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________________ SIBIKA-VAKRAVAMSA-LAKSANAM : A Method to Grow Crooked Bamboos for Palanquin Beams K. V. Sarma Curator, Vishveshvaranand Institute, Hoshiarpur. The Sibika (palanquin) has been popular in India from early times as a mode of conveyance for the royalty and the upper strata of the society. Its use in temple festivals as a vahana (carrier) to take the image of the deity in procession along the outer corridors of shrines and through the city for public worship is also popularly known, especially in South India. The Mayamata, is, perhaps, the earliest text on Indian architecture to give a detailed description of the Sibika in its three types, viz., Pithi, Sikhart and Maundi, and also enunciate the measurements for their construction. Ther is a parallel description also in the Paddhti Isanasivagurudeva. The basic structure of the Sibika is succinctly indicated thus in the Viswakarma-vastui astra, in the context of the description of Vahanas to be used in temple festivals (ch. 8+: Kalpavrksadivahanalaksanakramakathanam): farfast mAnavaidhaya peTikAkArasaMyutAm // 18 // atha pAzrvaviraNakainA veNyAdidaNDakAm / bhUtezo vA vRSo nAnAlakriyAmaNDito mataH // 19 The commentary on this passage by Anantakrpa Bhattaraka is elucidative and might be extracted here: fafa atha zivikAlakSaNamAha zivikAmiti, vividharUpaM zibikAlakSaNaM tu purobhAge pazcAdbhAge dRDhaM saMyojitamASAradaNDaM mAnava bhaTaskandheyaM prakalpayet tAdRzAdhAraNDastu veNukRto vA vaTakRto vA saukarya - dAyIti samayaH / evaM mAnava skandhabAhyAdhAradaNDasahitasya zibikAkhyasya vAhanasya nirmANaM tu peTikA rUpaM 1. For an account of the Sibika-vahana in Vaisnavite temples, see the Vimanar canaKalpa of Marici, of the Vaikhanasa School (Madras, 1626), Sn, on Sibikadiyanotsavah, pp. 352-54 2. Cf. Mayamata of Mayamuni, ed. T. Ganapati Sastri, Trivandrum, 119, Ch, 31, verses 1-29. 3. See lsanas ivgurudeva-Paddhati of Isanasivagurudeva, ed. by T. Ganapati Sastri, pt, IV, Trivandrum, 1925, pp. 453-55 Patala 40, Nityotsaza-yana-sanadi-patala), verses 39.64. 118: agaracanda nAhaTA abhinandana grantha
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________________ pArzvayoH pravezadvAropetaM kAryam avamekaH prakAraH / prakArAntareNa tu pArzvabhAgAvaraNahInaM madhyamasvadevaverasvApanasthakaM devaverasya mukhamaNDalasphuraNArthamagrabhAge mukurasyAnopetaM vividhatabhitrapaTTikA vRtapApaTTikAtalaM zivikAkalpanaM prakalpayet ||18|| kiJcAtra zivikAnirmANa kvacit pUrvabhAge bhUtezagaNaskandhadhAritapUrvadaNDaM yA nandidevadhAritapUrvadaNDaM vA gandharvakinnarAdidevagaNa skandhadhAritadaNDaM vA kAryamiti vikalpaH atotra tu zivikAnirmANa gafafa-fferfectgr. fasuredwatu farienfaffer 1901 The essential elements of a Sibika, thus, consist of a closed box-like structure with doors or an open structure without doors, fixed on a long beam of bamboo or wood which extends on both sides of the box. The seat is placed inside the box and the whole structure is carried on the shoulders of one or more persons at each end. Now, the palanquin with the arched beam rising majestically in a steep curve over the box and with the two extending ends too slightly inclined uqwards is artistically superior to one with just a horizontal beam. It is dfficult to prepare curved beams of wood or procure naturally curved beams of wood of sufficient length. In practice, the bamboo is used exclusively for the purpose. The required bends are often made in the bamboo by the application, at the appropriate places, of strong hear when the bamboo is yet green and has not become dry and stiff. Naturally, the bamboo gets charred and injured, to some extent, in the process. An ingenious method has been developed to solve the problem, viz., to grow bamboos with the necessary curves, of appropriate measures, at the required places, The short text, Sibika.vakravam la-laksanam, edited here enunciates a method to grow crooked bamboos. The method primarily consists of driving in appropriately curved iron structures on the sides of the bamboo plantling and making the bamboo through the said structure. Directions are given towards controlling its growth, so that, ultimately, a bamboo with bends. and curves at the right places and in the right measures is produced. The work is preserved in a single manuscript, being No. 1133 belonging to the collection of Sanskrit manuscripts of the Palace Library, Trivandrum, now deposited in the Kerala University Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts. Library, Trivandrum. It is in palm leaf, in four folios, written in Malayalam script, The manuscript is well preserved and the writing is generally free. from errors, 1. See Viswakarma-Vastusastram, Ed. by Vasudeva Sastri and N. S. Gadre, Tanjore, 1958 (Tanjore Sarasuti Mahal Series, No. 8503, p. 197, 2. For full details see the Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts of H. H. the Muharaja's Pajace, Library, Trivandum, 1938, Vol. IV. pp 1547-58. thankful to the authorities of the Library for supplying me, with a copy of this manuscript. itihAsa aura purAtattva : 119