Rishi Chyavana Worships The Tantric Roopa Of Lakshmi (Tantric Devi Series)

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The Lakshmi Tantra is an unusual book. It contains no mention of ritual worship, temple specifications, or any such specificity of rite. It concerns itself purely with the individual devotee, which in this painting is the Rishi Chyavana himself. He is paying homage to the tantric roopa of Lakshmi, which is the Shakti that lies behind Narayana. The form of Her that you see here is the roopa of all women as expounded in the Lakshmi Tantra - glorious, the complement of man, and deserving of worship. She is draped in vibrant yellow silks overlain with shringar comprising of pearls, emeralds, and gold. In Her four arms are the melodic conch, a lotus that is on the verge of bloom (matching lotuses are to be found on Her studded gold crown), the discus associated with Her husband, and the goad that sends shivers down the adharmee's spine. Note the naked prostrate figure beneath Her that constitutes Her gigantic asana.

The Rishi Chyavana has been exalted in the Brahmanas, where the first mention of this sage is found. His stories abound in the Bhagavata Purana, the Padma Purana, and the Mahabharata. Apart from his severe austerities, he is known most widely for how his wife, Sukanya, wrested for him the boon of restored youth. In this watercolour he is shown sitting amidst the wilderness on verge of dusk, engaged in his worship of Devi Lakshmi's tatnric roopa. From each of the trees and foliage that populate the forest, to the moors and the clouds in the background, each aspect of this complex painting has been finished with great skill and attention to detail.