The Development of Hindu Iconography c8.27.1

c8.27.1

The *Vāstuśāstra* or the science of architecture and allied arts is dwelt upon in the *Matsya-purāṇa* just prior to its treatment of the iconographic and iconometric canons, and the names of some expounders are similar to those of a few of the reputed authors of treatises on *Pratimālakṣaṇa* and *Citralakṣaṇa*. Thus, Varāhamihira, in Chapter 57 of his *Bṛhatsaṃhitā* (Sudhakar Dvivedi's edition), while dealing with the characteristic signs of images and their measurements, incidentally refers to a few other writers on this subject like Nagnajit and Vasiṣṭha who, as we have seen above, are included among the 18 *Vāstuśāstropadeśakas*. Nagnajit has been cited by him twice and Vasiṣṭha once and Bhaṭṭa Utpala, the commentator of the *Bṛhatsaṃhitā*, actually quotes passages from the works of these two previous writers in support of his author. This proves that, however mythical might be the nature of these names, śilpa treatises actually passed current in their names at a comparatively early period; otherwise Utpala, who flourished in the tenth century A.D., could not have quoted passages from them. The art treatise, entitled *Citralakṣaṇa* (now to be had only in its Tibetan version—its Sanskrit original not being available), which has been edited by Laufer, is ascribed to this Nagnajit; it, as has been remarked by the learned editor, is sometimes referred to as *Nagnajiccitralakṣaṇam* or simply as *Nagnavratam*.