Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c53.47

v1.c53.47

Houses, I have already pointed out, are of manifold denotation and connotation. *Harmyas*, *Vimānas* and *Prāsādas* are also houses where higher people, the rich people and the gods are housed. Their origin shall be dealt with in a separate chapter (vide Part V. on Temple Architecture). Here in this chapter I have to delimit the universe of discourse to the residential houses of men. And for this latter category, the word Śālā (शालाः सन्ति अस्मिन् इति शालः) with its characteristics of courts, chambers, rooms, porticos, etc. as opposed to the storeys (cf. Vimānas and Prāsādas) is used. The name Śālā for a residential house has a very interesting story. It is also suggestive of a great historical and anthropological truth. In the 6th Chapter of the S. S. entitled “Sahadevādhikāra” Bhoja says that in the hoary past, people living in Bhārata-varṣa, resided in forests, on the banks of rivers, on the mountains, and underneath the shady Nikuñjas. Once they entered heaven and began to roam there and enjoy themselves with the denizens of heaven—the Gods, under the all-producing and all-giving shade of that renowned Heavenly Tree, Kalpa-Vṛkṣa. This went well for a good time. But men as they were, they got arrogant and belittled the glory of the Gods. They, therefore, were condemned to come down to the Earth. Thereupon they were very sorry. For their sustenance, now there arose the Parpaṭaka—a tree, giving tiny fruits. It however, got extinct. Hence their condition was more pitiable than before. Now Śāli-taṇḍulas appeared on earth. They were very delicious to eat. Being afraid, lest this might also get extinct like the Parpaṭaka, they began to hoard it, and hoarding we know is bad for all times. The result was that the lust for hoarding gave birth to other evil consequences—greed, envy, jealousy, and what not. In due course greed became instrumental in giving birth to Manmatha (passion) which led them to have attachment towards women, which in its turn led them to form themselves into couples—*Dvandvas*. This Dvandva—the abode of suffering and misery, is well-known. Misfortune again overtook them, and the Śāli, the main stay of their maintenance became full of husks and chaffs which caused the Mala-pravṛtti due to the eating of the Tuṣa-dhānya. Thus all their glory, all their Puṇyaślokatā, their immortality and longivity were gone. Their bodies then became susceptible to illness. Therefore, in order to ward off the inclemencies of weather and to seek privacy and shelter, they then thought of erecting refuges in the shape of śālās, mainly through the branches, i. e. śākhās. This is the story of the origin of the first house on earth for the man to live in and to be happy.