Chapter 75 - The five-fold Men Women (Pañca-puruṣa-strī-lakṣaṇa)

[Note: This chapter corresponds to Chapter 81of the original Samarāṅgaṇa-Sūtradhāra]

[Full title: Pañca-puruṣa-strī-lakṣaṇa (The Standard models of proportions of the five-fold men and five-fold women)]

As per the dictum of Varāhamihira, the ornamentation and dresses are to be provided for or employed in the images of gods and goddesses in the fashion of the country; the local characteristic styles of dresses and decorations are the standards in which the gods and goddesses are decorated and dressed. Similarly there has been an unbroken art tradition in India from Varāhamihira regarding the five principal heights and lengths having been recognised as standard types of male figures. It is in conformity to these five-fold proportions that the sculptors have been moulding their icons and images accordingly. The author of the Samarāṅgaṇa-Sūtradhāra, not only maintains this tradition but also adds one more, namely five types of proportions in case of females also This is the import of the chapter.

Here the five male types described in detail are:—

1. Haṃsa,
2. Saśa [Śaśa?],
3. Rucaka,
4. Bhadra and
5. Mālavya.

And their mānas being 88, 90, 92, 94 and 96 aṅgulas respectively. These figures do not tally with those given by the Bṛhatsaṃhitā of Varāhamihira. I have discussed all these points in Vol II.

Then follow the detailed descriptions of all the limbs of all these types of men with full proportions In the end are given (though the chapter is very corrupt) the description of the five-fold women—

1. Daṇḍinī,
2. Vṛttā,
3. Pauruṣī and
4. Balāki,
5. (and the fifth one is missing).