Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c48.14

v1.c48.14

The account of the traditional schools and their works as brought forth by Dr. Bhattacarya in his book ‘A Study of Vāstu-Vidyā,’ a pioneering work indeed, may not be taken for granted. It however, throws sufficient light, to enlighten some of the darker corners of the Hindu arcitectural traditions, handed down from generation to gene-ration. Though these accounts may appear legendary, there is always some historical truth enshrined in them. The S. S. represents that period of history, the First Part of the Eleventh Century A. D. by the time of which a composite culture had been evolved by the admixture of the Aryan, Non-Aryan, Southern and Northren, Nagas and Asuras cultures Naturally, therefore, its accounts regardindg the architec-tural tradition of the past, give impression that these water-tight divisions of the two schools had lost their importance. Brahmā, the chief Progenitor of the Drāviḍa School ıs hailed here as the Founder of the Śāstra, Creator of the Vāstu (vide First Chapter of the S. S.). The self-same Creator Lord, Brahmā is the harbinger of the Prāsādas on the earth from the celestial Vimānas. Brahmā, the Creator Lord, entrusts the task of the planning of the world to Viśvakarmā. Creation in its primordial aspect of the evolution being done, it was left to two great personages, the first king Pṛthu and the heavenly architect, Viśvakarmā, to establish the order and law, the work of a king and habitations, villages, houses, forts, gardens, and places of manifold varieties to serve the needs of mankind, the work of a founder architect. After creation, the levelling of the earth with all its mountains, rivers, rocks, seas and forests was the task of a patron king. Creator Brahmā installed Pṛthu (from whom the earth has assumed one of its names Pṛthvī), the lord of the world to supervise the planning and to fulfil the task of the right government, right society, right living, the fundamental pre-requisite of any cultural advancement. This is what is meant by Varṇāśrama-saṁsthāna-vibhāga and Mahāsamāgamana (Chapters VIII & I). It was the coordinated and co-related planning in which the trinity of Pṛthu, Pṛthvī and Viśvakarmā played the primordial role.