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

[ 17 ] Regarding the Śilpa Śāstras, Rám Ráz says⁵¹ :— "It is true that the Hindus were in possession of numerous treatises on architecture, sculpture, &c., which collectively are called the Śilpa Śāstra, but unfortunately few traces of them remain. There appears to have been, according to some, thirty-two, and according to others sixty-four, standard treatises on the above- mentioned arts········· In a series of memorial verses preserved among the artists, are recorded the names of the authors or titles of the above men- tioned sixty-four treatises. Of these, thirty-two are called Muc'hya, or principal, and thirty-two Upa or subordinate. They (verses) contain little more than titles···mostly patronymics of the deities who···revealed the particular art or

temperaments. But like unto the rivers, which take direct routes or run along circuitous courses, and yet, ultimately, find their ways and merge into the sea — even, like unto that, indeed, O ! my Lord, you alone are the sole Refuge of the human beings. These three most important references to the ancient Masters— Bhagavān Gaṇapati, Bhīma and Kaśyapa — the first two references being especially striking, are to be found in Prasthāna Thraya Madhusūdana Saraswati Smriti. Reproduced by Pandit T. Subraya Sastri of Bangalore. Transl. into Eng. by the Late Ratanlal M. Mody and G. Venkatachala Sarma of Bangalore. V. B. Soobbiah & Sons. Bangalore, 1931. Though there are some anachronisms in the edition, as regards Śrī Madhusūdana's date etc., there are the strongest grounds to suppose that the learned Paṇḍita's wonderful edition is absolutely genuine. As, many of the Texts, mentioned are actually traceable and one, even, published by the same—viz. the Aṁśu-bodhinī of Bhāradvāja Ṛṣi with Comm. As regards the time etc. of Śrī Madhusūdana Sarasvatī, a few words would be not out-of-place. He flourished before Śrī Caitanyadeva, in Bengal and was the author of several works of great erudition, among which are Bhaktirasāyanam (Ed. Acyutagranthamālā, Benares) and Advaitasiddhi (Ed. Rajendra Ghosh, Calcutta). 51. Rám Ráz : Essay on the Architecture of the Hindus, London, M. DCCC. XXXIV.