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 2
1. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, ed. James Hastings, vol. XII. New York, 1971, pp. 236-37; K.R. Srinivasan, Temples of South India, 2nd edn., New Delhi, 1979, p. 1. 2. Stella Kramrisch, The Hindu Temple, vol. I, Delhi, 1976, p. 118. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Aparajitapriccha , 69.29; Manasara, IV, 23; XLI, 1-51; P.K. Acharya, A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture, Oxford, 1927, rpt., New Delhi, 1993, pp. 30, 551-552; Stella Kramrisch, op. cit., p. 134. Klaus Fisher, 'Bengal Brick Temples During the Indo Islamic Period', in Pramod Chandra, ed., Studies in Indian Temple Architecture, New Delhi, 1975, p. 195. Ksirarnava, 15.49. Agni Purana, 61.19-27. Similarly it says that the whole prasada is to be understood as purusa and Lord Hari himself is visibly established in the prasada, see also Agni Purana, 102.14 and 102.22-23. Silparatna, XVI, 121-123.
8. 132 ISGP, pt. III, ch. XII, 16; also Stella Kramrisch, op. cit., pp. 135-136; Ksirarnava, 9.19: Ibid., 13.6. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. H.C. Bhiyani, Aspects of Jain Art and Architecture, ed., U.P. Shah and M.A. Dhaky, Gujrat Slab Committee for the celebration of 2500th Anniversary of Bhagwan Mahavir Nirvan, 1975, p. 23. Ibid., K.R. Srinivasan, Archaelogical Remains, Monuments and Museums, pt. 1. ASI, p. 107; G.C. Pande, Baudha Dharma Ke Vikasa Ka Itihasa, 2nd edn., Lucknow, 1976, p. 205. The rule that the width of the wall on the outside should be twice the width of the garbhagrha is observed in the sixth century AD. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, 55. 12: Matsya Purana 269.1; cf. Bhuvanapradipa, LXXXIII, quoted and translated by N.K. Basu, in Canons of Orissan Architecture, p. 119. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, 55. 11. Matsya Purana, 269.8; GP, 1.47.10-13. Hayasirsapancaratra, XIII. 318; Agni Purana, 9-11. The more general reference seems to be the Linga. The connection of Linga and temple appears more close and may be more original than that of image and temple. ISGP, III. Ch. XXVIII. ISGP, III. Ch. XXVII. 62 f; treats of the 'bricks'. The Agni Purana, 41.11, similarly says that the whole prasada is to be understood as purusa
133 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. and lord Hari himself is visibly established in the prasada. See also Agni Purana, 102.14 and 102. 22-23. Manusmrti, IX. 280 (devatagara); Grhya Sutras, Sankhayana, 11.12.6, etc; Pancatantra, BK. I story 1.27 F.. El, p. 390, no. 18; Indian Antiquary XXXIII, p. 102, no. 13; Sthana, (Brahmasthana; Mahabharata III. 84.103). El, vol. IX. p. 254 (Pathari stone insert. V.S. 917); III. p. 15. Nalanda inscription of Yasovarmmadeva about 530 AD (verse 13), El, vol. XX. p. 43; Lakha-mandal inscription, about 500 A.D., El, p. 15; copper plate inscr., referring to the Kailasanatha temple at Ellora, eighth century, /A, vol. XII, pp. 229, 289. Kirtanam or kirti is a temple or any work of art by which the builder praises the glory of the lord and through which he attains fame. "House of the Wealthy", acc. to Amarakosa Harmyam and all the other more frequent names occur in early and late texts and inscriptions. Harmya is also the name of the upper floor (uparibhumi; Samarangana Sutradhara, XVIII. 10). 22. Bhavishya Purana 1. 130.8-9. also Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, 56.1-2. 23. Agni Purana, chap. 38. The entire chapter is full of details for constructing different temples for different deities. Stella Kramrisch, op. cit., p. 4. 24. 25. GP, chap. 47.47. 26. Bhavishya Purana, 1.130. 42-47.
134 27. 28. 29. 30. Ibid., 1.130.43. Matsya Purana, chap. 253 also see Agni Purana, chap. 40. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira chap. 53. 96-7. Ibid.; Bhavishya Purana, 1.130.44; Brhat, chap. 53. Ibid., 15-16: 'For Brahmanas, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras, the taste of the earth is sweet, astringent, pungent and bitter respectively. The importance given to the colour, mentioned above. is due to the fact that the complexion of Brahmanas was white, emblematic of purity and holiness; that of the Ksatriyas was red, colour of the blood, symbolic of battle and martial spirit; that of Vaisyas was yellow, the colour of gold emblematic of commerce; that of the Sudras was black, the colour of the non-Aryan low class people signifying ignorance and dirty habits.' B.B. Dutt, Town Planning in Ancient India, Calcutta, 1925, p. 57. 31. 32. Bhavishya Purana, 1.130.47. P.K. Acharya, Architecture of Manasara, Manasara Series, vol. V., New Delhi, 1995, p. 18; Stella Kramrisch, op. cit., p. 14; D.N. Shukla, Hindu Science of Architecture, Lucknow, vol. I, 1960, p. 264. Agni Purana, chap. 92. Agni Purana, chap. 41 see also in Matsya Purana, chap. 256. 33. 34. 35. Bhavishya Purana, 1.130. 10-15. 36. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 55, 4-8. 37. Stella Kramrisch, op. cit., p.4.
135 38. The Matsya Purana, chap. 269. 39. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, 52. 39-41. 40. Samarangana Sutradhara, 49.67. 41. Bhavishya Purana, 131. 33. 42. 43. 44. Matsya Purana, chap. 266. 5. 18. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, chap. 52, 110; Vishnudharmottara Purana, 3. 86-88. Agni Purana, chap. 41.17. 45. Matsya Purana, chap. 268. 31-45. 46. Ibid., 47-51. 47. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira uses the phrase 'vicitrakuhara' and Bhavishya Purana prefers 'vividhakuhana'. 48. 49. 50. See Bhavishya Purana, 1. 130. 'navatrinsaducchritameruh'. Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira uses the word 'simhakrant and Bhavishya Purana uses sinhakaro. Bhavishya Purana omits a line here and consequently contains a sloka of only one line numbered as 35. 51. Stella Kramrisch, op. cit., pp. 275-77. 52. See GP, 1. 47. 19-27, and Tehsilder Singh's, 'Some Reflections. on Temple Architecture from Garuda-Purana', Purana, vol. XXII, no. 2. 1980. pp. 184 ff; Agni Purana, chap. 104. 13-21. 53. Agni Purana, 104.17 names it vardhani. 54. Agni Purana, 104.18 names it khavrksa. 55. Agni Purana, 104.11 it is called manika. 56. Ibid 104.19 it is called rksanayaka.
57. Ibid 104.19 it is called bhusana. 58. Ibid 104.11 it is called trivistapa. 59. 136 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. Agni Purana, 104.21 where svastika kharga denotes one type of temple contrary to the idea of some scholars who favour its separation as 'svastika' and 'kanga' indicating two types. See Matsya Purana, 268. 1-6, also Agni Purana, 42. 1-7, GP, 1, 47.6-10 and Vishvakarma Prakasha, VI 56-81. Compare with Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira 56. 10-30 where no special or sectarian temple is mentioned Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira uses the phrase 'tripanca-saptanavabhih' while Bhavishya Purana uses. 'nrpancasaptanavabhih' Here 'nr' has no relevance only tri is appropriate Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira applies the phrase 'sesamangalavihagaih' while Bhavishya Purana uses sailamangalavihagah, a phrase in nominative case which apparently seems to be wrong because other phrases are in trtiya i.e. instrumental case Agni Purana, 42. 1-18. Hayasirsapancaratram, edited by Pt. Bhuvan Mohan Samkhyatirtha, Varendra Research Society, Rajshani, 1952, pattala 13. It is significant to note that most of the samhitas of Agamic literature were composed before ninth century AD. mainly in the
137 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. period of post-Gupta rules and the heyday of the Gurjara Pratihara empire. Agni Purana, chap. 42.2. Here is a wrong reading 'kuryadayasamanvitam' which carries no coherent meaning. It should be 'kuryadayatamanvitam' where ayata refers to garbhagrha. M.N. Dutta, Sastri in his Agni-Purana, (A prose English translation), vol. 1, Chawkhambha Sanskrit Series, Varanasi, 1967 says, 'The four central squares of which are to be filled up with iron'. It conveys no meaning. So the ayosa may be substituted by ayata which also occurs in the following lines. See Agni Purana, chap. 42.3. Pada literally means a step which will turn equal to 12 inches when used as a unit of measurement; see M. Monier Williams, A Sanskrit English Dictionary, rpt. Delhi, 1970 p. 617. Antagas means 'one who walks on the frontiers'; see M. Monier Williams, op. cit., pp. 42-3. It seems to suggest certain guardian deities. This word kapala seems to be kapili, the passage (antarala) situated between garbhagrha and mandapa and surmounted by the sukanasa. Matsya Purana, 268. 7-13. See also Visvakarmaprakasa, VI. 56-81; GP, 1, 47. 11-13 and Agni Purana, 42.9-22.8. GP, chap. 47. In Madhya Pradesh there is a Siva temple, at Bhojpur in Distt. Raisen, elevated only upto the walls. There is a
138 gigantie linga enshrined inside. It seems to be a Lingamana Prasada with an amazing consonance with the above mentioned description. Matsya Purana, chap. 268. 14-20. 73. 74. See also Vishnudharmottara Purana, 3, 88. 5-6; and Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, 53. 12-16. 75. Here 'karagra' seems to be a hand breadth and the vedavat is a metaphorical suggestion for the number four. 76. 77. 78. 79. · 80. 81. Matsya Purana, 268. 21-25. see also GP, 47. 17-18 and Tehsildar Singh, 'Some Reflections on Temple Architecture from Garuda Purana', Purana, vol. XXII, 1980, p. 184. 'Traivedam' symbols the number 12; trai = three and vedam = four; so 3x 4 = 12. Agni Purana, chap. 104.7 presents it like 'Nemih padona Vistirna. Here one thing is noticeable that nemi is the left part around the temple with in the periphery of the platform so it also might have been a term used for the open circumambulation path. GP, chap. 47. This form of Sri appears to be that of Gajalaksmi seated as lalatabimba being anointed by elephants. This enlisting all Vaisnava divinities along with Gaja Lakshmi as lalatabimba suggests the establishment of a Vaisnava temple.
82. 139 Unlike chapter 42, this chapter proposes consecration of a Siva temple which is distinguished by the names of the divinities to be installed on the exterior projections of the temple walls. 83. Agni Purana, chap. 42. 15-16. 84. Ibid., chap. 104. 26. 85. Agni Purana, chap. 61; 104. 24-30. 86. See also Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, 56. 14-15 where the number of sakhas is described as 'tripancasaptanavabhih' and the phrase 'padavarnabhih' is read as 'patravallibhih'. However the expressions in Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira appear to be more accurate and appropriate. 87. Agni Purana, chap. 61.5. 88. Ibid., 61. 17-19. 89. Ibid., 61.19. 90. Ibid., 61. 23-27. 91. Matsya Purana, chap. 269. 1.36. chap. 270; Agni Purana, chap., 42. 6.7, 23. 92. Matsya Purana, chap. 269. 93. GP, chap. 47. 28-35. 94. Bhavishya Purana, chap. 130. 95. GP, chap. 47. 36-38. 96. Agni Purana, chap. 65. 97. Bhavishya Purana, 1.130. 48-63.
140 98. 'The theory of orientation of building 99. 100. consist in setting them in plan in such a way that they may secure the maximum of benefit from the solar radiation automatically and irrespective of the fact whether occupants will it or not. Temples, living places, assembly halls, audience rooms and a host of structures to meet the needs of men of all grades, are thus so adjusted in plan as to secure an eastern frontage.' D.N. Shukla, op. cit., p. 183. GP. chap. 47. 39-43. Navadhana denotes a temple with eight sub-shrines along with the central as the ninth one, as the pancayatana denotes a temple with four-shrines. 101. These are the twelve forms (dvadasamurtis) of god Visnu of them, namely Narayana is not installed in the sub shrines because he is already in the central one. 102. Matsya Purana, chap. 255.4. 103. Stella Kramrisch, op. cit., p. 22. She further says that it is square vedi in Hindu temple which makes the sacred ground, Ibid., p. 25.