6. Proportionate Measurement (in sculptures)

Indian Sculptors used to follow certain rules of proportions in the making of images. The Tala-mana is a sculptural measure. References to these measurements are found in the Silpasastras like Manasara, Silparatna and also in nonarchitectural treatises like the Matsya Purana (Ch. 258) or the

191Suprabhedagama. The Dasatala system is considered as the best one among talamanas. Then there are systems like Navatala, Astatala, Saptatala etc. Saptatala etc. In the Tala-mana the length of face is taken as the unit of measurement through which the whole image is measured out. The Matsya Purana also says that the measurement of the height of the other limbs should be in 13 terms of the measure of its face. In the Dasatila system the whole image should be ten times the face. This Dasatala system is again divided into three categories according to its height such as Uttama, Madhyama and Adhama Dasatalas. The Uttama-Desa-tala which divided the whole length into 124 dehangulas is prescribed for the images of principal deities like Brahma, Vismu and Siva. The Madhyama-dasa-tala of 120 dehahgulas is prescribed for the Devi-pratimas and the Adhama-dasa-tala of 116 dehahgulas is for Indra and other Lokapalas and for Candra, Surya etc. The details about the tala-measures are given by Mr. T.A.G.Rao. 14 The six different ways in which an image can be measured are mana, Pramana, unmana, parimana, upamana, and Lambanana. Mana is the measurement of the height of the body, Pramana is that of its breadth. Ummana is the measure of thickness or diameter. Parimana is the measurement of width or circum ference. Upamana is the measurement of interspace. Lambamana is taken along plump-lines or the lines drawn perpendicularly through different parts of the body and the mana is taken by the surface of the body.

192 The height of the Indian images was measured in units like tala and angula. Angula is taken to be the length of the middle digit of the middle finger. Again this standard measure is divided into three kinds - manahgula, matrangula and dehaigula. But the defect in this measure is that the fingers of two persons are hardly of equal breadth. Therefore it is ascertained by the measures of certain other objects such as atom, car-dust, hair end, nit, louse, and barley corn. 8 Paramanu 1 ratharemui 8 ratharenus = 1 balagra 8 balagras 1 lik 8 liksas 1 Yuka 8 Yukas 1 Yava 8 Yavas = 1 1 Uttama-manangula 7 Yavas 6 Yavas 1 Madhyama-manahgula 1 Adhama- manangula. The unit of 12 angulas is taken as a tala, vitasti or mukha. The Matsya Purana uses the word Mukha the mukha or the face of the image (equivalent to a tala, should be 12 angulas of its own). The Purana then divides the whole height of the image into nine parts (Navatalalaksana) in terms of the face and length. The neck should be four angulas, the chest one bhaga (1.e. mukha or tala), from the chest to the navel 1 bhaga, from the navel to the organ 1 bhaga, the thighs are two bhagas and the patella of the knee 4 angulas, the legs measure two bhagas in height, and the feet four angulas high. 15

- 193 In the Matsya Purana only a brief reference is made to the dasatala images of Rama (Dasarathi) and Bali the son of Virocana and the Saptatala images of Varaha, Narasinha and 16 Vamana. The Matsya Purana says that those images which are meant for worship in private chapels of the householders should never measure more than a digit while those that are to be enshrined in temples should measure not more than 1/16 th 17 part of the whole height of the temple." Ancient Hindus referred to the five different types of men viz. Haisa, Sasa, Kucaka, Shadra and Malavya. The height of the Hamsa type of men is 96 engulas, of a sasa 99 angulas, of a Rueaka 102 angulas, of a Bhadra 105 angulas and the height of a Malvya is 108 angulas. The division into 108 parts (9 x 12) refers to Navatala images only. Dr. Banerjea says that the Matsya Purana refers to the Malavya type, when it says that the man who measures nine talas from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet and whose arms reach the knees, are 18 greatly respected by gods.