Most parts of the Vedas are allegorical and metaphorical in style. Knowledge of this symbolism is the only avenue through which the meaning of the hymns can be accessed. It was necessary for the ancient sages to employ symbolism because of the esoteric content and also because it predates the evolution of systematized language as we now know it. For the same reason everyday words were made to perform multiple tasks: allusions to natural...
Nature and Art
Artistic expression covers an immense number of forms ranging from architecture and iconography to engraving and photography. The substratum of these myriad art forms is the human mind’s instinctive preference for exquisiteness over plainness. When the mind learns to feel elevated at the sight of the rich environment, the artistic impulse is born and manifests itself in an ever-expanding spiral. From the tendency to...