3. The Breadth, Length and Height of the Gopuras

(i). Measures for the Breadth of the Gopuras

(a) Harmya māna:

Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra at first enlists different types of measures on the basis of the mūla harmya (the sanctum sanctorum). Accordingly, the expanse of the mūla prāsāda must be at first divided into 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 parts in order and 1 part of each must be decreased and the remaining is the measure of the gopuras starting from dvāraśobhā, etc. respectively. That is, the expanse of the five gopuras shall be 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 parts of the breadth of the mūla prāsāda.

The above is the measurement for gopuras of the Ābhāsa and Vikalpa type of harmyas^[1] (XLV. 7cd-9ab):

mūlaprāsādavistāre saptāṣṭa navabhājite ||
daśaikādaśabhāge ca ekāṃśarahitaṃ kramāt |
śobhādigopurāntānāṃ vipulaṃ kīrtitaṃ kramāt ||
vikalpābhāsaharmyāṇāṃ gopurāṇāṃ tatastvime |

The extent of the main temple (mūlālaya) is divided into 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 parts and 1 part is deducted from each of them; this gives the expanse of the gopuras starting from dvāraśobhā (3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 parts of the mūlālaya) of the Chanda type of harmya (XLV. 9cd-10ab):

mūlālayaviśālaṃ tu catuṣpañcaṣaḍaṃśake ||
saptāṣṭāṃśena hīnaṃ tu chandaśobhodayaṃ bhavet |

If the expanse of the main temple (mūlageha) is divided into ⅓, 1½, ⅔, ¾, ⅘ parts in the order starting from the gopuras of the first prākāra onwards, this is the expanse of the five gopuras of the Jāti type of harmya (XLV. 10cd-12):

mūlagehatribhāgaikaṃ bhāgamardhāṃśameva ca ||
tridvyaṃśacaturaṃśe tu guṇāṃśaṃ ca tathaiva ca |
pañcabhāge tu vedāṃśaṃ sāleṣu prathamādiṣu ||
śobhādigopurāntānāṃ tatirjātyalayaṃ kramām |
kalpyaivaṃ harmyamānaṃ syāddhastamānavaśāttataḥ ||

(b) Hasta māna:

Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra gives the measures for the breadth of the gopura in hasta māna.

Starting from 2 hastas till 16 hastas, the extent is increased by 1 hasta each time; thus each gopura from śobhā is given three measures (XLV. 13):

dvihastādi dviraṣṭāntaṃ ekahastavivardhanāt |
śobhādigopurāntānāṃ pratyekaṃ tritrimānakam ||

This measurement is to be used for Vikalpa, Ābhāsa and Chanda harmyas (XLV. 14ab):

vikalpābhāsayorevaṃ chandaharmye ca lakṣyate |

For the gopuras of the Jāti harmyas different sets of measurements are given thus If the extent is increased by 1 hasta from 3 hastas to 17 hastas it results in three measures for each of the gopuras. Similarly, increasing the expanse by a hasta the measure of the gopuras, range from 4 to 18 hastas with a set of three measures each. These are the measures prescribed for Jāti harmyas.

Thus the above mentioned 3 x 3 mānas of five type of gopuras result in a total of 45 varied measures (XLV. 14cd-6):

guṇahastaṃ samārabhya saptadaśakarāvadhi ||
ekahastavivṛddhyā tu śobhādīnāṃ trayaṃ trayam |
caturhastaṃ samārabhya yāvadaṣṭādaśaṃ karam ||
śobhādīnāṃ kramādvyāsaṃ jātiharmye vidhīyate |
pratyekaṃ tritridhā mānaṃ chandaṃ pañcavidhaṃ bhavet ||

Accordingly, the measures for the five gopuras are tabulated as follows:

Harmya Dvāra	Vikalpa, Ābhāsa, Chanda			Jāti			Jāti Alternate measure
Śobhā	2	3	4	3	4	5	4	5	6
Śālā	5	6	7	6	7	8	7	8	9
Prāsāda	8	9	10	9	10	11	10	11	12
Harmya	11	12	13	12	13	14	13	14	15
Gopura	14	15	16	15	16	17	16	17	18

Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra stresses that it is proper to design kṣudra harmyas (small temples) by measuring the expanse in hasta māna.

The text also dictates that all the measurements that have been prescribed must be followed duly, for, any change in them will yield unfavourable results (XLV. 17):

hastamānena vistāraṃ kṣudrāṇāṃ mahatīṃ kramāt |
svasvoditaḥ prakartavyaṃ viparītaṃ vipatkaram ||

(c). Sārvadeśika Prāsāda māna

Another set of measurement which is based on Sārvadeśika Prāsāda^[2] is now expounded. Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra states that the measures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 in hasta unit are verily classified into adhama, madhyama and uttama mānas with 3 measures in each type.

Thus all the harmyas are designed employing these measures (XLV. 18-9ab):

athavā tricatuṣpañcaṣaṭsaptāṣṭa navaṃ karam |
daśaikādaśahastaṃ tu adhamāditrayaṃtrayam ||
sarvaharmye tathā sāle yatheṣṭaṃ parikalpayet |

Of the several harmyas, 3 types of uttama mānas are used for large temples, the 3 types of madhyama mānas are taken for the medium sized temples and the 3 adhama mānas for small or very small temples.

Using these, the gopuras of all the prākaras of the Sārvadeśika prāsādas are to be designed (XLV. 19cd-20):

mahattare tu śreṣṭhādimantare madhyamatrayam ||
kṣudrālpayoḥ praśastāni kanyasatrayamucyate |
sarvasāleṣu kartavyaṃ tasmātte sārvadeśikam ||

(d). Another set of measures

Increasing by 2 hastas, the breadth of the dvāraśobhā ranges from 5 to 13 hastas; the breadth of the dvāraśālā ranges from 15 to 23 hastas; the dvāraprāsāda ranges from 25 to 33 hastas; the width of dvāraharmya varies from 35 to 43 hastas and the dvāragopura from 45 to 53 hastas–each having 5 measures respectively (44. 20-4)^[3] :

pañcahastaṃ samārabhya dvidvihastavivardhanāt |
trayodaśakarāntaṃ tu śobhāvyāsaṃ tu paṃcadhā ||
tripañcahastamārabhya dvidvihastavivardhanāt |
trayoviṃśatkarāntaṃ tu dvāraśālā tu paṃcadhā ||
pañcaviṃśatkarārabhya trayastriṃśatkarāntakam |
dvāraprāsādavistāraṃ pañcadhā parikīrtitam ||
pañcatriṃśatkarārabhya catvāriṃśattrayāvadhi |
pañcadhā dvāraharmyasya vistāraṃ parikīrtitam ||
sa pañcacatvāriṃśattu pañcāśattrikarāntakam |
dvidvihastavivṛddhyā tu pañcadhā gopurastatam ||

(ii). Methods for calculating the length

After enumerating the various measures of breadth of the gopuras, Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra says that their length of them can be determined using the breadth given before. The length of the gopuras must be 1¼ of the breadth of the dvāraśobhā, 1½ of the breadth of dvāraśālā, 1¾ for dvāraprāsāda, 2 times for dvāraharmya and ⅓ or ⅔ of the breadth for the dvāragopura.

The special thing about this is that the length must be measured using hasta māna (44. 25-7)^[4] :

dvārāyatanavyāsāste natastadāyataṃ śṛṇu |
sapādaṃ sārdhapādonadviguṇaṃ dviguṇaṃ tu vā ||
satribhāgaikabhāgaṃ tu dvibhāgastvāyataṃ bhavet |
śobhādi gopurāntānāṃ uktāyāmaṃ^[5] pragṛhyatām ||
teṣu kiṃ ñcidviśeṣo'sti tadviśeṣaṃ śṛṇuṣvapi |
hastamānena vistāraṃ gṛhīte tu viśeṣataḥ ||

Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra states that the gopuras can be constructed employing any of the above units for the breadth.

At the same time it stipulates the condition that if breadth is measured in hasta unit, then the ideal equivalent length must also be in hasta unit (XLV. 27cd-9):

teṣu kiṃ ñcidviśeṣo'sti taṃ viśeṣaṃ navaṃ śṛṇu ||
dvihastamānavistāraṃ gṛhītvaiva viśeṣataḥ |
āyāmaṃ sarvavatkalpyamanekeṣviṣṭamāyatam ||
hastacchanda pravṛttyā vā anyadvā pūrvamācaret |
āyādiśobhanopetaṃ hastamānena kalpayet ||

Alternatively, the length and breadth of the gopuras may be determined in comparison to the main prāsāda, i.e. employing harmya māna, says Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra (XLV. 30ab):

taṃ vinā harmyamūlasya vaṃśe dve kalpitasya tu |

(iii). Measures for the height of the Gopuras

Here, the heights of the gopuras are calculated based on their corresponding breadths. If the breadth of the gopuras is divided into 7 parts then the height of the dvāraśobhā should measure 11 parts of the breadth; the height of the dvāraśālā is half times more than its breadth. The dvāraharmya measures either 11 or 12 parts high if the breadth is divided into 7 parts.

If the breadth is of 9 parts then the elevation of the dvāraprāsāda is of 14 parts and the dvāragopura measures twice its breadth in altitude (XLV. 31-3ab):

vistāraṃ saptadhā bhajya śobhoccaṃ rudrabhāgayā |
tārārdhādhikatuṅgaṃ tu dvāraśālocchrayaṃ bhavet ||
saptabhāge tu rudrāṃśaṃ bhānvaṃśaṃ vā tṛtīyake |
vistāre tu navāṃśe tu manvaṃśoccaṃ caturthake ||
vistāradviguṇotsedhaṃ mahāgopuramiṣyate |

After giving the varied height measures, Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra clearly enjoins that the distance from the homa till the sthūpi is considered as the height of the gopuras (XLV. 33cd):

homādisthūpiparyantaṃ mānoccaṃ tu prakīrtitam ||

(iv). Projecting components of the Gopuras

The breadth and length measures of the gopuras lie outside the line of the mānasūtra. Further, the kūṭakoṣṭhas must extend even outside the line of the gopuras (meaning that they must be designed like projections on the gopura) and must be shaped like the prāsādas.

If the breadth of the gopura is 3 or 4 or 5 parts then 1 part of each must be the outward projection of the kūṭa-koṣṭhas (XLV. 34-5):

vistārāyāmayormānaṃ sūtraṃ prāgbāhyamucyate |
tadbāhye kūṭakoṣṭhādinīvraṃ prāsādavadbhavet ||
vistārasya tribhāgaikaṃ caturbhāgaikameva vā |
pañcabhāge dvibhāgaṃ vā sālādbāhye tu nirgatiḥ || 8

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The terms Harmya, Prāsāda, Vimāna, etc. are synonyms that represent the whole structure of the sanctum sanctorum. In the verses cited above, the author uses three more synonyms mūlaprāsāda, mūlālaya and mūlageha to denote the same.

[2]:

This is a type of Prāsāda or temple like the Nāgara, Vesara and Drāviḍa types that is classified based on the three guṇas (sattva, rajas and tamas) dominant in that region; Kāmikāgama, I.49. 1cd-4:
......... |
vindhyāntaṃ caiva kṛṣṇāntaṃ kanyāntaṃ tu himācalam ||
tasmāttasmāt tridhā dhātrī yuktasatva tamo rajāḥ |
nāgaraṃ drāmiḍaṃ caiva vesaraṃ sārvadeśikam ||
kaliṅgaṃ ca varāṭaṃ ca ṣaḍvidhaṃ tviha kīrtitam |
nāgaraṃ sātvikekṣetre vesaraṃ syāttamo'dhike ||
rājase dramiḍaṃ sārvadeśyaṃ sarvatra saṃmatam |
kāliṅgaṃ ca varāṭaṃ ca grāhyaṃ satvarajo'dhike ||

[3]:

Aṃśumatkāśyapāgama, Muktabodha edition version is quoted above as the Maharishi edition lacks the measure for dvāraśālā.

[4]:

Aṃśumatkāśyapāgama, Muktabodha edition version is quoted above.

[5]:

Śrī Kāśyapa Śilpaśā stram, T anjore, 2016, p. 510fn, this reading is given as a variant reading.