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The silpa-sastras like Manasara, Mayamata, Srikumara's

- 182 Silparatna of the South and the Visvakarma-prakasa, Samarangana Sutradhara, Aparajita Pracchha of the North, the Agamas and Tantras associated with the one or the other of the principal Brahmanical texts, contain ample material for the study of this subject. Many of the Pancaratra and Saiva Samhitas and Agamas contain important sections dealing with elaborate rules about the construction of temples and images. T.A.G.Rao mainly drew from the Kriyapada of the Pancaratra Vaikhanasagama in order to explain the various characteristic features of the Vaisnava images, and the Saiva Agamas like Suprabheda, Kirana Kamika etc. for the Saiva icons. Hayasirsa pancaratra contains very Varahamihira's Brhatsanhita 3 elaborate details of this nature. of the 6 th century is also a very important text from the point of view of architecture and sculpture. Bhoja's Samrang ana Sutradhara (11 th Cen. A.D.) as well as Somesvara's Abhilasitartha Cintamani (12 th Cen. A.D.) and Hemadri's Caturvargacintamani (13 th Cen. A.D.) are of a much later date. It is not my purpose to go into details of the contents of these iconographical texts. I am concerned here only with the iconographical sections of the Puranas. The study of the puranic literature is essential for proficiency in Brahmanical Iconography. Besides the mythological lore contained in them, the important iconographic and iconometric canons are found in the puranas and the upa-puranas such as Matsya, Agai, Padma, Visnudharmottara etc. They indicate a very close similarity with the pancaratra Samhitas. The Prasadalaksana and the Pratimalaksana of the Agni Purana are identical with the

- 183 chapters in the Hayasir sapancaratra. Dr. J. N. Baner je a observes that Hemadri, the author of Caturvargacintamani quotes from the puranas like Matsya, Agni, Vianud harmottara and the South Indian works like Mayamata and Silparatna borrowed from the Puranas as Brahma, Matsya, Padma, Skanda and Visnudharmottara. 4 Among the Puranas the Agnipurana, the Matsya Purana and the Visnudharmottara are considered to be the representative Puranas on this subject. The Bhavisya Purana, Skanda Purana, Narada Purana and the Upa-puranas like Kalika, Devi Bhagvata, and the Samba also contain some iconographic material. Details about the making of images, their shapes, dimensions and other constructive details and ceremonious installations are described in the Puranas. The treatment of sculpture in the Agni Purana is unique and most extensive. Out of sixteen chapters devoted to the Silpasastra, thirteen chapters contain iconographic account (Ch. 43 - 46, 49 46, 49 - 55 and 60 - 62). The Agni Purana deals with almost all classes of religious images, both of male and female deities. Among the Vaisnava deities, apart from the Dasavatara murtis, Vasudeva Pratimas are also described. The Sun-god and his attendants are discussed. The description of Phallus (Linga) and the pedestal (Pindika) is also found in the Purana. The details on salagrama are most elaborate and not to be found else where. Two dosen varieties of Salagrama are described. Iconographic details are described in the Matsya Purana

184 in seven Chapters (Ch. 252, 258-263). The images of different gods are that of Visnu, the varieties of Siva images, the Sun-god, and other various deities. Chapters 262 and 263 are devoted to the Pithika laksana and the Linga laksana. Iconometry ('Pramana nathanam') is the special feature of this Purana. The Visnudharmottara contains fullest details among the Puranic literature on iconography and iconometry, introduces them by way of questions and answers between the sage Markandeya and the King Vajra.