The Hindu Temple v1.c6.s3.3

v1.c6.s3.3

In principle, it has its parallel in the falling to earth of the severed limbs of the dead Satī. All over India, wherever a part of her dismembered body fell, Pīṭhas come into existence. All of them together represent the wholeness of India as a sacred land. In a map of the sacred geography of India each Pīṭha would have to be marked by one of the letters of the alphabet, of which there are 51 in the Sanskrit alphabet, symbols of lettered sound and of the Word. The Vāstupuruṣa in his fall, defeated, yet whole, on coming to earth, acquires the shape of his yantra to which are assigned 16 letters of the alphabet.