(Kerala, 30)

Chapter 30. = S`ilpa-ratna by S`ri-Kumara

[citations are by pada:pat.ala]

__________________________________________________________

in 2 parts

p. 305

Part I containing 46 chapters

p. 309

Part II containing 35 chapters

Chapters of Part I (pp. 306-309)

I:

p.

contents

:1

306

kinds of s`ilpin-s (architects)

stha-pati (master builder)

sutra-grahin (supervisor)

taks.aka (shaper of building-materials)

vardhaki (assembler of building)

:2

 

units of linear mensu-ration

parama-an.u (smallest measurement)

trasaren.u (ae:rosol-diameter)

vala-agra

liks.a (= 3 trasaren.u-s)

juka (= 8 liks.a-s)

yava (length of barley-grain)

mana-angula (width of finger)

matra-angula (length of finger-joint)

mus.t.i (‘fist’ = 3 matra-angula-s)

vitasti (= 4 mus.t.i-s)

kis.ku (cubit)

dan.d.a (‘rod’ = 8 vitasti-s)

yojana (= 8,000 dan.d.a-s)

:3

 

kinds of land

purn.a (in mountain-valley)

su-padma (in watered plains)

bhadra (beside body of water)

dhumra (arid)

:4

 

how to fix the s`anku (‘gnomon’); land-omens

:5

 

kinds of town

mangala (Brahmin settlement)

pura (residential town)

grama (village)

mat.ha (abode of seers)

khet.aka (tribal settlement)

kharvat.a (border settlement)

durga (fort)

nagara (urban settlement)

raja-dhani (capital city)

pattana (commercial town)

dron.i-mukha (harbor town)

s`ibira (military camp)

skandhavara (cantonment)

sthaniya (check-post)

vid.ambaka (town of cultivators)

nigama (village of craftsfolk)

s`akha-nagara (satellite town)

 

307

8 sizes of town

dan.d.aka

svastika

pra-stara

pra-kirn.aka

nandyavarta

paraga

padmaka

s`ri-pratis.t.hita

:6

 

dividing areas by means of grids

:7

 

vastu-puja (‘worship of the house’)

:8

 

effects of entrance gates in various directions

:9

 

regulations for construction of temples in villages etc.

:10

 

construction of structures of sanctum sanctorum

:11

 

fixations of directions

:12

 

garbha-sthana (establishment of sanctum sanctorum)

:13

 

places where constructions are prohibited

:14

 

materials for constructing prasada (large aedifices)

:15

 

procedure for making bricks; woods praescribed and prohibited

:16

 

types of prasada

s`antika (propitiatory)

paus.t.ika (welfare-promoting)

maha-prasada (great aedifice)

alpa-prasada (small aedifice)

padma-prasada (redwaterlily aedifice)

:17

 

division of the basement; construction of the base; height of the platform below the basement

:18

 

upa-pit.ha (pedestal)

:19

 

pattern of moulding of basement

man~caka

pada-bandha

pati-bandha

 

308

levels of ground

avanata (A-shaped frame used for checking levels of ground

patra-mana (horizontal distance from outside wall-plate to outside of basement)

:20

 

nala (‘stem’)

:21

 

wall, floor, and pillars

:22

 

entrance-gates; sopana (‘flight of stairs’)

:23

 

ornamental decorations

:24

 

construction of ventilators

:25

 

kut.a-kos.t.ha

:26

 

wooden roof-frames

:27

 

vr.tta-sphut.itaka

:28

 

kumbhalata

:29

 

uttara (wall-plate)

:30

 

pra-stara (‘entablature’)

:31

 

gala (neck or recess in a basement)

:32

 

s`ikhara (‘roof’)

:33

 

lupa (‘rafter’)

:34

 

brick-laying

:35

 

nasika; ks.udra-nasika; murti-nyasa

:36

 

stupika (‘finial’)

:37

 

rules of propitiatory temples; multiple-storeyed temples

:38

 

vr.tta-s.as.as`ra-prasada (‘circular & hexagonal shrines’)

:39

 

types of man.d.apa (‘pavilion’)

mukha-man.d.apa (‘mouth-pavilion’)

arcana-man.d.apa (‘worship-pavilion’)

adhi-vasa-man.d.apa

nat.ya-man.d.apa (‘dance-pavilion’)

:40

 

5 types of prakara (‘boundary-wall’); dipa-mala (rows of oil-lamps fixed on the exterior of the boundary-walls)

:41

 

go-pura (gate-tower)

:42

 

pari-vara (paraphernalia)

:43

 

bali-pit.ha (altar-stone whereupon offerings are made)

:44

 

dhvaja (flagstaff)

:45

309

sandhi (joining of door-panels)

:46

 

painting, including of murals

Chapters of Part II (pp. 309-313)

II:

p.

contents

:1

309

gems assigned to planets

gem

planet

ruby

Sun

pearl

Moon

coral

Mars

emerald

Mercury

topaz

Jupiter

diamond

Venus

sapphire

Saturn

cinnamon

Rahu

cat’s eye

Ketu

   

9 blemishes to a jewel

rekha (‘line’)

bindu (‘dot’)

kalanka (‘spot’)

kaka-pada (‘crow-sign’)

ks.ata (‘scratch’)

dhuli (‘dust’)

tus.ara (‘frostbite’)

trasa (‘alarm’)

randhra (‘hole’)

   

different effects of worshipping metal idols, made of 8 kinds : gold, silver, copper, brass, bellmetal, iron, lead, and tin

   

images to be discarded daily (after worship of them), made of : sand, cowdung, rice-powder, rice, molasses, fruits, and ghee

:2

310

types and sub-types of images, as regarding limbs

nis.-kala (without limbs)

sa-kala (with limbs)

citra

ardha-anga-dars`ana

ardha-citra

citrabhasa

lekhya

mis`ra (mixture of with-&-without limbs)

   

castes of linga

anu-loma

vi-loma

   

measurements of idols to be installed in square, circular, and octagonal temples

   

images & their measurements : sarva-sama, sama-ams`a, vr.dhi-uttara, is`a-adhika

   

4 types of linga-s : sarvatas-bhadra, vardha-mana {cf. Jaina tirthankara}, is`a-adhika, svastika

   

special features of S`iva-linga

chatra

trapus.a

kukkut.a-an.d.a

ardha-candra

budbuda

   

division of linga into : sthula-mula, sthula, kr.s`a-madhya, and sthula-s`iraska;

into : ars.a & svayam-bhuva

   

details of ban.a-linga

:3

 

laks.ana-uddhara; construction of mukha-linga

:4

 

height of idol having limbs; modular unit in terms of face-length

:5

 

uttama-das`a-tala

:6

 

madhyama-das`a-tala

:7

 

adhama-das`a-tala

:8

 

uttama-nava-tala

:9

 

madhyama-nava-tala

:10

 

adhama-nava-tala

:11

 

as.t.a-tala

:12

 

sapta-tala

:13

 

s.at.-tala

:14

 

construction of Vighna-is`vara by uttama-pan~ca-tala & madhyama-pan~ca-tala

:15

 

catus-tala

:16

 

crown, earring, necklace, bracelet, upper-armlet, mudraka-s, hand-poses, sacred-thread, chest-thread, cannavira, garland, rosary, skandha-mala, waist-thread, jalaka, serpent-bracelet, garment ...

:17

311

making of darts of various gods and goddesses

:18

 

binding with string after covering the dart with veins

:19

 

anointment of idol with special clay

:20

 

goddesses and Kumara (Su-brahman.ya)

:21

 

measurement concerning gods’ animal-vehicles

:22

 

forms of S`iva

Sukha-asana (easy sitting-pose)

Somaskanda-is`vara (with Parvati and Skanda)

Candra-s`ekhara (having moon on his forehead) in 5 forms

Vr.s.arud.ha (ascended on an ox)

Nr.tta-murti (dancing aspect) in 9 forms

Ganga-dhara (supporting the Ganges on his head)

Tripura-antaka (triple-city’s ender) in 8 forms

Kalyan.a-murti (auspicious aspect)

Ardha-nari-is`vara (1/2 woman)

Gaja-ghna-murti (elephant-slaying aspect)

Pas`u-pata ("one having the form of an ox")

Kankala-murti (skeleton aspect)

 

Hari-hara

 

Bhiks.a-at.ana-murti (begging-alms aspect)

 

Can.d.a-is`a-anugraha (Can.d.a’s husband’s blessings)

 

Dharma-vyakhyana- law-interpreting righteousness-aspect)

 

Vin.a-dhara-daks.in.a-murti (lute-supporting righteousness-aspect)

 

Jn~ana-daks.in.a-murti (knowledge righteousness-aspect)

 

Yoga-daks.in.a-murti (yoking righteousness-aspect)

 

Kala-ari (time’s enemy)

 

Linga-udbhava (sign-originated)

   

further forms of S`iva : S`iva-pan~ca-aks.arin (in form of 5 syllables), Rudra, Prasada, Mr.tyun~-jaya, S`iva-as.t.a-aks.ara (form of 8 syllables), A-ghora, Mr.tyun~-jaya (in another form), Cinta-man.i, Anus.t.ubh, Samvada, S`akti-pan~ca-aks.arin, Kala-ari [again!], Kinnara-S`iva, Raks.as-ghna, Sadyas-jata, etc.

:23

311-2

verses for meditation in relation to various gods etc.

:24

312

verses for meditation in relation to various goddesses; S`ri-cakra

:25

 

verses for meditation in relation to various Indra-like deities

:26

 

[see p. 318]

:27

 

elevated seats

meru-sundara

Laks.mi-sundara

Vis.n.u-sammilana

padma-bhadra

sama-anga-bhadra

Rudra-kamta

Soma-kamta

sarva-anga-bhadraka

s`ri-kara

pus.t.i-vardhana

saumya

:28

 

installation of idols; construction of pots for sowing seeds; definitions of : palika, ghat.ika, and s`arava

   

pots :

sruva

juhu

maha-sruk

bhadraka

cakra-abja

s`akti-dan.d.a

s.at.-dala

svastika-bhadra

:29

313

renovation :

small temporary shrine

nis.-kraman.a

sankocana

:30

 

linga-prasada-vidhi

:31

 

16 types of residential buildings

:32

 

water-wells

:33

 

seat, fan, umbrella, bed, 5 vehicles (palanquin, sukha-asana, chariot, boat, raft), 8 kinds of bed, pillow, shoe, kut.uba, machines (for water, for sugarcane, nadi-yantra, and golden-wedge)

:34

 

wage-rate of laborers, for : sawing, tearing, chiseling, and polishing

:35

 

construction of weapons

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

N. P. Unni : Tantra Literature of Kerala. New Bharatiya Book Corp., Delhi, 2006. pp. 305-321 = Chapter 30.