The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c12.s10.1

c12.s10.1

While introducing the *Vārttāśāstra* we should perhaps at once enter the domain of *Silpaśāstra*, either as one of the branches of the former or perhaps as almost its twin in the Indian intellectual system. As a category *Śilpaśāstra* possesses by all means an independent status. It deals with the arts and crafts, especially those bearing on architecture, sculpture and painting as well as townplanning. But as belonging to applied economics we may name both *Varttāśāstra* (farming, cattle breeding, trade and banking) and *Śilpaśāstra* (housebuilding and the fine arts) in one and the same breath. It is interesting to observe that in the *Nītiśāstras*, e.g., in our *Śukranīti*²¹ the place of *Śilpaśāstra* is no less important than that of *Vārttāśāstra*. Apart from the fact that the Agni, Matsya, *Viṣṇudharmottara*, and other *Purāṇas* deal with the topics of *Śilpaśāstras* as much as they do with the *Vārttāśāstras*, the independent literature on housebuilding as well as temples, images, paintings, etc. is exceedingly large.