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Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c24: Chapter XL.

Vāstu-śāstra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c24

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English

Chapter XL.

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Gṛhadravya-Pramāṇa (The proportions and the component parts of the house)

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The word Dravya here does not mean, the brick, lime etc., but the component parts of a house. The principal parts of the house are the doors and their constituent parts like Pedya-piṇḍa, Udumbara (lintel), Dvārśākhās, the door frames; the pillars with their bases, emtablature, and mouldings and the Tala (storeys and floors), the Śālā, the rooms and the Chhādyaś (the roofs).

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All these have been described in detail and the proportionate measurement given thereof. The length of the house in Hasta form the length of the door in Angulas. In Mānasāra it is stated that the height of the door should be twice its width. If this proportion is adopted, the residential house would be inconvenient for entry and exit, as generally the width of the door is 3 feet in modern terms of measurement. The Samarāṅgaṇa-Sūtradhāra, however, modifies this by prescribing the height of 7 Hastas and the width the half of it. An alternative measurement of the door is also given. Then follows the dimensions of the constituent parts of the door above mentioned. The different door frames such as Śākhā, Rūpaśākhā, Khalvaśākhā, Bāhyamaṇḍalā and Bhinnaśākhā with their proportions are described. The five varieties of auspicious Śākhās are given names as Devī, Nandinī, Sundarī, Priyānanā and Bhadrā. Then the details of dimensions of the courts and storeys are given. The height of the storey varies in superior, middle and inferior types of the houses as 7, 6 and 5 hastas respectively. The dimensions of the Śālā—the rooms also vary with the types of the houses, The floors are described and then follows the description of four varieties of pillars with their bases, entablatures and the mouldings and these are—1. Padmaka 2. Ghaṭa-pallavaka 3. Kubera and 4. Śrīdhara. In the end are given the details of the four types of roofs, the Chhādya :—1. Bhūta 2. Tilaka 3. Maṇḍala and 4. Kumuda, Lastly it is directed that the mouldings like Siṁhakarṇa etc. (cf. 55-56 Vs.) are not fit to be employed in secular architecture—the residential houses.

Cites (2)