attributed to Mahesh
Chamba School
1725.
Chamba School was a slightly more refined than the Basohli School. The line is more fine, the figures are tallish but more proportionate, the colors are flat, but more muted and subdued. There is a sense of elegance and refinement.
The story of Hiranakashipu is related to the Holi festival. Hoping for immortality, Hiranakashipu had tricked Lord Brahma into giving him a boon. He could not be killed neither by man nor animal, neither by weapon nor by tools, neither in day nor by night, neither inside a building nor outside. He thought he had become a god. Arrogant and cruel, he unleashed a reign of terror upon people including his own son, Prahlad. Prahlad reminds him that though he may have conquered time, he has not conquered space. For he lives in finite space, but God is omnipresent. Hiranakashipu kicks a pillar only to find a strange creature emerge from it: Narshima--a half man, half lion. Narsimha drags the demon to the threshold and rips its stomach with his claws at the twilight hour. This incarnation is neither man nor animal, he uses neither a weapon nor a tool, the twilight is neither day nor night, the threshold is neither inside nor outside.
Those who are cruel and arrogant, those who use cunning, those who think they are powerful are doomed to die a cruel death. One should be humble and pure in order to enjoy the colors of life.
The story of Hiranakashipu is related to the Holi festival. Hoping for immortality, Hiranakashipu had tricked Lord Brahma into giving him a boon. He could not be killed neither by man nor animal, neither by weapon nor by tools, neither in day nor by night, neither inside a building nor outside. He thought he had become a god. Arrogant and cruel, he unleashed a reign of terror upon people including his own son, Prahlad. Prahlad reminds him that though he may have conquered time, he has not conquered space. For he lives in finite space, but God is omnipresent. Hiranakashipu kicks a pillar only to find a strange creature emerge from it: Narshima--a half man, half lion. Narsimha drags the demon to the threshold and rips its stomach with his claws at the twilight hour. This incarnation is neither man nor animal, he uses neither a weapon nor a tool, the twilight is neither day nor night, the threshold is neither inside nor outside.
Those who are cruel and arrogant, those who use cunning, those who think they are powerful are doomed to die a cruel death. One should be humble and pure in order to enjoy the colors of life.
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