Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c72.7

v2.c72.7

Thus my iconographical studies comprised of the three volumes—
1. Pratimā-vijñāna.
2. Pratima-lakṣaṇa and
3. Citra-lakṣaṇa—constitute the four main pillars, on which the grand edifice of Hindu Iconography stands. These are the Background of Indian Iconography—the Institution of Worship (vide the 1st part, the ‘*Pūrva-pīṭhikā*’ of the ‘Pratimā-Vijñāna’ in full ten chapters and 169 pages); the Canons of Iconography (vide the 2nd part, the ‘Uttarapīṭhikā’ of ‘Pratimā—Vijñāna, the last seven chapters as well as the first Khaṇḍa of Pratimā-lakṣaṇa); the essential characteristics of Indian icons (Brāhmaṇa, Baudha and Jain—the exposition of which having been made briefly in the body of the Uttarapīṭhikā (Chapters 8—10) are fully and exhaustively shown corroborated from the original sources of Purāṇas, Āgamas, Śilpa-texts and other miscellaneous digests and anthologies (cf. the ‘Sources of Hindu Iconography'—the 2nd Chapter 'Pratimā-Vijñāna'—Uttarapiṭhikā) and gathered together in one volume (vide 'Pratimā-lakṣaṇa, II Khaṇḍa of eight paṭalas *i. e.* the parts) and lastly the Canons of Painting, the 'Citralak aṇa', forming an essential part of Hindu Iconography (the Citrajā images being very highly extolled in the religious digests like Haribhakti-vilāsa of Gopālabhaṭṭa).