It’s been a good six months since I finished my first painting in the Lagunyasa body of work, which I’ve envisaged as a series of twelve paintings, each embodying the twelve logical section of the Lagunyasa verses. Part of the Taittiriya Brahmana, these verses appeal to natural elements like fire, sun, moon, earth and more, to sustain and nourish a human being. i believe they hold a pertinent message for us, at this point in time of humanity’s existence, to receive nourishment from nature in its purest form, unadulterated by economics.
First in the series of paintings is Agni, seated on a lotus leaf, alluding to the content of the first verse:
Agnir me vaci shritah – May my speech be nourished (cleansed?) by fire
Vag hrdaye – My speech, may it nourish my heart
Hrdayam mayi – My heart, May it nourish me
Aham amrte – May I, nourish myself
Amrtam brahmani – My self, nourish that which is eternal and unchanging
I find it interesting that the Lagunyasa must begin with a tribute to fire and speech. Speech, which is tempered in the kiln of fire that is our thoughts, from which all else emerges. The verse seems to say – Speech, which are thoughts heated, energized and cleansed, let it nourish us and our surroundings.
This painting was a challenge in terms of scale and theme.
