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,