The Making of Love Ablaze
On 19 January 2017, H.H. Swami Tejomayananda handed over the leadership of Chinmaya Mission to Swami Swaroopananda. It was a moment of great tenderness between two great saints bound together in love and service for their Master, H.H. Swami Chinmayananda.
Spontaneously, on that very day, both made a sankalpa to raise funds for Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth — a deemed university for Sanskrit and Indic Knowledge, which is headquartered in Kerala with an additional campus in Maharashtra. An idea was suggested for Swamiji to paint an original painting of Lord Krishna to be offered for donation. It was a unique day, and a unique idea, leading to a truly unique expression of love through vibrant oils on canvas.
On a humorous note, Swami Tejomayananda had said in a spirit of mock competition that we should suggest a tougher concept for Swamiji to paint. And so it happened that Swami Swaroopananda took on the challenge by opting to use only palette knives to paint rather than brushes. Those of us who watched him at that first session were full of doubt that he would master the process. His advance was a reality, purity of thought and natural confidence for a young age seems to make him succeed at everything he does!
For example, in the first session Swamiji carved “ॐ” 108 times into the thick oil paint. The 108 “Oms” were his invocation and complete surrender to Brahman. Whatever came in the layers after, would be Brahman manifest. Swamiji’s surrender did not entail or inhibit art. Rather, he became a channel for ego-less, desire-less, creative action.
It was God-governed, God-directed creative work which made this most inspirational and beautiful painting come to life.
This painting “Love Ablaze” is the remarkable oil on canvas created by Swami Swaroopananda, inspired by the chance appearance of a form of Lord Krishna in the flames of a havan kund (a fire for worship). The image flared up and disappeared in an instant. But miraculously, it was captured at the right moment on camera. It became the starting point that inspired Swami Swaroopananda to paint “Love Ablaze.”
The painting being oil on canvas, took five sittings to complete, as each layer of paint had to dry/semi-dry before the next layer could be painted. Session 1 took place in Anand Vihar ashram at Chinmaya Mission’s temporary Sivananda ashram (Powai) in Mumbai, on 19 January 2017. Swamiji painted the base layer in two colours – black and a strong, fire orange. From this very first session, Swamiji chose to use different knives to paint “Love Ablaze.” All the layers painted thereafter were with various sizes and shapes of the artist’s palette knives. He used a brush just once – to sign the painting.
Painting taken of the Havan Kund fire which became the inspiration for “Love Ablaze.”
First day of painting at Chinmaya Mission Sivananda ashram in Powai, Mumbai, on 19 January 2017.
Palette knives are difficult to paint with, and this was Swamiji’s first attempt at an oil painting on canvas. Moreover, the canvas size was a large 24 x 36 inches. He chose the medium intuitively since He had a vision, which was to create a 3D effect.
Swami Swaroopananda chose black as the background base layer with a deep orange for the form of Lord Krishna, as the first layer. Both dark colours would give depth to the painting. This is evident in the richness of the final artwork despite three subsequent layers coming after. Swami Swaroopananda embedded the 108 ‘Oms’ in this first layer, as devotees watching chanted ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya’. Thus, there is an unseen dimension, a secret spiritual base to ‘Love Ablaze’. Swamiji also made sure that there was a little space reserved for Lord Hanuman on one side of the painting.
First day of painting in Chinmaya Mission’s Sandeepany Sadhanalaya ashram in Powai, Mumbai, on 19 January 2017. The 108 ‘Oms’ are embedded in this layer.
Session 2 of the painting was on the terrace of Swamiji’s residence at the Chinmaya International Residential School (near Coimbatore) on 28 January 2017. Using palette knives, he covered the entire painting with a multitude of colours blending and highlighting some. He also strengthened the mark symbolising the presence of Lord Hanuman on the left shoulder of Lord Krishna. Look for it in the completed painting!
Session 2 on the terrace of Swamiji’s residence at Chinmaya International Residential School (near Coimbatore) on 28 January 2017.
Session 3 of the painting was at Chinmaya Vibhuti ashram, Kolwan (near Pune) on 11 February 2017. Here, Swamiji added another layer of selected colours to the background. He also painted the blue/green abstract peacock feathers on Lord Krishna’s head and a thin line indicating the bansuri. We had imagined Swamiji would paint the fire a brown colour, as it was in the ‘havan kund’, but he had other ideas! He set the fire ablaze with white and red streaks. Though unexpected, it perfectly expressed his excitement and the mystery of the appearance of Lord Krishna out of fire. It was clear he was being directed by an inner creative force.
Session 4 took place in the Chinmaya Vihar building in Chinmaya Mission’s Sandeepany Sadhanalaya ashram, Powai, Mumbai, on 13 February 2018 (Shivaratri Day). Swamiji had a very busy schedule that day, so he started painting only at around 2 a.m. Despite extreme tiredness, he completed the full body of Lord Krishna using multiple colours of yellow, orange, white and a little pink. He carefully sculpted the face, main body and the centre band, so there is a subtle suggestion of Lord Krishna’s attire.
Swamiji was experimenting with colours on the area around the form of Lord Krishna, to give definition to the form. And lo! A garland formed around the Lord. The process of the form of Lord Krishna emerging from different layers put down at different times in different places was nothing short of miraculous. Except for the artist’s signature, the painting was now complete.
Session 5 took place at Chinmaya Centre of World Understanding, New Delhi, where Swamiji was in the midst of a ‘gyana yagna’ (lecture series). By now, the painting had dried and had been framed as well. On 15 February 2019 (Swamiji’s 60′ birth anniversary), he first wrote the date and place at the back of the painting – which he had done 4 times before on each occasion that he had painted. He then also named the painting by first writing ॐ on top, and under the title: Love Ablaze. Finally, he finished his oil on canvas (24 x 36 inches) by signing his name on the bottom right-hand corner with a brush and black oil paint.
This is no ordinary painting. It is rare for a Vedantic Master to paint a work of art, and that too in the form of Lord Krishna. Mahatmas like Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji, Swami Tejomayanandaji and Swami Swaroopanandaji often do Pran Prathishta of idols in temples, wherein ‘life’ in the form of their spiritual energy is infused into the idol. Remarkably, in these paintings, our gurus have both created and given ‘life’ to beautiful images of Lord Krishna with every stroke of their brush. Indeed, the making of ‘Love Ablaze’ fulfils a divine destiny, and the painting has become a worshipful image of the Lord.
Session 5 at Chinmaya Centre of World Understanding, New Delhi, where Swami Swaroopanandaji signed ‘Love Ablaze’ with black oil paint and wrote 15 February 2019 (his 60th birth anniversary).
‘Love Ablaze’ signed and framed in all its glory!
