The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Lectures and Discourses/On Art in India
ON ART IN INDIA
"Arts and Sciences in India" was the topic under which the Swami Vivekananda
was introduced to the audience at Wendte Hall, San Francisco. The Swami held
the attention of his hearers throughout as was demonstrated by the many
questions which were put to him after his address.
The Swami said in part:
In the history of nations, the government at the beginning has always been
in the hands of the priests. All the learning also has proceeded from the
priests. Then, after the priests, the government changes hands, and the
Kshatriya or the kingly power prevails, and the military rule is triumphant.
This has always been true. And last comes the grasp of luxury, and the
people sink down under it to be dominated by stronger and more barbarous
races.
Amongst all races of the world, from the earliest time in history, India has
been called the land of wisdom. For ages India itself has never gone out to
conquer other nations. Its people have never been fighters. Unlike your
Western people, they do not eat meat, for meat makes fighters; the blood of
animals makes you restless, and you desire to do something.
Compare India and England in the Elizabethan period. What a dark age it was
for your people, and how enlightened we were even then. The Anglo-Saxon
people have always been badly fitted for art. They have good poetry — for
instance, how wonderful is the blank verse of Shakespeare! Merely the
rhyming of words is not good. It is not the most civilised thing in the
world.
In India, music was developed to the full seven notes, even to half and
quarter notes, ages ago. India led in music, also in drama and sculpture.
Whatever is done now is merely an attempt at imitation. Everything now in
India hinges on the question of how little a man requires to live upon.