शिल्परत्नम् (श्रीकुमार - प्राचीन भारतीय चित्रकला, धातुकर्म, यन्त्र एवं स्थापत्य सटीक)

PREFACE.
The second part of the Śilparatna consisting of 35 cha-
pters deals with iconography and allied matters. This is a
highly useful work for those who are interested in icono-
graphy and architecture. The science of Śilpa founded by
Mātanga, Bhṛgu and other hoary sages was elaborately dealt
with by Nārāyaṇa, Ravi and others; while in the Śilparatna
Śrīkumāra has collected all the important subjects from the
vast Śilpa literature, at the instance of Devanārāyaṇa, an
ancient ruler of Ambalappuzha (North Travancore). The
verse in the beginning of the first part,
सम्पूज्यते सदसि भार्गवसृष्टभूमा-
गेऽस्मिन् बुधैः सकलशिल्पकथासु योऽसौ ।
तं मे नमामि पितरं भृगुवंशजातं
शश्वत् स्वपुत्रहितपूरणजागरूकम् ॥
as well as the closing colophon, श्रीरामपुत्रेण भार्गवगोत्रसंभूतभूदेवेन
श्रीकुमारनामधेयेन श्रीदेवनारायणराजचूडामणिपादसेवकेन लिखितमिदम् । show
that the author was a Kerala Brahmin belonging to Bhārgava
Gotra. In the preface to the first part, it is stated that the
author lived at the close of the 16th century A. D., on the
ground that he was a protege of Devanārāyaṇa who is said
to have entertained in his court Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa, the famous
poet and grammarian of Kerala of the 16th century. How-
ever, as the word Devanārāyaṇa is known to be a title of the
rulers of Ambalappuzha, the determination of the date of the
author is, I think, in need of further evidences.
The word सेतूर्ध्वकानन mentioned in the verse,
नानाविशालगणितागमशिल्पशास्त्रा-
व्युत्पत्तिमुख्यभुवमद्भुतविक्रमाढ्यम् ।
सेतूर्ध्वकानननिवासकृताधिवासां
वन्दे षडाननवतीं परदेवतां मे ॥
as the seat of the family deity of the author seems to be the
Sanskritization of the Malayala Deśa Chiramelkkatu. From
a conversation with my friend Brahmasri Kanippayyar San-
karan Namburi, I come to learn that this Deśa is now found
in Talapalli Taluk in Cochin State.
It is a matter of satisfaction for me that I have been
able to edit the second part with more manuscript materials
than before and thus realise the hope expressed in the preface