Who is the writer of 'Shadang' six limbs of Indian painting ?

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Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4: Yashodhar Pandit
Yashodhar Pandit, who was a scholar from the 11th or 12th century, is definitively recognized as the writer who compiled and formalized the 'Shadang' or Six Limbs of Indian Painting. He explained these principles in his famous Sanskrit commentary, the *Jayamangala*, on Vatsyayana's *Kamasutra*. The single defining verse he composed lists the six essentials for a perfect painting: *Roopbheda* (Knowledge of appearance), *Pramāṇam* (Correct perception, measure, proportion), *Bhāva* (Expression of feeling), *Lāvaṇya Yojanam* (Infusion of grace), *Sādṛśyam* (Similitude or resemblance), and *Varṇikābhanga* (Manner of using colours). This codification established the foundational aesthetic and technical framework for classical Indian painting.

The incorrect option is 1: Bharat Muni
Bharat Muni is celebrated as the author of the *Natyashastra*, the oldest surviving and most authoritative treatise on Indian performing arts. This encyclopedic work primarily focuses on dramaturgy, dance, and music, and is famous for establishing the *Rasa* theory (aesthetic sentiments). While the principles of aesthetic experience and expression (*Bhava*) in *Natyashastra* influenced all Indian arts, Bharat Muni did not specifically write the formulaic six-limbed theory, 'Shadang', that pertains directly to painting technique and principles. His contribution lies in performance aesthetics, not the codification of painting principles.

The incorrect option is 2: Jaidev
Jaidev was a famous 12th-century Sanskrit poet, not a critic or theorist of the visual arts. His masterpiece is the *Gita Govinda*, a lyrical drama that narrates the eternal love story of Krishna and Radha. The *Gita Govinda* became an immensely popular source of subject matter and lyrical inspiration for miniature painting schools across India, such as Kangra and Basohli, providing themes for countless masterpieces. Although his literature profoundly impacted the *themes* of Indian art, Jaidev was a poet and did not contribute any theoretical or scholarly work on the aesthetic principles like the 'Shadang'.

The incorrect option is 3: Raja Bhoj Dev
Raja Bhoj was a celebrated scholarly king of the Paramara dynasty who ruled in the 11th century. He was a great patron of art and an author who wrote authoritative texts on various subjects, including the *Samarāṅgaṇa Sūtradhāra*, which covers architecture, city planning, and aspects of painting. While his contributions to the arts were significant, the specific, single verse that is universally known as 'Shadang' and which begins with *Roopbheda: Pramāṇāni* was not written by Raja Bhoj but was specifically systematized by Yashodhar Pandit. Raja Bhoj's work offers broader art and architectural commentary.