Navgunjara

Navgunjara- 

"एकं सत् विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति" a Rigvedic verse, meaning - The truth is one, the wise perceive it differently, to understand this verse full of wisdom, the above picture of Navgunjara is a perfect allegory.

The story of Navgunjara goes as once Arjuna wandering in forest sees a weird animal who has multiple parts of different animals. It had the head of a rooster, a peacock's neck, a lion's waist, the hump of a bull, the tail of a serpent, the leg of an elephant, another leg of a tiger, yet another leg of an antelope, and a human hand holding a lotus. Then Lord Krishna reveals himself and tells Arjuna that this is just another aspect of his viratrupa. Lord explains that he is one but perceived by many in different forms and names.

As the above Rigvedic verse declares, the Truth is singular but, we perceive it in plurality, so the Navgunjara is one but carrying many parts of other animals, indicating the unity of ultimate Truth, in a plurality of forms. The world that we see in multiplicity is the result of Maya, an illusion, and beyond the veil of Maya lies unity, the one eternal truth, i.e. Brahaman - the main philosophical basis of Indian philosophy propounded in Upanishads.

Art and Architecture of India not mere a representation, as Coomarswamy wrote, it is a statement. Its aim is not mere to give the sense of beauty but rather uplift the viewer spiritually.