Indian art features many images of gods and goddesses in human form, often assuming very sensual and erotic poses. By contemporary standards, such images may seem more carnal than divine, but they reflect the belief that the best way to capture the ineffable beauty of the spirit was through sensual renderings of the human body. Thus, one of the most popular motifs of Indian art is the image of a divine loving couple, known as “mithuna,” a Sanskrit term referring to the sacrament of sexual union between husband and wife. Such images were generally understood as auspicious symbols of prosperity and good fortune.