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

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the Vāstu-prakaraṇa i. e., the section on Architecture. In
one of these chapters, accounts are given of the eighteen Vāstu-
śāstropadeśakas, ancient masters of architecture. One chapter
is devoted to columns, two to buildings, one to building-materials.
Three chapters are exclusively devoted to sculpture—one being on
Tālamāna, iconometry and two others on the Phallus.
7. The Liṅga-purāṇa has a single chapter on sacrificial
pits, temples and the installation of deities.
8. The Vāyu-purāṇa has a single chapter about building
temples on mountains.
9. The Skanda-purāṇa has three chapters on Vāstu and
Śilpa. One chapter describes how for his daughter's marriage
Himālaya had a pavillion constructed by Viśvakarman under the
instruction of his Purohita Gargācārya and how clever portraits or
life-like representations of all gods were made therein, and they
struck even the gods themselves with awe and wonder. Another
chapter describes the laying out by Viśvakarman himself, of a
large city Mahīnagara. From another chapter, we come to know
how a golden hall was made by Padmanidhi, at the command of
Indradyumna, how Viśvakarman made three chariots at the
command of Nārada and how their installation ceremony was
performed by this ṛṣi.
For informations regarding Vāstu, Śilpa and Citra —
the most important Paurāṇik sources are the Agni, the Matsya
and the Viṣṇudharmottaram.
"The Matsya or Matsya-Purāṇa⁸⁰ . . . is one of the older
works of the Purāṇa literature, or at least one of those which have
preserved most of the ancient text, and do fair justice to the
definition of a 'Purāṇa.' It commences with the story of the
great flood out of which Viṣṇu, in the form of a fish (Matsya)
saves only Manu. While the ship in which Manu is sailing
80. The Matsya-Purāṇa is published in Ānandāśram Sanskrit Series
No. 54 and transl. into Engl., in SBH. (Pāṇini office, Allahabad) Vol. 17.
See M. Winternitz : A Hist. of Ind. Lit. Vol. I, pp. 575-76.