Meaning of the Prasada

The Sanskrit word, prasada generally denotes palace mansion especially of several storeys. 4 In the Ramayana palace and ostentations buildings were classified variously as prasadas, vimanas, harmyas, and saurdhas etc. Prasada are described as Saptabhauma, Astabhauma, and Anekabhauma. Palaces were crowned with domes or

174 pinnacles. The palaces had many pillars. The thousand columned palaces are twice mentioned in the Ramayana.5 In the Mahabharata ostentatious buildings were variously known as sabha, prasada, vimana, saudha and harmya. Prasadas were invariably taken as palaces. There were many-storeyed buildings In the Jatakas when a prasada is used by a king it is called nivesa-pasada, raja-bhavana, rajageha, raja-nevesana, and antepura.7 More often than not, the terms referred to above seem to imply a group of buildings all enclosed by an outer wall (prakara). But the word antepura, which is also synonymous with pasada stands to mean a single building. 8 The Sanchi reliefs represent a few palaces and palace-interiors which furnish information regarding the dwelling places of the kings and other royal personages. These palace must have been built on the solid foundation or basement or on the ground.⁹ 10 In Pali literature prasadas are described as having, an alinda (veranda) and a hastinakha. T Buddhagosha explains the meaning of the harmya as a prasada on whose top has been placed a kutagara. In Kautilya's Arthasastra palaces are described as prasada, harmya, sabha, etc. 11 The common words for the palace of a king used in the Puranas are prasada, an edifice, a temple, a platform, a Buddhist assembly or confessional hall.

175 In the Aparajitaprccha¹³ the palace is described as prasada, rajaprasada, rajagrha, rajalaya, maharajagrha and rajavesma. According to the Samarangana Sutradhara 14 also rajavesma includes private quarters of the king as well as those of his kinsmen together with all the establishments associated with his palace. The palace architecture is different from domestic architecture which is meant for a family unit rather than community. 15 Palace is the seat of the government, the activities of the state and the judicial system are included in the domestic activities of the king. 16 The palace architecture becomes governmental architecture." The ideals of kingship 18 in India are based on welfare state, the buildings of the palace complex are built for residence, religion, recreation, health, medicine, stores, supply and for water-reservoir.