Swans in Lotus pond-Waves of Beauty! ( My sketch)

As a self learning budding artist I like sketch and paint based on Indian mythology & epics. As I love to read in mythology Where lotus bloom,and  spread perfume,and their flowers have magical powers,Where swans reside and radiate their magic charm,while reading I feel How beautiful to personify?

                                 ( I sketched this in madhubani and contemporary style used acrlic colour in handmadepaper)

The lotus flower occupies a huge space in the minds of many pond owners  painters and designers. Many water gardeners consider their lotus flowers the pride of their pond, Why has this one flower become such a widespread and important symbol? The answer is found in what the lotus is and how it grows. The lotus is unusual among flowers in part for how steadily perfect the blooms tend to be. The blooms are showy and striking, even more so because they stand high above the muddy water that they naturally grow in.

It symbolizes purity or beauty of the body, speech, and mind as while rooted in the mud, its flowers blossom on long stalks as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. It is also symbolic of detachment as drops of water easily slide off its petals.

Wherein the swan graces vibrant traditions as the Hamsa bird. 'Hamsa' is Sanskrit for 'swan'; at the same time, it means 'soul.' It is also the Upanishadic mantra, 'Ham-Sa,' which means I Am the Divine. Primarily it symbolizes discrimination. It is told the Hamsa is bestowed with the ability to separate milk from water, or truth from illusion, the eternal from the impermanent, etc.

It is like the Hamsa swan wearily circling, searching for a resting place, and finally settling upon its own reflection in the still lake.

So I took the concept in  the Saundarya Lahari by Adi sankara's 38 sloka  two swans (Ham and Sa) pair together, swimming around in the divine mind "living on honey from the blooming lotus of knowledge." Isn't that a lovely concept?

                       ( Madhubani design using sakoro pens in A4 Paper)

Samunmeelath samvithkamala makarandhaika rasikam
Bhaje hamsadwandham kimapi mahatham maanasacharam
Yadhalapaa dhashtadasa gunitha vidhyaparinathi
Yadadhathe doshad gunamakhila madhbhaya paya eva

I pray before the swan couple,
Who only enjoy the honey,
From the fully open,
Lotus flowers of knowledge,
And who swim in the lake,
Which is the mind of great ones,
And also who can never be described.
From them come the eighteen arts,
And they differentiate the good from the bad,
Like the milk from water.
 (MeaningSource)

O Devi, I meditate before the two Swans who drink and enjoy the honey from the lotus of knowledge. The swans swim in the lake which is nothing but the mind of great personalities. The 18 arts are created from the sweet utterings of these swans. They separate the good from the bad like water from milk. Here the two swans are referring to Lord Shiva and Shakti.

The eighteen arts mentioned in Shlokam No. 38 are, 4 Vedas, Siksha, Kalpam, Vyakaranam, Niruktam, Sandas, Jyotisham, Meemamsam, Nyayam, Puranam, Dharma Shastram, Ayurvedam, Dhanurvedam, Gandarva Vedam and Needi Shastram.

There is a type of meditation known as “Hamswa Dwandwa Upasanam”. So, the next time you’re sitting and enjoying the Queen of the Pond, take a moment to consider how important this flower is across the world and how millionsof people over the last several thousand years have meditating on the meaning of this uniquely beautiful living thing.

Hope you all liked the concept!