Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

The Hindu Temple v1.c8.s1.t3: Further Names of the Temple

The Hindu Temple v1.c8.s1.t3

Language
English

Further Names of the Temple

v1.c8.s1.t3.1

Other words for Temple with a wide currency and generally employed are: Devagṛham, Devāgāra, house of God; Devāyatanam, Devālaya, Devakulam²³, meaning seat or residence of God; Mandiram, Bhavanam, Sthānam²⁴, Veśman²⁵, meaning waiting or abiding place, dwelling; abode; station or abode; entrance or dwelling, respectively; Kīrtanam²⁶, Harmyam (from ‘hṛ’, to take) a palatial building and Vihāra (also from ‘hṛ’, to take asunder, ‘vi-har’; to construct)²⁷.

v1.c8.s1.t3.2

²³ ‘Manu Smṛti’, IX. 280 (devatāgāra); ‘Gṛhya Sūtras’, ‘Śāṅkhāyana’, II. 12. 6, etc.; ‘Pañcatantra’, Bk. I. story I. 27 f.; “Śaila devagṛha” (a stone temple), Mora well inscription, ‘Ep. Ind.’, XXIV. p. 194. Devakulam, Bhāsa’s ‘Pratimānāṭaka’, III; ‘Ep. Ind.’, XXI. p. 81 (Gupta inscr.), is a small shrine, cf. ‘Temple, Door, Throne, etc.’ by St. Kramrisch, JISOA. vol. X. pp. 210 ff.

v1.c8.s1.t3.3

²⁴ Mathurā inscriptions, ‘Ep. Ind.’, I. p. 390, No. 18; ‘Indian Antiquary’, XXXIII, p. 102,

v1.c8.s1.t3.4

²⁵ ‘Ep. Ind.’, vols. IX. p. 254 (Pathari stone inscr. V. S. 917); III. p. 15. (Śrīraṅgam inscr., about 1250).

v1.c8.s1.t3.5

²⁶ Nālandā inscr. of Yaśovarmmadeva about 530 A.D. (verse 13), ‘Ep. Ind.’, vol. XX. p. 43; Lakha-maṇḍal inscr., about 500 A.D., ‘Ep. Ind.’, I. p. 15; copperplate inscr., referring to the Kailāsanāth temple at Elura, 8th century, ‘Indian Antiquary’, vol. XII, pp. 229, 289; Khalimpur plate from Malda, Bengal, 9th century; ‘Ep. Ind.’, vol. IV. p. 239; Brahmā temple at Dudahi, ASI Report, vol. X. Kīrtanam or Kīrti is a temple or any work of art by which the builder praises the glory of the Lord and through which he attains fame (cf. Kīrtistambha); see also Part I, note 17.

v1.c8.s1.t3.6

²⁷ “House of the wealthy” acc. to ‘Amarakoṣa’ (see also note 17); Mathurā inscr., ‘Ep. Ind.’, vol. IX. p. 241; vol. XXII. p. 124 (inscr. of Viṣṇu temple at Bayana, Bharatpur; dated V.S. 1012)—Harmyam and all the other more frequent names occur in early and late texts and inscriptions. Harmya is also the name of the ‘upper floor’ (uparibhūmi; ‘Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra’, XVIII. 10). Harmikā is the small square shape on top of a stūpa. Harmya also designates the ‘High Temple’ (Parts VI, VIII; ‘Śilparatna’, XVI. 53). Vihāra is originally the sacrificial ground (Kātyāyana, I. 8. 26). It is the space between the sacred fires.—A. Bürck, ZDMG, 1902, on p. 307, “The ‘Āpastamba Śulva Sūtra’ ” translates ‘vihāra’ as ‘method of construction’ (of Vedi, Agni). Vihāra generally designates a Buddhist monastery. In a Jain inscription from Jalor, 1186 A.D., Vihāra refers to a temple of Pārśvanātha. (‘Ep. Ind.’, XI. p. 55).

v1.c8.s1.t3.7

A seat and house of God is the temple by most of its names. The names Caitya and Kṣetra, however, the Hindu temple has inherited from the piled up sacred monument and from the sacred ground in the place of which it was to arise.

v1.c8.s1.t3.8

In Vāstu-Śāstra, the synonyms are listed and throw some light on the multiple origins of the Hindu temple.²⁸ The ‘Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra’ (XVIII. 57), gives the following names to the place for the gods : (1) Deva-dhiṣṇya, (2) Surasthāna, (3) Caitya, (4) Arcā-gṛha, (5) Devatā-āyatana and (6) Vibudha-āgāra. They designate (1) a seat²⁹, (2) an establishment, (5) a residence and (6) a house³⁰ of god (deva, sura, vibudha); whereas Arcā-gṛha is the house of the consecrated image, and Caitya is a sacred monument which is piled up like the Vedic Agni (citi). These are ancient names.

v1.c8.s1.t3.9

²⁸ The ‘Mayamata’ (XIX. 10-12), gives the following 29 synonyms used for a building: (1) Vimāna, (2) Bhavana, (3) Harmya, (4) Saudha, (5) Dhāman, (6) Niketanam, (7) Prāsāda, (8) Sadanam²⁹, (9) Sadma, (10) Geha, (11) Āvāsaka, (12) Gṛha³⁰, (13) Ālaya, (14) Nilaya, (15) Vāsa, (16) Aspada, (17) Vāstu, (18) Vāstuka, (19) Kṣetra, (20) Āyatana, (21) Veśma, (22) Mandira, (23) Dhiṣṇyaka, (24) Pada, (25) Laya, (26) Kṣaya, (27) Āgāra, (28) Udavasita and (29) Sthāna. Many of these are synonyms used for a building or for house in general and the numbers 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28 (vasati) and (8) (saṃsthāna), accord with those enumerated in the ‘Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra’, XVIII. 8-9, where the appelations are given denoting a house or building. But for Tala and Kaṣṭha, the 24 synonyms of the ‘Mānasāra, XIX. 108-12, occur in the list of the ‘Mayamata’ whereas the names Saṃśraya, Nidhanam, Niḍam, Śaraṇam, Okaḥ and Pratiśraya are found in the S.S., l.c.

v1.c8.s1.t3.10

No. 13; also ‘Ep. Ind.’, vols. VI. p. 202; IX. p. 240; JBAS. vol. XLII. part I. p. 130. Sthāna, (Brahmasthāna; Mbh. III. 84. 103); “Mahā-sthāna”, ‘Ep. Ind.’, XXIV. p. 210.

Cites (21)