Manasara Series (I. A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture; II. Indian Architecture according to Manasara-Shilpashastra; III. Manasara on Architecture and Sculpture: Sanskrit Text; IV. Architecture of Manasara: Translation; V. Architecture of Manasara: Illustrations; VI. Hindu Architecture in India and Abroad; VII. An Encyclopaedia of Hindu Architecture) v2.c14.s60: The Viśvakarma-Śilpa
Mānasāra Series (I. A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture; II. Indian Architecture according to Mānasāra-Śilpaśāstra; III. Mānasāra on Architecture and Sculpture: Sanskrit Text; IV. Architecture of Mānasāra: Translation; V. Architecture of Mānasāra: Illustrations; VI. Hindu Architecture in India and Abroad; VII. An Encyclopaedia of Hindu Architecture) v2.c14.s60
- Language
- English
The Viśvakarma-Śilpa
v2.c14.s60.1
The most popular treatise on architecture is naturally the one attributed to Viśvakarman, the heavenly architect. There seems to have been more than one title to this work: one is called the *Viśvakarma-Prakāśa* or *Viśvakarma-Vāstu-śāstra*; another is called the *Viśvakarmīya-Śilpa*, apparently the same as the *Viśvakarmīya-Śilpa-śāstra*.¹ The one designated as *Viśvakarma-Prakāśa* or *Viśvakarma-Vāstu-śāstra* deals with directions on the building of houses, the making of roads, tanks, etc. The treatise contains thirteen chapters in which the following topics are dealt with:
v2.c14.s60.2
¹ Egg. Catalogue, page 1129. A treatise bearing the same title was published by the Veṅkaṭeśvara Press, Bombay, in Saṁvat 1952, Śaka, 1817, another at Benares in 1888. The same treatise is stated to have been translated into Bhāshā under the title ‘Pālarāma Vilāsa’ by Mukula Saktidhara Śarmā, at Lucknow in 1896. In the Oriental Mss. Lib. Madras, there is a Ms. bearing the title ‘Viśvakarmiyam-Śilpa-Śāstram’ (see Catalogue vol. XXI no. 13057).
v2.c14.s60.3
(1) Maṅgalācharaṇa—auspicious preliminaries (benediction).
(2) Vāstu-purushotpatti-varṇanam—the origin of the presiding deity of the house.
(3) Bhūmi-lakshṇa—soil, *Mānasāra*, II, III.
(4) Gṛiha-praveśa—first entry into the house or house-warming, M. XXXVII.
(5) Khanana-vidhi—digging (ploughing) the soil, M. V.
(6) Svapna-vidhi—dreams.
7) Bhūmi-phalam—fruit of soil, M. IV, V.
(8) Gṛihārambhe samaya-vidhi—auspicious time for beginning a building, M. includes this in many places.
(9) Dhvajādhyāya-phalāni—flags.
(10) Āya-vyayāṁśādināṁ phalāni, M. LII, XXXIX, IX, XXX, LXIV, LV.
(11) Gṛiha-madhye devādīnāṁ sthāpana-nirṇaya—installation of gods in temples, M. in many places.
(12) Dhruvādi-gṛiha-bheda, M. not specified.
(13) Dvāra-mānāni—measurements of doors, M. XXXIX.
(14) Stambha-pramāṇāni—columns, M. XV.
(15) Gṛihāṇāṁ śālā-nirṇaya—halls of houses, M. XXXV.
(16) Gṛihārambha-kāla nirṇaya—almost the same as (8).
(17) Gṛihārambhe lagna-kuṇḍalistha-graha-phalāni, M. not specified.
(18) Śayyā-mandira-bhavana-sumana-sudhārādi-gṛihāṇāṁ lakshaṇāni (see below the comparisons of the Purāṇas and Āgamas), referred to in many places in M.
v2.c14.s60.4
(19) Pādukā-upānaha-mañchādīnāṁ māna-lakshaṇa—measurement of foot wear, shoes, couches, etc., referred to in many places in M.
v2.c14.s60.5
(20) Śaṅku-śilā-nyāsa-nirṇaya—finding out the cardinal points, etc., by means of a gnomon, M. VI.
v2.c14.s60.6
(21) Vāstu-deha-lakshaṇāni-pūjanaṁ-bali-dāna—offerings, M. VIII.
v2.c14.s60.7
(22) Śilā-nyāsa—referred to in many places in M.
v2.c14.s60.8
(23) Prāsāda-vidhāna—buildings, described in many places in M.
v2.c14.s60.9
(24) Śilpa-vyāsa, M. not specified.
v2.c14.s60.10
(25) Prāsāda-nirṇaya, M. XIX—XXX.
v2.c14.s60.11
(26) Pīṭhikā-lakshaṇa—pedestals (of the phallus), M. LIII. XIII.
v2.c14.s60.12
(27) Maṇḍapa—pavilions, M. XXXIV.
v2.c14.s60.13
(28) Dvāra-lakshaṇa—doors, M XXXVIII, XXXIX.
v2.c14.s60.14
(29) Vāpī-kūpa-taḍāgodyāna-kriyā—making of tanks, wells, pools, gardens, referred to in many places in M.
v2.c14.s60.15
(30) Dāru-chchhedana-vidhi—cutting wood, M. XV.
v2.c14.s60.16
(31) Gṛiha-praveśa-nirṇaya--almost the same as (4), M. XXXVI.
v2.c14.s60.17
(32) Gṛiha-praveśa-kāla-śuddhi, M. XXXVII.
v2.c14.s60.18
(33) Śayyāsana-dolikādīnāṁ lakshaṇa—bedsteads, seats, palanquins (?hammocks), almost the same as (18).
v2.c14.s60.19
(34) Durga-nirṇaya—forts and fortified cities, M. X.
v2.c14.s60.20
(35) Śalya-jñānaṁ, śalyoddhāra—semi-astrological topics, referred to in many places in M.
v2.c14.s60.21
(36) Nāgara-sambandhi-rāja-gṛihādīnāṁ nirṇaya—the palaces in cities, M. XLI.
v2.c14.s60.22
It should be noticed that most of these topics of this version of Viśvakarman refer to non-architectural and chiefly astrological matters. It is also worth notice that this treatise leaves out sculptural topics altogether.
v2.c14.s60.23
The *Viśvakarmiya-śilpa*¹, apparently the same as is mentioned in Rājendralāla Mitra's notices of Sanskrit manuscripts, is a Nāgari copy made in 1872 from an original written in the Hala-Kānrāḍi character, the older codex being in the library of the Rājā of Tanjore. "None of the Mss. examined by Mr. Burnell is perfect or even tolerably correct. This treatise is apparently a compilation, as it is written in the Tāntric style, having Śiva for its narrator." The contents are classified under the following seventeen chapters :
v2.c14.s60.24
¹ In Rājā Dr. Rājendralāla Mitra's "Notices of sanskrit Mss." (Vol. II, no 731, p. 142). Of the other version, Viśvakarmiya Śilpa-Śāstra, the Madras Ms noted above, which was copied by Niṭla Sūrappa on Saturday, the 5th day of the bright fortnight of the Aśvija month in the year Jaya, contains a statement referring to Viśvakarmā's debt to Brahmā, Indra, Maya, Bhārgava, Aṅgirasa, Dhruva, Gautama, Gārgeya, Manu, Vyāsa, and Bhṛigu. Agastya is also referred to. It is stated to have been founded on the revelation of Viśvakarman and traced back successively to Bṛihadratha, Parāśara and Śambhu. In the Mānasāra the origin of the science is attributed to Śiva, Brahmā and Vishṇu, and through Indra, Bṛihaspati, Nārada and others it was revealed to Mānasāra; Viśvakarman, Maya, Tvashtar, and Manu represent the heavenly architects, and Sthapati, Sūtragrāhin, Vardhaki and Takshaka form the guild of modern architects; but there are thiry-two other architectural authorities mentioned in the Mānasāra.
v2.c14.s60.25
(1) Viśvakarmotpattiḥ karma-viśesha-bhedena vyavahṛita-takshaka-varddhakyādi-śabda-vyutpattiś cha—origin of Viśvakarman, derivation of the words takshaka, vardhaki, etc, M. II.
v2.c14.s60.26
(2) Satyādi-yuga-jāta-narochchatā-pramāṇaṁ, yajñīya-kāshṭhena prastareṇa vā deva-pratimā-nirmāṇe mānādi—height of man in different ages of the world, wood and stone for the construction of images.
v2.c14.s60.27
(3) Takshakasya garbhādhānādi-saṁskāra-kathanaṁ, garbhotpatti-kathanādi cha—sacraments for sculptors and carpenters.
v2.c14.s60.28
(4) Śiva-liṅgādi-pratishṭhārthaṁ sabhā-nirmāṇādi—halls for the installation of Śiva's phallus and other gods, M. LII.
v2.c14.s60.29
(5) Graha-pratimā-nirmāṇa-pramāṇaṁ, liṅga-pīṭha-nirmāṇa-pramāṇādi cha—proportions of images of the planets and phalli.
v2.c14.s60.30
(6) Ratha-nirmāṇa-vidhi-kathanam—cars and chariots, M. XLIII.
v2.c14.s60.31
(7) Ratha-pratishṭhā-vidhiḥ—consecration of cars, M. XLIII.
v2.c14.s60.32
(8) Brāhmī-Māheśvaryādīnaṁ svarūpādi-varṇādi—characteristics of Brāhmī, Māheśvarī and other goddesses.
v2.c14.s60.33
(9) Yajñopavīta-lakshaṇaṁ—Brahmanical sacred thread.
v2.c14.s60.34
(10) Suvarṇa-rajata-mañjyādi-nirmita-yajñopavīta-kathanaṁ, dig-bhedena deva-sthāpana-prakārādi, meru-dakshiṇa-sthita-hema-śilā-kathanādi cha—sacred thread of gold, silver, mañjī fibre, the cardinal points at which images of gods and goddesses are to be installed; qualities of (the stone-god called) Hema-śila (lit., golden stone) to be found to the south of the Meru mountain.
v2.c14.s60.35
(11) Lakshmī-Brāhmī-Māheśvaryādi-devīndrādi-dik-pāla-grahādi-mūrti-nirmāṇa-prakāraḥ—images of Lakshmī, Brāhmī, Māheśvarī and other goddesses, of Indra, Dikpāla (quarter-masters), planets and other gods.
v2.c14.s60.36
(12, 13) Mukuṭa-kirīṭa-jaṭā-mukuṭādi-nirmāṇa-prakārādi—crowns, crests and head-gear, M. XLIX.
v2.c14.s60.37
(14) Sthāvarāsthāvara-siṁhāsana-nirmāṇa-prakārādi, Punar viśesheṇa kirīṭa-lalāṭa-paṭṭikādi-nirmāṇa-prakāraḥ, Devatāyā mandirasya cha jīrṇoddhāra-prakāraḥ—movable and fixed thrones for images; crests, crowns, bands and other head-gear; repairs of temples, M. XLII, XLV.
v2.c14.s60.38
(15) Liṅga-mūrti-mandira-dvārādi-kathana—proportions of doors of temples to Phalli, M. XXXVIII, XXXIX, LXIV.
v2.c14.s60.39
(16) Pratimā-mūrti-mandira-dvārādi-kathana—proportions of doors of temples to (other) images, M. XXXVIII, XXXIX.
(17) Vighneśa-mūrti-mandirādi-nirmāṇādi-vidhi—temples for the images of Vighneśa and other matters.
v2.c14.s60.40
This portion of the treatise of Viśvakarman is chiefly sculptural. The treatment of the subject is in detail, although not so elaborate as in the *Aṁśumad-bheda* of Kāśyapa. I am inclined to think that the two versions form in fact the complete treatise attributed to Viśvakarman.
v2.c14.s60.41
We have seen that Viśvakarman refers to the authority of Mayamata¹. If this Mayamata be the same person as the author of the *Mayamata* discussed above, and there seem reasons to think so, Viśvakarman might have been indebted to the *Mānasāra* through Mayamata, if not directly. Even the brief comparison of the two treatises given above may serve to indicate that there may have been such a relation of indebtedness between the *Viśvakarma-śilpa* and the *Mānasāra*.
v2.c14.s60.42
¹ See note 1, page 97.
Linked texts (4)
- Mānasāra — Sanskrit
- Viśvakarmavāstuśāstra — Sanskrit
- Viśvakarmaśilpa — Viśvakarman, Sanskrit
- Vāstuśāstra (Giridhara) — Giridhara, Sanskrit