Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c48.s2.4

v1.c48.s2.4

The next question which was put in the beginning, still remains to be attempted, namely are all these texts equally representative? Yes they are all equally represnetative in the context of the different evolutions of the art. The Mānasāra. to my mind. is the earliest representative text on Drāviḍa-Vāstu-vidyā when lofty palaces served to all intents and purposes, the abodes of gods and god-like kings. This is really a very daring proposition, but it is my own thesis as per my theory that Dravidian architecture is earlier than Nāgara-architectutre or the Northern Prāsāda-architecture. Archaeological evidences may not prove this contention of mine, but cultural history of our very ancient land as per the recent finds at very ancient sites like Mohenjodaro and Harappa have proved it cf. the previous chapter 'An outline history of Hindu Architecture' (both as a science and art). The Mayamata represents a later phase when admixture of Aryan and non-Aryan traditions of the art had begun. The Śilparatna may be regarded as the consummation of this tendency when all-India-Hindu composite-architecture had taken its emergence. Similar is the story of the Northern texts, the Viśvakarmā's works, the S. S. and the A. P. and a detailed discussion may not be attempted as much has been said in the preceeding pages.