Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c11.14

c11.14

(4) It was a hall made of bright polished stones (*Maṇimayī-sabhā*, ibid, 6-10). Indeed the most characteristic feature of this *Sabhā* was its mirror-like finish which is expressed in about a dozen different terms (*Bhāsvarā, Taijasī, Arka-samaprabhā, Bhrājishṇu, Raśmivatī, Aprameya-prabhā, Svayam-prabhā, Sarvatejomayī*). It was beautified by many a decorative motifs, e. g. bejewelled trees (*Ratna-maya-vriksha*), golden plants (*Hema-maya-pādapa*, ibid, 10.3), studded shrubs (*Gulma*) and creepers (avatāna, ibid, 9.4), laden with flowers and fruits (*Phalapushpa-prada*) and blossoming sprigs (*Pushpa-mañjarī*) which were designed with gems of blue, yellow, red, white and black colours. On their dense foliage were birds of many forms (*nānārūpāḥ śakunayaḥ*) and of unknown shapes (*Anirdeśya*, Sabhā. 9.2-4), all wrought in semi-precious stones (*Divya-ratna*). This almost literally agrees with what the Greek writers have said about the assembly hall of Chandragupta :—"The palace is adorned with gilded pillars, clasped all round with a vine embossed in gold, white silver images of those birds which most charm the eye, diversify the workmanship."