Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c28.2

v1.c28.2

This chapter is of unique importance as no other extent manual of Śilpa-śāstra, describes machines, though the construction of the machines is not beyond the scope of Architecture as we understood it (see Part I ‘Scope’). The study of this chapter has formed a separate part of this Study, therefore, here only a brief notice may be taken. Yantra is defined—‘the device by which the Mahābhūtas like earth, water, fire, air and ether are controlled viz. when the free and natural activities of these Bhūtas, the primary elements made to act in a particular manner by means of some device, it is Yantra. Its fundamental Bījas are the four Bhūtas, earth, water, fire and air and the ether being the substratum of all these, naturally becomes Bīja itself also. After this, the author describes in detail the manifold varieties of all these principal Bījas, then follow the qualities and the actions of Yantra.