Seeing with the Inner Eye: A Journey into Indian Art and Philosophy | The Literature Lounge – Dr. Harsha V. Dehejia

What if art wasn’t just meant to be seen, but experienced through a deeper inner eye?

In this evocative episode, Mohua is joined by Dr. Harsha V. Dehejia, physician, poet, scholar of Indian aesthetics, and author of The Third Eye of Indian Art. With over 30 books and a life devoted to the beauty of Indic traditions, Dr. Dehejia invites us into a world where art is not merely visual, but spiritual.

Their conversation explores how Indian art invites us to look beyond the surface.Dr. Dehejia explains the meaning of the ‘third eye’, a symbol of inner vision and insight. He also reads a section from his book on the Prithvi Sukta, an ancient hymn from the Atharva Veda that describes the Earth as a nurturing, all-encompassing goddess. He also speaks about Ardhanarishvara, the striking half-man, half-woman form of Shiva and Parvati, which expresses the harmony of masculine and feminine energies.

Drawing from the Vedas, Upanishads, and classical Indian philosophy, Dr. Dehejia makes a compelling case for aesthetics as a way of being—rooted in both wonder and wisdom.

If you’ve ever paused before a sculpture or been moved by the silence in a miniature painting, this episode reflects on what makes Indian art so soulful. And for writers drawn to the cultural and aesthetic legacy of India, Dr. Dehejia offers guidance grounded in both scholarship and soul.

Let the third eye open.