The Matsya Purana (critical study)

by Kushal Kalita | 2018 | 74,766 words | ISBN-13: 9788171103058

This page relates ‘Measurement of Buildings’ of the English study on the Matsya-purana: a Sanskrit text preserving ancient Indian traditions and legends written in over 14,000 metrical verses. In this study, the background and content of the Matsyapurana is outlined against the cultural history of ancient India in terms of religion, politics, geography and architectural aspects. It shows how the encyclopedic character causes the text to deal with almost all the aspects of human civilization.

Part 2.1 - Measurement of Buildings

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In its later chapters the Matsyapurāṇa has widely discussed about the measurements of the dwelling houses and also about the measurements of the doors, walls, thresholds etc. The Matsyapurāṇa has described the characteristics of houses which have different śālas, viz., catuḥśālas, triśālas, dviśālas and ekaśāla.^[1] In the 34^th chapter of Mānasāra, it is said that śāla is used in the sense of a house. The catuḥśāla building is with four doorways and four terraces (alindas), one in each direction. There are different types of catuḥśāla which are discussed here, showing the differences in descriptionof such buildings in Mānasāra and Bṛhatsaṃhitā.

Sarvatobhadra:

In this type of building there are four doorways in each direction and it is encircled by an attached wall.^[2] Such building is considered as auspicious for the king and gods. In the Bṛhatsaṃhitā, it is said that a construction with uninterrupted terraces on every side is termed as sarvatobhadra.^[3] Such mansion is built for king’s palace and temple as well. According to Mānasāra, catuḥśāla building is built with four śālas in an open or closed quadrangle surrounded by buildings on all four sides, an enclosed courtyard and a mansion with four rows of buildings.^[4] Mānasāra has also regarded it as the best among all śālas.^[5]

Nandyāvarta:

The house without the western doorway is known as nandyāvarta.^[6] In the Mānasāra, nandyāvarta is defined as a class of six-storied buildings.^[7]

Vardhamāna:

The Matsyapurāṇa says that if the southern gateway is omitted in a house then it is called vardhamāna.^[8] According to Brhatsaṃhitā, on the other hand, if the front terrace of the main building is extended from left hall to the right hall and another terrace is made from left to right then it is called as vardhamāna.⁸⁷ In this type of building terrace should not be built towards the south.

Svastika:

The house without any gate towards the east is known as svastika.^[9] The svastika house is auspicious.

Rucaka:

The building which has no doorway towards the north is called rucaka.^[10] The Brhatsaṃhitā also regards that in rucaka the northern entrance is not auspicious. It has a western and eastern terrace to the end and touching these two internally there are two more.^[11]

There are several types of tṛśāla bhavanas. If the apartments of the building are not so systematical, then it is called tri.

The Matsyapurāṇa describes the following three:

Sukṣetra:

The building without any apartment to the east is called sukṣetra. According to the Matsyapurāṇa one gets glamour, long life from it. Equally it is the destroyer of all woes and delusion.^[12]

Viśāla:

his building is large but has no apartment at the south and it is known as the annihilator of family and brings all sorts of ill.^[13]

Pakṣaghna:

If the western śāla is left out, it is called pakṣaghna. It is not regarded auspicious as it may be the cause of the loss of children and create enmity.^[14] Bṛhatsaṃhitā also mentions that building with no western sāla is called pakṣaghna.^[15]

On dviśāla bhavanas, the Matsyapurāṇa has given the following four classifications.

Yamasūrya:

The house which has sālas on the west and north is known as yamasurya. It is not regarded as good as it may be the cause of fear from king and fire and it destroys the family.^[16]

Daṇḍa:

The building having śālas on the east and the north is known as daṇḍa type of bhavana. It is inauspicious for the owner as it brings untimely death and causes fear from king.^[17]

Dhana:

The bhavana which has śālas on the east and south part is known as dhana. It is also inauspicious as the owner faces danger from weapon and defeat.^[18]

Cullī:

The building which has śālas on the east and the west is known as cullī. It is inauspicious for the owner as it brings death, widowhood to the womenfolk and causes fear.^[19] Similarly those who have śālas on south and north side are also regarded as inauspicious as these cause fear.

Regarding the measurement of king’s house, the Matsyapurāṇa has said that among the five types of Royal palaces the best one is of one hundred and eight (108) hands (hasta) in breadth. Of the remaining four houses each one has eight (8) hands less. It is said that the length of all the five houses of the king should be more by one fourth of the breadth.^[20] Therefore if we calculate the measurement accordingly the calculation shows that the breadths of the five houses are (108) hands, one hundred (100), ninety two (92), eighty four (84) and seventy six (76) hands respectively whereas the lengths are one hundred and thirty five (135) hands i.e. more by one fourth of the one hundred and eight (108) hands, one hundred and twenty five (125) hands, one hundred and fifteen (115), one hundred and five (105) and ninety five (95) hands respectively. The Bṛhatsaṃhitā also refers to the same breadth and length for the five houses of the king.^[21] The mansion of prince is also divided into five categories of which the best one is of eighty (80) hands in breadth and the remaining four classes are six hands less respectively. Again the lengths of the houses should be more than the breadth by its one third portions.^[22] So after the calculation the breadths of the houses are eighty (80), seventy four (74), sixty eight (68), sixty two (62) and fifty six (56) hands respectively. The length of all these are measured as one and one fourth of the breath.^[23]

The mansions for commander-in-chief and prime minister are also of five types. The best house for commander-in-chief should be sixty four (64) hands in breadth and the other four are six hands less respectively. It is said that the length of five houses of the commander-in-chief should be more by one sixth of the breadth.^{^[24]} Therefore, the breadths of the five houses are sixty four (64), fifty eight (58), fifty two (52), forty six (46) and forty (40) hands respectively. The prime minister’s best palace should be of sixty (60) hands in breadth and the other four are four (4) hands less respectively. The length of the house should be more than the breadth by its one eighth portions.^[25] So the five houses of the prime minister are sixty (60), fifty six (56), fifty two (52), forty eight (48) and forty four (44) hands respectively in breadth. The best house of the tributary king and other ministers are forty eight (48) hands wide and the other four are four hands less respectively. The length of such houses should be more by one fourth of the breadth.^[26] The five kinds of houses for the artist, chamberlain and courtesan should be constructed with twenty eight (28) hands in breadth for the first house and the rest with two hands less respectively. The length of these houses should be twice their breadth.^[27] The Matsyapurāṇa has given measurement for the five houses for maids etc. according to which the first one is twelve (12) hands in length and the remaining four are less by two and half hands.^[28] The astrologer, preceptor, physician, councilor and priest have also five types of houses. The breadth of the first of their houses should be forty (40) hands and the rest are four hands less respectively. The length of such houses should be more by one sixth of the breadth.^[29] The Matsyapurāṇa has given detail measurement for the houses of four castes. The breadth for brāhmaṇas and other castes varies from thirty two (32) hands to sixteen (16) hands each less by four (4) hands. It means brāhmaṇas have five houses with thirty two (32), twenty eight (28), twenty four (24), twenty (20) and sixteen (16) hands, the kṣatriyas have four houses with twenty eight (28), twenty four (24), twenty (20) and sixteen (16) hands, the vaiśyas have three houses with twenty four (24), twenty (20) and sixteen (16) hands and the śūdras have two houses with twenty (20) and sixteen (16) hands. People lower than the four castes should build their houses with smaller measurements than these. The length of the houses for the four castes should be greater than the breath by a tenth, eighth, third and fourth respectively.^[30]

Regarding the measurement of the verandah, the Matsyapurāṇa has said that the length for the verandah in brāhmaṇa’s house should be thirty six (36) hands and seven (7) fingers, for kṣatriya’s thirty six (36) hands and ten fingers, for vaiśya’s thirty six (36) hands and thirteen (13) fingers and for śūdra’s it should be thirty six (36) hands and fifteen (15) fingers.^[31] The height of the first storey i.e. the ground floor of a house should be one sixteenth of its breadth adding another four (4) hands. The height of other upper storeys should be minimised by one twelfth of the previous one.¹¹¹ The wall of the house made with burnt bricks should be one sixteenth of the breadth of the house. However, in case of the wall of the house made with wood or mud, the measurement will be the same with that of the middle of the house.^[32] The bolt or bar of the door should be added penetrating fifty and eighteen fingers and its elevation should be twice of that measurement.^[33] The height is always measured by hand and width by fingers. The houses of the brāhmaṇas etc. who are revered by the king should be around the mansion of the commander in chief.^[34]

In the 255^th chapter, the Matsyapurāṇa has firstly discussed about the stambha. Stambha in general means fixedness, a support, a stem, a trunk, a post, a pillar, a column, and banisters.^[35] About stambha or pillars this Purāṇa says that the breadth of the pillar is measured by multiplying the height of the house with seven and then dividing it with eighty.^[36] There are altogether five mahāstambhas, viz., rucaka, vajra, dvivajra, pralīnaka and vṛtta with different sizes. A square stambha is known as rucaka; octagonal pillar is known as vajra; sixteen-sided pillar is known as dvivajra; thirty two-sided pillar is called pralīnaka and the circular pillar in the middle is called vṛtta.^[37] These are regarded as the auspicious stambhas for buildings. Regarding the doors this Purāṇa has said that the doorways should never be blocked with anything. The east door of a house is termed as indra and jayanta, the southern ones are termed as yāmya and vitartha. The western doors are termed as puśpadanta and vāruṇa. The northern ones should be the bhallaṭa and saumya.^[38] The Matsyapurāṇa mentions two essential architectural elements known as tulā and upatulā. The tulā is the beam placed on the capital of the pillar or door jambs and the upatulā is the lintel supported on the tulā. The beam should be built with the same measurement of pillar and lessening one third or one fourth of this measurement lintel should be made.^[39] Moreover it has suggested planting of various trees at proper directions for the well being of the dwellers. The suggestion for the proper constructions of building, rooms, doors, pillars, doors etc. at specific directions is in order to prevent evil effects.