Kashyapa Shilpa-shastra (study)
by K. Vidyuta | 2019 | 33,520 words
This page relates 鈥榁arieties of Gopuras鈥� of the study on the Kashyapa Shilpa-shastra (in English) with special reference to the characteristics of Prakara (temple-components), Mandapa (pavilions) and Gopura (gate-house). The Silpa-Sastras refers to the ancient Indian science of arts and crafts, such as sculpture, architecture and iconography. This study demonstrates the correlatation between ancient Indian monuments (such as temples and sculptures) and the variety of Sanskrit scriptures dealing with their construction.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
2. Varieties of Gopuras
碍腻艣测补辫补 艢颈濒辫补艣腻蝉迟谤补 lists the names of the gopuras, the towering structure on the gateways of the temples, starting from the innermost 辫谤腻办腻谤补, viz., 补苍迟补谤尘补峁囜笉补濒补 extending towards the outer 辫谤腻办腻谤补 as:
Cf. 碍腻艣测补辫补 艢颈濒辫补艣腻蝉迟谤补 XLV.1cd-2:
补苍迟补谤尘补峁囜笉补濒补s膩l膩di峁adhun膩 procyate kram膩t ||
诲惫腻谤补艣辞产丑腻 诲惫腻谤补艣腻濒腻 诲惫腻谤补辫谤腻蝉腻诲补harmyakam |
诲惫腻谤补驳辞辫耻谤补mityete kram膩nn膩mn膩 prak墨rtit膩岣� ||[1]
The 碍腻尘颈办腻驳补尘补 states that these five gopuras have their existence in the five 尘补峁囜笉补濒补蝉 and in such others which are considered in terms of five (I. 75. 29):
诲惫腻谤补艣辞产丑腻 诲惫腻谤补艣腻濒腻 诲惫腻谤补辫谤腻蝉腻诲补 harmyake |
gopure峁嘺iva pa帽c膩nta峁� ma峁囜笉al膩di峁 sa峁僺thit膩岣� ||
The 碍腻艣测补辫补 艢颈濒辫补艣腻蝉迟谤补 further specifies that the 诲惫腻谤补艣辞产丑腻 is one which has 1-3 storeys; 诲惫腻谤补艣腻濒腻 is the gopura of 2-4 storeys to be built in the second 辫谤腻办腻谤补; the 诲惫腻谤补辫谤腻蝉腻诲补 is one that has 3-5 storeys; the 诲惫腻谤补丑补谤尘测补 should be endowed with 4-6 storeys and the 诲惫腻谤补驳辞辫耻谤补 5-7 storeys. Otherwise, all the gopuras of the 辫补帽肠补蝉腻濒腻 must have storeys ranging from 1 to 3 and with 补诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑腻苍补 that is endowed with or without an 耻辫补辫墨峁环补.
Thus 9 x 5 = 45 varieties of measures are given (XLV. 3, 6-7ab):
别办补诲惫颈迟谤颈迟补濒补峁� 惫腻辫颈 诲惫腻谤补艣辞产丑腻峁� prakalpayet |
dvibh奴mirv膩 tribh奴mirv膩 caturbh奴mirath膩pi v膩 ||
...............
athav膩 sarvas膩le峁 别办补诲惫颈迟谤颈迟补濒补峁� tu v膩 |
sopap墨峁環am补诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑腻苍补峁� 惫颈苍腻 v膩py耻辫补辫墨峁环补kam ||
tayoruccayata岣� sarve navapa帽ca vad膩myaham |
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Cf. 惭腻苍补蝉腻谤补, XXXIII. 4-5: It also mentions the 5 types of gopuras but uses the term 惭补丑腻驳辞辫耻谤补 instead of 顿惫腻谤补驳辞辫耻谤补 for the outermost gopura:
tasm膩ttu gopurairm膩na峁� parig峁沨yoktavatkuru |
膩dyakedv膩ra艣obha峁� tu 诲惫腻谤补艣腻濒腻 dvit墨yake ||
dv膩rapr膩s膩do madhye ca 诲惫腻谤补丑补谤尘测补峁� may膩dhike |
mah膩mary膩d膩diku岣峺e ca mah膩gopuram墨ritam ||