In this paper we inquire into the beauty and beauty art in Hindu epic literature, such as Mahabharata, Ramayana and so on. This is just a preliminary theoretical study on the theme and so the details of beauty art (makeup, ornaments, dress & etc.) which have been so far occasionally examined are not dealt with by us.
We take beauty as luster of appearance and define beauty art as a technique for the increase and decrease of luster. We go on to examine the various aspects of beauty and beauty art, considering such various view-points as [1] beauty is alluring power, [2] the relation between appearance and inner qualities, [3] two types of beautification: by removal of stains and by equipment of shining elements, [4] bad nature of frail women. Especially view-point [1] is related to the religious relation between men and gods in India. In the same way, [2] corresponds to the duality of body and soul which is very important for understanding Indian culture.
