Architectural data in the Puranas
by Sharda Devi | 2005 | 50,074 words
This essay studies ancient Indian architectural science as found in technical treatises and the Puranas, with special reference to the Matsya, Garuda, Agni and Bhavishya Puranas. These texts detail ancient architectural practices, covering temple and domestic designs, dimensional specifications, and construction rules. The study further connects ar...
Notes and References for chapter 5
1. NOTES AND REFERENCES 221 A.S. Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, Bombay, 1974, p. 421. 2. Matsya Purana, chap. 254, 1-9. 3. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 53, 31-42. 4. D.N. Shukla, Bharatiya Sthapatya, Lucknow, 1968, pp. 134-36. 5. Aparajitapriccha , chap. 69. 18-19. 6. 7. AV, III. 12. 1-7. Asv. Gr-Su, 11, 8; also T.P. Bhattacharya, The Canons of Indian. p. 4. Matsya Purana, chap. 8, 83-120. 8. 9. Ibid., chap. X. 117-120. 10. Markandeya Purana, chap. 49. 11. Vayu Purana, chap. 8. 12. Samarangana Sutradhara, chap. 6. 34-36. 13. 14. Appri., ch. 69. 15-16. For references to grass-order in the Vedic huts, K.D. Bajpai, Bhartiya Vastukala Ka Itihasa, pp. 35-36, also Percy Brown, Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu), pp. 3-4. G.R. Sharma and B.B. Misra, Archaeology of the Vindhyas and the Ganga Valley (5), Excavations at Chopani-Mando (Belan Valley), 1977-79, pp. 17-19, 37-40%; also G.R. Sharma, V.D. Misra, D. Mandal, B.B. Misra and J.N. Pal, Beginnings of Agriculture
222 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. (Epi-Palaeolithic to Neolithic Excavations at Chopani-Mando, Mahadaha and Mahagara) pp 17-19 G.R. Sharma and D Mandal, Archaeology of the Vindhyas and the Ganga Valley (6), Excavations at Mahagara 1977-79 (A Neolithic Settlement in the Belan Valley), pp. 19-20, 43-46; also GR. Sharma and others, Beginnings of Agriculture, Allahabad 1980, introduction, pp. 17 ff B.B. Misra, 'Chalcolithic Cultures of the Vindhyas and the Central Ganga Valley,' paper Presented to XII Annual Congress of Indian Archaeological Society and VII Annual Congress of Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies, Allahabad University 1980, p. 4. B.B. Misra, 'Chalcolithic Cultures of the Vindhyas and the Central Ganga Valley', op. cit, p. 4. Asv. Gr. Su, 11. 7.1-6. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 2 According to Manasara, chap. 36.1-96 a house may be built in a village, a town, a settlement, a suburb, a grave, a hermitage, near a hill or river. The architect should plan a house in accordance with these details. And whatever man makes is secondary (gauna) Vastu, while the site is the principle one, according to the Mayamata, chap. 2.6. Agni Purana, chap. 105.1. 20. 21. GP, chap. 46.1.
22. 23. Matsya Purana, chap. 253. 12-13: Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 53. 9-97. Agni Purana, chap. 92.7. 24. Ibid., chap. 247. 1-2. 25. Samarangana Sutradhara, chap. 8.48. 26. 27. 28. Matsya Purana, chap. 253. 18; Vishvakarma Prakasha 1.64-66; Agni Purana, chap. 247 p. 889. Ibid., also Bhuvanapradipa pp. 12-13; Silpasastra p. 4. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 53.92. 29. Ibid., chap. 53.93. 30. Agni Purana, chap. 247.3. 31. Matsya Purana, chap. 253. 13-16; Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 53.94. 32. Agni Purana, chap. 92. 8-9. 33. Matsya Purana, chap. 253. 17. 34. Ibid., chap. 253. 18. 35. Ibid., chap. 253. 19-33. 36. Matsya Purana, chap. 253. 13-16. 37. Ibid. 38. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 6. 39. Matsya Purana, chap. 253. 2-5. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. Silpasastra, 1, 22-24; Vishvakarma Prakasha, 2.17-20; Yuktikalpataru, p. 32. Samarangana Sutradhara, chap. 10, 70-2. Mayamata, chap. IV, pp. 7-8; chap. V, p. 10. Matsya Purana, chap. 253. 7. Ibid., 253.6, if Yuktikalpataru p. 32 & 217, Silpasastra, 1.34. 223
46. 45. Matsya Purana, chap. 253. 8-10. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 8. 47. Ibid., chap. 256. 13-14. 48. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 15-16. 49. Ibid., chap. 256. 17-18. 50. Ibid. 51. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 20-22. 52. Ibid., 23-25. 53. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 29-33. 54. Matsya Purana, chap. 255. 7-8. 55. Agni Purana, chap. 104. 24. 56. Matsya Purana, chap. 255. 29. 57. Manasara, chap. 9. 360. 58. Matsya Purana, chap. 255. 10. 59. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 53. 72-80. 60. Matsya Purana, chap. 255. 15-16. 61. GP, chap. 46. 30-31. 62. Matsya Purana, chap. 255. 18-19. 63. Matsya Purana, chap. 255. 7-19; Agni Purana, chap. 105. 34-38; GP, chap. 46. 31-37. 64. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 53. 71-82. 65. 224 Matsya Purana, chap. 257. 15-17; Yuktikalpataru, p. 45; Vastuvidya, 8, 21-22; Manuslyachandrika, p. 16; Vishvakarma Prakasha, 2, 49-50. 66. Ibid., 18-19.
225 67. Ibid.. 20-21. 68. GP, chap. 46. 25-29. 69. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 6-12. 70. Agni Purana, chap. 167. 2-3. 71. Matsya Purana chap. 255-20; Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 53. 85-87 72. Ibid., 21. 73. GP, chap. 46. 38. 74. Agni Purana, chap. 282 1-3. 75. Ibid., chap. 247. 24-26. 76. Matsya Purana, chap. 255. 23-24. 77. Agni Purana, chap. 282. 7-8. 78. Matsya Purana, ch. 257. 10-12. 79. Matsya Purana, chap. 257. 4-7. 80. Ibid., 2-3. 81. Matsya Purana, chap. 254. 39-40; Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 53. 22. 82. Matsya Purana, chap. 254. 1-11; S.N. Roy, Pauranic Dharma Evam Samaja, pp. 365-66 four entrances and four ante-rooms. Mayamata, ch. XXVI, p. 204; ch. XI, pp. 48-9. 83. 84. Ibid., p. 205. 85. 86. Samarangana Sutradhara, chap. 39. 21-4. Mayamata, ch. XI, p. 48.
226 87. Samarangana Sutradhara, ch. 39, 21-4; whereas Mayamata assigns seven to eleven for monarchs, and three or four storeys suitable for the merchants and 88. Sudras; of ch. 11, p. 49. Matsya Purana, chap. 254. 43. 89. Ibid., p. 353. 90. Mayamata, ch. XV, pp. 75-80. 91. Samarangana Sutradhara, chap. 16, 1-2. 92. Ibid., ch. 61, 27-30. 93. IAR. 1983-4, p. 62. 94. Ibid., p. 49. 95. El, vol. XIV, p. 366. 96. Matsya Purana chap. 256. 33; also Kamikagama, 35. 177-191. 97. GP, chap. 46. 15. 98. Agni Purana, chap. 106. 19. 99. GP, chap. 46. 14. 100. Agni Purana, chap. 106. 18; Vastuprabandha, 2. 25-26 says that a common room (sarva-vastu-grha) as well as bathroom (snanagrha) in this direction. 101. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 34. 102. GP, chap. 46. 14. 103. Agni Purana, chap. 104. 18. 104. GP, chap. 46. 17. 105. Agni Purana, chap. 104. 18.
227 106. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 34. 107. GP, chap. 46. 16. 108. Agni Purana, chap. 104. 18; The Silpa-sastra-sara-samgraha suggests that toilet be located between the south and south-west p. 24-28. 109. GP, chap. 46. 16. 110. Agni Purana, chap. 106. 19 the Kamikagama wants water-storage here; the Vastutattva would have dinning room here, as well as study-room 111. Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 35. 112 GP, chap. 46. 15. 113. Agni Purana, chap. 106. 19; the Silpa-sastra-sara-samgraha, 9. 24-28 suggest that the apartment for enjoyment be located in between the north-west and north. The Vastuprabandha would place cattle-shed here. 114. GP, chap. 46.15. 115. Agni Purana, chap. 104. 19; the Silpa-sastra-sara-samgraha, suggests that medicines and herbs be stored in between north and north-east. 116. Mayamata 2.1 vastu refers to a place where human beings reside with immortal spirits. 117. El, vol. xxiii, p. 139. 118. IAR, 1981-2, p. 67. 119. El, vol. xxiii, p. 139. 120. A.M. Shastri, India as seen in the Kuttanimata of Damodaragupta, Delhi, 1975, p. 231.
228 121. IAR, 1977-8, p. 49. 122. JAR, 1979-80, p. 31. 123. Margabandhu, C., 'Houses of the Early Historic Period in North India: A New Evidence', JASB, Ivi-lix, 1981-84, pp. 227-34. 124. IAR, 1976-7, p. 28; IAR, 1982-3, p. 16. 125. IAR, 1974-5, p. 22. 126. IAR, 1976-7, pp. 40-2. 127. IAR, 1972-3, p. 15. 128. JAR, 1981-2, p. 67. 129. JAR, 1973-4, p. 26. 130. /AR, 1957-8, p. 25.