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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.s61: The Agastya

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.s61

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English

The Agastya

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Agastya is a name frequently cited, we have seen above, as an authority on architecture. Unfortunately the manuscripts discovered are incomplete and devoted solely to sculpture. One of the manuscripts bearing the title *Agastya-Sakalādhikāra* contains the following chapters:
(1) Māna-saṁgraha—system of measurement, *Mānasāra* II, LV.
(2) Uttama-daśa-tāla—large type of the ten-tāla measure, M. LXV.
(3) Madhyama-daśa-tāla—intermediate type of the ten-tāla measure, M. LVI.
(4) Adhama-daśa-tāla—small type of the ten-tāla measure, M. XLI.
(5) Pratimā-lakshaṇa—general rules on images, M. LXIV.
(6) Vṛishabha-vāhana-lakshaṇa—bull, the riding animal of Śiva, M. LXII.
(7) Naṭeśvara-vidhi—image of Naṭeśvara (dancing Śiva), M. LI.
(8) Shoḍaśa-pratimā-lakshaṇa—sixteen images, M. LXIV.
(9) Dāru-saṁgraha—collection of wood, cf. M. XV.
(10) Mṛit-saṁskāra—preparing earth for images.
(11) Varṇa-saṁskāra—preparation of colours.

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In a Madras manuscript the following topics are described¹:
(1) Māna-saṁgraha-viśesha—specially on measures, M. II, LV.
(2) Uttama-daśa-tāla—large type of the ten-tāla, M. LXV.
(3) Madhyama-daśa-tāla—intermediate type of the ten-tāla, M. LXVI.
(4) Somāskanda-lakshaṇa—image of Soma and Skanda, M. not specified.
(5) Chandra-śekhara-lakshaṇa—image of Śiva, M. LI.
(6) Vṛishabha-vāhana-lakshaṇa—image of the bull, M. LXII. Chapters 7 to 18 seem to be missing. It is not clear whether or not the following 7—14 (which numbers are not found in the compilation) are to be attributed to Agastya:
(7) Tripurāntaka-lakshaṇa—image of Śiva, cf. M. LI.
(8) Kalyāṇa-sundara-lakshaṇa—image of Kalyāṇa-Sundara.
(9) Ardha-nārīśvara-lakshaṇa—image of Śiva, M. LI
(10) Pāśupata-lakshaṇa—image of Śiva, M. LI.
(11) Bhikshāṭana-lakshaṇa—image of Śiva as a beggar, M. not specified.
(12) Chaṇḍeśānugraha-lakshaṇa—image of Śiva, M. LI.
(13) Dakshiṇā-mūrti-lakshaṇa—image of Dakshiṇā.

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¹ In the Oriental Mss. Lib., Madras, there are two fragmentary Mss. ascribed to Agastya (Cat. vol. XXII. nos. 13046, 13047). They deal with astrological matters bearing upon architecture. In the same library (Cat. vol. XXII no. 13058) there is a large Ms. of 429 pages of 25 lines to a page of paper 13½'' 8: two large portions of this compilation are ascribed to Agastya.

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(14) Kāla-dahana-lakshaṇa—image of Śiva(?). All these refer to the images of Śiva described in M. LI. (15-18) Apparently missing.
(19) Pratimā-lakshaṇa—images, M. LXIV. In another portion of the compilation the following chapters are numbered as shewn in parallel column:
(20) (3) Upapīṭha-vidhāna—pedestal (for image), M. XIII, LIII.
(21) (9) Śula-māna-vidhāna-measurement of pikes for images.
(22) (10) Rajju-bandha-saṁskāra-vidhi—making ropes, M.II.
(23) (11) Varṇa-saṁskāra—preparation of colours.
(24) (12) Akshi-mokshaṇa—chiselling the eye, M. LXX.

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We have seen above that Agastya is mentioned together with Maya as one of the authorities, on which Viśvakarma's treatise is based. Agastya was, therefore, presumably known to Viśvakarman. Owing to the incomplete nature of Agastya's extant works the connection of Agastya with Mayamata and with the *Mānasāra* is not clear at present. It is true, however, that several chapters of Agastya are strikingly similar to, if not taken from, the corresponding chapters of the *Mānasāra*.

Linked texts (1)