(vii.c) Śilparatna (Temple-architecture—Chapters 14-43)

Now follows a detailed treatment of temple-architecture. The 14th chapter is devoted to the different substances of which a temple is made, stone, bricks, lime, wood or timber, clay, and metals. This chapter is of unique importance and the presentation is most systematic and methodical, hardly to be found in any other Śilpa-text.

The subsequent chapter (15) is again a preliminary chapter wrongly placed here. Ayādilakṣaṇa is one of the fundamentals of an Indian building-construction. It ought to have been so arranged,

So is the case with so many other chapters—Re-arrangement of the chapters, therefore is called for and an attempt in that direction will be made in the last. Resuming the lost thread—the contents of this chapter—first it takes up the three primary Śātras, the Māna, the Vinyāsa and the Avasāna and then takes up the topic in hand which is usual exposition in practically all the texts. Then follow temples proper under the heading of ‘Prāsālalakṣaṇa’ which is a new element altogether in the treatment of temples as treated by the previous two treatises of Southern architecture. This text deals with temples in two places, the present chapter and those which follow it and the 37th. In the latter are treated the Dravidian Vimānas, the chief characteristics of which are the storeys from one to many (12 or 16). This is in quite keeping with the evolution and development of temple-architecture by the time this text was compiled. Both the styles of temple-architecture had become a universal composite style of Hindu architecture in India. The medieval and later medieval texts like the Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra, the A. P. and the S. R. show this composite character of our architectural history. Let us now proceed with the details of temple-architecture as presented by this text.

The first verse of the present chapter (16th) defines ‘Prāsāda, in a quite new manner. Prāsāda, the Hindu temple is the child of Vedic altar and therefore the formation of the word—[“? pra + ā + sāda prakarṣeṇa ā samantādsadanaṃ (sādanaṃvā) sādaḥ (iṣṭikānāmityarthaḥ) iti grāsādaḥ?”]—literally bears out this ancient tradition, Śilparatna, however, gives altogether a new definition from the standpoint of artistic sensibility, or more correctly from the aesthetic point of view:

devādīnāṃ narāṇāṃ ca yeṣu ramyatayā ciram |
manāṃsi ca prasīdanti prāsādāstena kīrtitāḥ || śi0 16-1

In the second verse he defines Vimāna, the chief characteristic of which is the manifold technique of measurements. This I consider to be an original contributions of this text, so far not brought out in prominence elsewhere. It is curious to see that Dr. Acharya takes this chapter on palaces—vide his notice of the text H. A. I. A. p. 176, which is contrary to facts. It treats not palaces but temples (devavimāna) following the Āgamas. The subsequent details of this chapter relate to the measurements of heights, the number of storeys (1 to 12) and the different classes or varieties (Nāgarādi), Alpa-Prāsāda, Mahāprāsāda (along with their names). It is remarkable that the different Prāsādas which have been divided here into 20 and 30 classes are similar to the classifications found in Northern texts. Some of the Āgamas like Karṇāgama also follow this method. An interesting notice of the contents is the allotment of the different storeyed buildings to the different ranks of deities and royalties. The twelve-storeyed buildings can be occupied by only the superior gods like Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Siva. This chapter also defines in its own manner the three main styles of teṃple-architecture, Nāgara etc.

Next follow the details of the component parts of temple, the pillar, base, pedestal etc. etc. The 17th chapter deals with Adhiṣṭhana. the base of the temple and is very aptly defined (cf. the opening first three lines). It also deals with its socle, the upapīṭha and the details of pillar also accompany them. The next chapter delineates upon the different limbs of upa-pīṭha in its manifold varieties of Vedi-bhadra, Prati-bhadra etc. Then is taken up the adhiṣṭhāna proper (19) which is of fourteen types There are other details as well intermixed with some foreign details like gṛhārambha which may be a misarrangement of the topics by the scribe. Base and column—both these topic having been dealt with—also require a companion member, the Nāla 120) channels through which water has to pass. The following chapter is very important. It (21) deals with walls, vedikās, and columns. Fivefold walls those made of stone, Śilāmaya, bricks, Iṣṭikāmaya. Jālakamaya (i.e.) studded with windows, Phalakamaya i.e. wooden and Mṛṇmaya (made of clay) along with their mortar and mouldings have been elaborated. Then are taken up the vedikās—Puṣpakhaṇḍā, Citrat-khaṇḍā, Śaivālā, Citra-śaivālā and their decorative motifs. Further details comprise the treatment on pillars Brahmakānta, Viṣṇukānta, Skandakānta, Candrakānta, Īśakānta, Rudrakānta, their shapes, mouldings and other decoratives along with their Kumbhas (the pichers), Ssīkara [Sīkara?], Candrakānta, Saumukhya and Priyadarśana (of 4 varieties). Further details relate to the component parts of a pillar.

The next chapter (22) is on doors in details of relative dimensions and component parts like Kavāṭa [?] (of fourfold varieties—yuga, ayuga, saṃhāra and dhāvana etc.) along with their manifold accessories, decorations etc. In the end the stairs (Sopāna) in relation to the doors have been delineated upon.

Now the following fourteen chapters are devoted to decorative structures and mouldings and apartments, both of the superstructure roof and topmost part of a Vimāna-temple. The 23rd chapter deals with arches—3 types, Patra-toraṇa, Makara-toraṇa and Citra-toraṇa. Column-arches are also hinted at and in the end is given an enumeration of the auspicious decorations to be employed on buildings especially the doors. These are called aṣṭamaṅgalas like mirror, full pichor, bull, pair of camaras, Śrīvṛkṣa, Svastika, Śaṅkha, Lamp etc. etc. Then follow details of Jālaka, the screened windows (21); Kūṭa-koṣṭha-ādi, the top-rooms (25) Pañjara, cages (26) in great details; Vṛttasphuṭita [Vṛtta-sphuṭita], an ornament (27), Kumbhalatā another ornament (23), Uttara (29; another decorative motif in relation to the pillars, Prastara (10), the entablature of the pillars, Gala (31) the neck (of the the Vimāna proper); Śikhara (32), the spherical roof, the topmost superstructure, in manifold varieties of Pāñcāla, Vaideha, Māgadha Kaurava, Kauśalya, Saurasena, Gāndhāra and Āvantika and their heights in sevenfold varieties of Kāliṅga, Kāśya, Vārāṭa, Kaulaka, Sauṇḍika [Śauṇḍika?], Kāśmīra and Gāṅgeya; Lupā (34), the slopping roof (in rich details); Mūrdhneṣṭakā (34), the topmost ornament; Nāsikā (35) the Vistibule, along with the ‘Mūrtinyāsa, the installation of images on the body of the Prāsāda or Vimāna and Stūpikā, (36) the dome along with its pitcher, the Kalaśa.

As already remarked the text deals with the temples at two places. Another characteristics treatment of storeys now follows under a peculiar title ‘Śāntika-ādi-niyama’. We have already commented on this character of classification of Vimāna-buildings as associated with this work in the light of Dr. Bhattacharya’s observation. Evidently this chapter describes Śāntika, Pauṣṭika, Jayada, Adbhuta and Sārvakāmika classes—a division of buildings according to height—one storeyed structure to twelve-storeyed ones. The next chapter (38) again uses the word ‘Prāsāda’ which is all very confusing intermixture of two traditions, the Prāsāda-architecture and the Vimāna-architecture under the title ‘Vṛtta-ṣaḍaśra-ādi-prāsāda-lakṣaṇa’ or we can make another surmise that the Śāntika-ādi buildings and their height etc. are related to Vimāna-architecture and the present chapter, like-wise, refers to the details of shape and proportions of measurements etc. in relation to Prāsāda-architecture.

The next chapter is devoted to Maṇḍapas, their characteristic architecture, their different classes—Mukha-Maṇḍapa The subsequent chapter (40) takes up Prākāras in the style of the Mānasāra the fivefold types Antar-maṇḍala, Antarhārā, Madhyahārā, Vāhyahārā and Maryādā or Mahā-maryādā and their varied and rich details. In the concluding portion Dīpa-mālā is also characteristically described. This was the light-arrangement of those days Now 41st chapter is occupied in the delineation of. Gopura-architecture, their types, dvāraśobhā etc. five varieties, their employment in the respective Prākāras with respective storeys (from six to eighteen). The next chapter is reserved as is usual with sister texts like Mānasāra and Mayamata, for ‘Parivāra-vidhāna' from. 8 to 32 parivāra-deities their locations etc. The chapter is of iconographical interest. The subsequent two chapters are on Bali-piṭha and Dhvaja respectively. Then follows a chapter on ‘Sandhi’ which again is not wanted here. It is a big chapter on ‘Joinery’. The last chapter is on ‘Painting’, a notice of which is already attempted.

This brief notice of this manual, as already remarked, shows that the arrangement of the chapters is faulty, more faulty than that of the Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra, an attempt therefore at its. re-arrangement is called for. The following table will give the required systematisation.

N. B.—As regards Temple-architecture—this text expounds this subject according to both the famous schools of Indian Architecture viz. the Nāgara and Drāviḍa. The Śilpratna, as already remarked is comparatively a modern manual, hence by its time both the styles of temple-architecture were fully developed. Naturally this subject is not very haphazardly treated. The treatement of the subject in chapters 14-43 is alright. The two chapters in the end of the 1st part i.e., Sandhikarma and Citralakṣaṇa though apparently ill-arranged, nevertheless justify their grouping in the context of temple-architecture where Sandhikarma with esp. ref. to timber and the painting on the walls are justified.