Essay name: Samrajya Lakshmi Pithika (Study)
Author:
Artatrana Sarangi
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages
This is a study in English of the Samrajya Lakshmi Pithika (written by Lolla Lakshmidhara) representing an encyclopedic manual for emperors. The Samrajyalaksmipithika encompasses about 3870 verses in addressing topics such as public festivals, governance, warfare (military strategy), and rituals associated with the Tantric worship for the deity Samrajya-Lakshmi.
Chapter 5 - Forts, Castrametation and the Royal Army
50 (of 135)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
545 43
in a posture of bearing the load of the gopuram and the
doors fashioned after a leopard's mouth add positive
beauty to the doors described by SLP. Further we learn
that the four major doors (gates) respectively carry the
images of Vighnaraja, Bhairava, Bhadrakali and Hanumat.
Added to these big four, many small doors are opened but
without the design of the leopard's face. Each door is
two-fold and covered with sheets of iron and reinforced
with protruding iron-pegs and strong bolts. The outer
doors which open near the moat are said to have suspended
bridge-like devices that are employed in crossing the moats.
Such are the eight doors of a fort according to SLP.
Coming to the Salas (halls) near the rampart, SLP
prescribes eight such halls to be constructed, namely, the
bhadra etc. (34.4) for king's use during war.
Mayamata
and VVS favour twelve such salas for a yuddhadurga
or six
(saladvada sak膩v峁泃a) and five for a Kurmadurga
^
33 etc.
(Pa帽casaissalakai岣�) VVS (10.42). But about the location
/n
of the royal citadel in a fort VVS seems to agree with SLP
43.
This appears to be quite popular in our tradition.
Vastumandana and Vastuma帽iari fully corroborate
this view when these opine, 'ganeso dhanado laksmih
puradvare sukhavahah Vastumandana (3.30) and
'dvare dvare dhanadhisan ganesam cet 艣r墨vam
nyaset' Vastuma帽iari (16.17)
