

1. Rupabheda The knowledge of appearances.

2. Pramanam Correct perception, measure and structure.

3. Bhava Action of feelings on forms.

4. Lavanya Yojanam Infusion of grace, artistic representation.

5. Sadrisyam Similitude.

6. Varnikabhanga Artistic manner of using the brush and colours. (Tagore.)

The subsequent development of painting by the Buddhists indicates that these ' Six Limbs ' were put into practice by Indian artists, and are the basic principles on which their art was founded.