The Hindu Temple v1.c8.s1.t2.7

v1.c8.s1.t2.7

In the Epics, Prāsāda has the meaning of "3 storeyed building" ('Rāmāyaṇa', comm. 'Tilaka', II. 33. 3. and II. 57. 18). It is compared with Mount Meru and the Vindhya Mountain (II. 88. 5-7; IV. 33. 7); it is very high and snow-white ('Rāmāyaṇa', VI. 26. 5). Although of three storeys only its height need not have been less than that of the seven storeyed Vimānas. The commentary 'Tilaka' (II. 57. 18), defines Prāsāda as palace of the king; in II. 33. 3, Harmya is thus defined, whereas in the latter passage, Prāsāda is explained as the house of the wealthy. While neither Viṃāna nor Prāsāda are used in the sense of temple,—the words designating the house and seat of God, not necessarily a temple but a sacred monument, in the Epics are: Devagṛha ('Rāmāyaṇa', III. 55. 7) and Devāyatana (I. 5. 10-15), Devasthāna ('Mahābhārata', Sabhā. 46. 34; see also E. Washburn Hopkins, 'Epic Mythology', pp. 70-73)—their descriptions seem to imply a symbolic meaning. The 3 storeys may denote the 3 worlds—earth, air and heaven ('Nirukta', VII. 5); the seven storeys, their seven fold division (RV. VIII. 40. 5; X. 104. 8). Re. the 'whiteness' see Part IV, p. 123 and re. the designation 'Meru' etc., see Parts VI and VII.