When Lord Caitanya visited the southern part of India, He first went to the great temple known as Jiyaḍa-nṛsiṁha-kṣetra. This temple is situated in a place known as Siṁhācala, five miles from Visakhapatnam. The temple is situated on the top of a hill. There are many temples in that area, but the Jiyaḍa-nṛsiṁha-kṣetra temple is the largest of all. This temple is filled with beautiful sculpture, of interest to many students, and due to its popularity it is a very rich temple. An inscription in the temple states that the King of Vijayanagara formerly decorated this temple with gold and even covered the body of the Deity with gold plate. To facilitate attendance at the temple, there are free apartments for visitors. The temple is managed by priests of the Rāmānujācārya sect.
Sculpture
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You cannot do it. Cannot do anything. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa is guiding everyone, even an ant. Kṛṣṇa is giving information, "Mr. Ant, there is a grain of sugar, you can go there." Immediately goes. Otherwise, how he gets the information? For him, one hundred miles away, a grain of sugar, and he goes there. He did not inform. Who informs him? Who informed him?
David Wynne: You feel this very much when one's trying to make sculpture, because it is impossible for a man; one can't do it...
Prabhupāda: No.
David Wynne: ...one has to wait and be passive...
Prabhupāda: If Kṛṣṇa withdraws the intelligence, you cannot work. So Kṛṣṇa is guiding already, but He's guiding at the present moment according to your whims. "You wanted to do this? All right." Kṛṣṇa is giving intelligence: "Do it." But when he'll agree to act according to the whims of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection.
Prabhupāda: What is that? Sometimes it is not successful?
Śyāmasundara: When we try artificially to impose our idea on something, say, a sculpture, sometimes we make a mistake and it comes out not good.
Prabhupāda: That mistake you are responsible.
David Wynne: Yeah. Yeah.
Prabhupāda: Because at the present moment, as I told you, we are acting according to our whims. So if there is mistake, I am responsible.
David Wynne: I'm making also the new coins for this country, and they were thinking of leaving off the words "Fin def," which means in Latin "Defender of the faith." And I refused to do it if they left that off the coin. Because it's the most important. It means she's, it acknowledges that she is the, although it's only a tradition, but she's the defender of the faith of the people. And they were going... They said, "Oh, this is just now archaism." But I got them to keep it in. (pause) What I was going to ask was to praise, I feel, and I may be wrong... I was going to ask you. When I make a piece of sculpture of... The other day, I made two dancing figures. They were just a boy and a girl dancing. But I felt that this was praising God because these were as God, I tried to make them, as God had made them, and in joy and simple, but happy. And is this, is this presumptuous, or is this right, to try to praise the creation by making sculpture?
Prabhupāda: Oh yes.
David Wynne: That's all right.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
David Wynne: Because one sometimes feels that one isn't, doesn't know enough about it to do this, you know.
Prabhupāda: Or better than that is to praise the Creator.
Devotee: This sculpting is such a nice art. You're very fortunate to have such a skill.
Śyāmasundara: So we see in the creation of God, it also traces back to the Creator.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Creation means the Creator. Just like when I see the picture of so many sculptor. So who has done it? I come to David. To appreciate the creation means you have to come to the point, appreciating the Creator. Otherwise, it is not finished. Or your knowledge is imperfect still. So these scientists, they are simply trying to study the creation. They have no knowledge about the Creator. That is the defect. Neither do they try, neither they can understand. They are so foolish and poor fund of knowledge. They should try to understand the Creator also. Then the knowledge is perfect. Just like the scientists, they are theorizing that life began from matter, chemicals. But wherefrom the chemicals came? That is insufficient knowledge. They say, "Chemicals existed." Now, we have no such experience... Just like we ate some purīs. Purīs had to be created. Not that existed. It is existing, but when I require, I have to create it. The crude example. The chemicals, wherefrom the chemicals came? That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā. In this way you have to study. Simply to study the creation, that is imperfect knowledge. When you come to the Creator, then it is perfect. Just like if you see simply his sculptures, so many things, that is not perfect knowledge. Why this book is "David Wynne"? Now, you go to the creator. And ...the all appreciation is there, credit is given there. That is perfect. Otherwise, you see, so many stones are there, figures are there. But when you study that "This is the creation of such and such artist, sculptor, and he's such and such," then that is perfect. Study him.
Śyāmasundara: Just like by my knowing David, it's very easy to understand his sculpture.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: But someone who's just seeing his sculpture, they don't know what...
Prabhupāda: That is not perfect knowledge.
Śyāmasundara: They don't know what he's like.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is not perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge is when you understand the creator. What do you think?
David Wynne: I think yes. I'm not sure that the analogy..., I think that the greatest... Well, it is true because with the greatest sculpture, one does get to the full understanding, but if one really understands the universe, well, one would see God, I suppose.
Prabhupāda: No.
David Wynne: No.
Prabhupāda: You have to penetrate. You have to understand who has created this universe.
Prabhupāda: Some news has come out in Jugantar that Queen Elizabeth is reading our Bhagavad-gītā.
Śyāmasundara: That was from that time David Wynne gave her that Bhagavad-gītā.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Śyāmasundara: ...to read while she was sitting for him for the sculpture.
Prabhupāda: So it has come to her attention.
Śyāmasundara: I think he has told that story to several people and the word has spread.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: He is not coming. Who is not modernized? They will go to the dancing party for their salvation. (laughter) Dog dancing.
Guru-kṛpā: Today is Sunday. Everyone is busy with their family, family, society.
Prabhupāda: You know this Ravi Shankar?
Guru-kṛpā: Umm hmm.
Prabhupāda: His elder brother, Udar Shankar, he became very famous man as a dancer, all over the world. Udar Shankar. And by imitating his brother, the Ravi Shankar also tried to become first-class sitarist. So family.... (break) ...was a little famous for artistic.... So that Udar Shankar was dancing in the Indian way, and there are many sculpture of dancing. Like that. That was his art. So he became famous.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The principle is there, though, that there must be a father and a mother.
Prabhupāda: That's it.
Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda, in New York City, many of these big buildings have courtyards, and in the courtyards they have purchased sculpture. So all the sculpture is abstract. They are against form; they are all impersonalists. And they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to have these gigantic structures. All over New York City you see them. They have no form.
Prabhupāda: That is a form. The structure itself has a form.
Rāmeśvara: But it's abstract.
Prabhupāda: No, it is not ab..., it is form.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not personal, that's what he means.
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is a form of their imagination, that's all. Not standard form, but it is a form. They want to make everything formless with form. That means they cannot avoid form.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
By the Grace of Sri Krishna you are doing well in the management of the Montreal center and your combined service will improve the condition more and more. Be jolly always knowing well that Krishna is with you and all sincere attempt to improve the Montreal Branch will be successful. I have already asked Syamasundara of San Francisco to sculpt one set of Sri Murtis of Jagannatha for Montreal but if you can locally do it there will be great saving of transport charges. I am sending herewith one picture of Jagannatha as they are situated in San Francisco. You have seen the place and now you can arrange for the Deity like the picture and I wish to follow the same principle in all our branches. The Deity room should not be separate from the common lecture room but it should be situated in such a place that all can see the Deity perfectly. But arrangement should be made in such a way that there would be one round curtain to cover the place when there is no class. They should not always be exposed, only during the class hours the curtain should be open. The picture enclosed herewith may be enlarged and sent me back again.
Some of my friends in India are sending Sri Murtis (Radha-Krishna), and we are getting locally sculpted Jagannatha, Balavadra, and Subhadra Murtis to install in the temples. The societies are being worshiped with flowers and fruits, and Kirtana is being performed both morning and evening, and Srimad-Bhagavatam is being recited. Don't you think that this movement is glorious both for India and the world? Kindly, therefore cooperate with me in full heart.
1968 Correspondence
Please try to follow the rules and regulations, and when I arrive in New York, we can talk together, and as you feel yourself ready, you can be initiated. If you have any doubts or questions, your good God-brothers are always ready and willing to help you. Brahmananda can give you the lists of the qualifications for devotees, and the 10 offenses, and other informations as you may need. If you have got any questions, please feel at liberty to write to me about them as you desire. I am also very happy to learn you are a sculpture student; at the present time, I am trying to carve out of wood Sri Radha and Krishna Murti. If you can carve out these Deities, it will be very nice.
1973 Correspondence
The pictures of the sculpture appears nice, except for the front part looks a little odd, so you decide. I hope this letter meets you well, more when we meet.
| Page Title: | Sculpture |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, Serene |
| Created: | 03 of Apr, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=0, Con=8, Let=4 |
| No. of Quotes: | 13 |