Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c74.s5.19

v2.c74.s5.19

This chapter is in continuation of the last chapter. While in the former we have dealt with the Mudrās in their subjective, *i. e.* mental and spiritual attitudes manifesting themselves in the bodily poses. Here in this chapter they are being treated from an objective point of view. To the various attitudes in which the hands of images are shown as many as three chapters have been devoted in the text and their notice has already been taken of, in the previous chapter. Similarly there are a good many other technical terms usually employed in the description of the images such as the postures and poses which the bodies of the images are made to assume, these too have been taken notice of, in the previous chapter (cf. the standing postures and poses of the body). But there is a multitude of terms which denote the costume, ornaments and headgear in which the images are represented together with the objects which images of gods are shown to bear in their hands, such as weapons, implements, musical instruments, animals, birds, etc. These need be taken notice of for the sake of completeness of the topic, though no separate chapter is devoted in the Samarāṅgaṇa-Sūtradhāra for their description. Aparājita-pracchā however has a unique distinction to devote some Sūtras to this side of iconographical treatment. Śilparatna and Mānasāra are also credited to have taken up this subject (P. L. p. 50-55).