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

[ 31 ]
(17) Śukra and (18) Bṛhaspati are the chief eighteen preceptors
of the Vāstuśāstra. Lord Matsya had explained briefly the
Vāstuśāstra to the King Vaivasvata Manu ; 2—4.
Which I will now relate to you.”
The Agni-Purāṇa⁸⁴ list of twenty-five authoritative texts,
quoted before is interpreted thus :—
“Hayagrīva said :—O, Brahman, hear me speak about
the consecration of the images of Vishṇu and other gods—(1).
I have already dealt with the principles of Pancharātra⁸⁵ and
Saptarātra schools of philosophies which are classed by
the Munis under twenty-five different heads as discussed in
the following books or Tantras, viz. :
84. Agni-Purāṇam, Engl. prose transl. by Manmathanath Dutt. Cal.,
1903. Chapter XXXIX.
In the Introduction Mr. Datta writes :—
“The contents of this Purāṇa clearly show that it has no sectarian
leaning. It impartially treats of Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva and Śākta forms of
worship. It is more a compendium of Sanskrit learning than the advocacy
of any particular form of religion. It is classed among the Tāmasa or the
delusive division of the Purāṇas”.
Professor Wilson thus remarks on the general character of this Purāṇa.
‘......it is evident that it is a compilation from various works ; that
consequently it has no claim in itself to any great antiquity, although from
the absence of any exotic materials, it might be pronounced earlier, with
perhaps a few exceptions, than the Mahomedan invasion. From the absence
also of a controversial or sectarian spirit, it is probably anterior to the
struggles that took place in 8th and 9th centuries of our era between the
followers of Śiva and Viṣṇu’.
85. “The word Ratra signifies knowledge, and the Naradapancha-
ratra, which is one of the standard religious works upholding the principles
of the Pancharatra School of Philosophy, defines the term as meaning
the sum total of the five distinct sorts of knowledge we have, of the
external world through our senses :—
रात्रञ्च ज्ञानवचनं ज्ञानं पञ्चविधं स्मृतम् ।
तेनेदं पञ्चरात्रञ्च प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः ॥ अः १।१, नारदपञ्चरात्रम् ।