रूपमण्डन एवं देवमूर्त्ति-प्रकरणम् (मण्डन सूत्रधार - प्राचीन मूर्तिकला एवं देव-प्रतिमा लक्षण सटीक)

PREFACE Indian Architecture and Sculpture, in a way, illustrate the back-ground of philosophy and religion that are still blended together in this country. Sculptures and pictorial representations of our different gods are significant. For example, Yatīndramatadīpikā explains the meaning of the image of Viṣṇu (Nārāyaṇa) with his four hands bearing śaṅkha ‘conch-shell’, cakra ‘wheel’, gadā ‘club’ and padma ‘lotus’ : Śaṅkha represents ether, cakra wind, gadā fire, padma water and the image itself the earth. Thus, the figure of Nārāyaṇa represents the idea (as generally held) that he supports the creation made of the five gross elements, himself being the Supreme Spirit. The image of Naṭarāja, the ‘Lord of Dancers’, represents his five activities (pañcakṛtya), viz., creation, preservation, destruction, giving rest and granting salvation. The deepest significance of the Divine Dance of Naṭarāja can be realized only within the heart by means of meditation. Thus, in our Architecture, so far as temples, stūpas, etc., are concerned, we find the same kind of symbolism. All this gives peculiar importance to our different texts on Śilpa, such as Sūtradhāra Maṇḍana’s works. The D e v a t ā m ū r t i p r a k a r a ṇ a m is a text on Indian Iconography and Iconometry by Sūtradhāra M a ṇ ḍ a n a, who has to his credit, many other works on Indian Architecture and Sculpture. This work has not been published before. The present text has been commented upon for the first time by the editor himself. Along with this has been published in full for the first time the text of the R ū p a m a ṇ ḍ a n a m of the same author and treating a kindred subject. It is hoped that the understanding of the principal work will be facilitated by it. The texts have been edited from an original manuscript,