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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, Sikhari and Maundi, and also enunciate the measurements for their construction. Ther is a parallel description also in the Paddhti Isanasivagurudeva 3 The basic structure of the Sibika is succinctly indicated thus in the Visvakarma-vastusastra, in the context of the description of Vahanas to be used in temple festivals (ch. 8+: Kalpavrksadivahanalaksanakramakathanam) : zibikAM mAnavairdhAyA~ peTikAkArasaMyutAm // 18 // atha pAviraNakahInAM vebAdidaNDakAm / bhUtezo vA vRSo nAnAlakriyAmaNDito mataH // 19 The commentary on this passage by Anantakrana Bhattaraka is elucidative and might be extracted here : atha zibikAlakSaNamAha-zibikAmiti, vividharUpaM zibikAlakSaNaM tu purobhAge pazcAdbhAge dRDhaM saMyojitamAdhAradaNDaM mAnavabhaTaskandhardhAyaM prakalpayet, tAdRzAdhAradaNDastu veNukRto vA vaTakRto vA sokaryadAyIti samayaH / evaM mAnavaskandhabAhyAdhAradaNDasahitasya zibikAkhyasya vAhanasya nirmANaM tu peTikArUpaM 1. For an account of the Sibika-vahana in Vaisnavite temples, see the Vimanarcana Kalpa of Marici, of the Vaikhanasa School (Madras, 1626), Sn, on Sibikadi yanotsavah, pp. 352-54 2. Cf. Mayamata of Mayamuni, ed. T. Ganapati Sastri, Trivandrum, 1919, Ch, 31, verses 1-29. 3. See Isanas ivgurudeva-Paddhati of Isanasivagurudeva, ed. by T. Ganapati Sastri, pt, IV, Trivandrum, 1925, pp. 453-55 : Patala 40, Nityot saza-yana-sanadi-pasala), verses 39.64. 118 : agaracanda nAhaTA abhinandana-grantha
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________________ arrant: ga Tarte Frigl 3 *: #: I arradur G 91773 rateTi #heydarsthApanasyakaM devaberasya mukhamaNDalasphuraNArthamagrabhAge mukurasthAnopetaM vividhatacitrapaTTikAvRtapArzvapaTTikAtalaM fayfa 1690 eua 111811 kizcAtra zibikAnirmANe kvacit pUrvabhAge bhUtezagaNaskandhadhAritapUrvadaNDaM vA nandidevadhAritapUrvadaNDaM vA gandharvakinnarAdidevagaNaskandhadhAritadaNDaM vA kAryamiti vikalpaH / ato'tra tu zivikAnirmANa puSyazibikA-darpaNazibiketyAdibhedazcohmaH kriyAsaukaryAthaM zilpibhiriti / / 19111 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-vakravanca-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.2 It is in palmleaf, in four folios, written in Malayalam script. The manuscript is well preserved and the writing is generally free from errors, 1. See Visvakarma-Vastusastram, Ed. by Vasudeva Sastri and N. S. Gadre, Tanjore, 1958 (T anjore Sara suti Mahal Series, No. 8503, p. 197, 2. For full details see the Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts of H. H, the Mvharaja's Palace, Library, Trivandum, 1938, Vol. IV. pp. 1547-58. I am thankful to the authorities of the Library for supplying me, with a copy of this manuscript. itihAsa aura purAtattva : 119
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________________ zibikAvakravaMzalakSaNam . 'abhivAdya gaNAdhIzamabhISTaphaladAyinam / zibikAvakravaMzasya pramANaM kiJciducyate // 1 // veNoH zubhAikuraM dRSTrA yatnena paripAlayet / varAhazalalIkITabhRgadaMzAdyapadravAt // 2 // dRDhayA parivRtyA ca vacAcUrNAdibhiH punaH / hastonnatAt pUrvamasya . sumuhUrte vinAyakam // 3 // sampUjya jalagandhAdyaiH sUpalAjAdibhistathA / baMzasya pArzvayoH khAtvA yantrastambhau vinikSipet // 4 // yatra randhrapathA gatvA vakraveNurbhaviSyati / yantramAnamiti proktaM dazahastasamAyatam // 5 // munisaGkhyAgulaM vIthyA tadardhaM ghanameva ca / evaM stambhadvaye sUtraM siddha paJcadazaM tu vA // 6 // trayodazaM vA hrasvAkhyapaTTikAstambhavIthivat / ekAGgalaM dvayaGgalaM vA ghanaM tAsAmudIritam // 7 // sAdhaiMkahastaM vA dIrgha sapAdaM vAtra kalpayet / stambhayormUlatastyaktvA viMzatyaGgulamAtrakam // 8 // ekaikahastAmAyAtAM caturaH paTTikAM kriyAt / padAdhikadvihastena tasmAt tu kuTilAyatam // 9 // kuTile paTTikAH sapta paJcakaM vA samAMzake / stambhayoH kalpayedasmAnmalavaccaturo'nake // 10 // tadAdhirohiNI vedaM yantramantrI bhaviSyati / mUlAgrapaTTikASTAnAM randhrANAM vidhirucyate // 11 // stambhayoH paTTikAyogAt prathame tryamulaM tyajet / dvitIye ca tRtIye ca dvayaGgulaM tu caturthake // 12 // vyaGgalaM kuTilAgrAttu caturthaM pUrvavattathA / tyaktAGgu lAntare rekhAM kArayedatisUkSmataH // 13 // rekhAmAzritya pRSThe. tu. randhrAn vaMzagatopamAn / triyavAdhikamAnena / suvRttAn vakragamyakaiH // 14 // 1. The Ms. comnences with invocatory Statement : [hariH] zrIgaNapataye nmH| avighnamastu / 120 : agaracanda nAhaTA abhinandana-grantha .
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________________ kuTilAntaHsthite kharvapaTTikAsaptake kramAt / ghane dvacaGgulamAne ca randhrAn kartumihocyate // 15 / / aMzAGkAt paTTikAnAM ca kuryAt pUrvAparaM dhanam / tAsAmadhazcopari ca vakragamyAyataM dvidhA / / 16 / / UnAdhikatripAdArdhAGgalaiH kuTilakramam / stambhAdekAdiha proktaM paTTikAdyAd yathAkramam / / 17 / / sapAdanavaka cava paadaadhikdivaakrH| aoMnaSoDazaM caiva SoDazaM ca tataH param // 18 // aSTAdaza tripAdonasArdhaSoDazaSoDazau / ardhAdhikamanustena sapAdaM tu trayodaza // 19 // sapAdanidhizailau ca satripAdArNavAnalau / pakSAntaramihaivoktaM caturthazarayoH kramAt // 20 // kalApaJcadazA sAdhauM tat sapAdatrayodazam / sapAdamihireNApi kuryAnmAnaM dvayoriti // 21 // paTTikApaJcake pakSe rudrAdityau tu ssoddshau| tathaiva ca punaH kuryAt tattrayodazabhAskarI / / 22 / / rasabANI tRtIyAt tu pakSAntaramathocyate / manutrayodazau sUryadizau rasazarAviti / / 23 / / vinA pakSAntareNakaM vakrakramamathocyate / dazArkaSoDazAH saptadazaM cASTAdazadvayam // 24 / / ardhonASTAdazaM caiva SoDazaM ca tithirmanuH / ekAdazaM dazaM sapta rasametaizca saptake // 25 // pUrvakrameNa tadvakraM nRNAM netrapriyAvaham / uktasaGkhyAGgala revaM kRtvA rekhAM tataH param // 26 // vakragamyaiH surandhrANi veNoH puSTayaiva pUrvavat / randhruzca vaMzayAtyevaM vakrakSemakarAya ca // 27 // nityaM baMzAdikaM dRSTrA rajjukIlAdibhiH sudhIH / kuryAt tatrocitaM karma tathApyadhikasUkSmataH // 28 // pipIlikAdaMzakITabhaGga bhyaH paripAlayet / sArdhe mAsyanalAGkovAn kaNTakAn dinapaJcakaiH / / 29 / / zarAGgalordhvamekaikaM sa bahizcamakaM tyajet / trimAsAniDa (?sena va) cAcUrNatailaM mAsena lepayet // 30 // abdAnte lUnayedagraM rudrahastAt paraM tataH / dinavatsaramAsAnAM caturthaM vA tRtIyakam // 31 // nItvAtha sumaharte tu dIpavighnezvarAdibhiH / veNozca lUnayenmUlaM tato tithidinAt param // 32 // itihAsa aura purAtattva : 121
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________________ yantraM cotpATya tenaiva saha bhUmau vinikSipet / paTTikAbhyastataH stambhau vimucyAsya tu kaNTakAn / / 33 / / AmUlameva vicchidya vaMzAnmucyeta paTTikAH / paritaH kaNTakasthAnaM suzilpaM kArayenmRdu // 34 // kiJcittu tilajaM liptvA tataH saptadinAt param / satripAdadvihastaM vA sapAdaM mUlamapyataH // 35 // savitastyAyatenaiva mUlAgre kArayettataH / ayugAGgulayuktairvA hInariSTAyataM dvayoH // 36 / / svarNena rajatenApi sUkarasya gajasya ca / zIrSamUlAgrayoH kRtvA hemarUpyArakUTakaiH / / 37 / / baddhvA tribANamunibhiraGgularAyatairdvayoH / kalpayet zibikAyogyavakraveNu mahAmatiH // 38 / / uktaM vakronnataM tvasya zubhaM paJcadazAGgulaiH / vakrasyAntaHsthitAnAM tu paTTikAnAM tRtIyakAt // 39 // paTikApaJcake pakSe dvitIyAdeva ca kramAt / trayodazaM ca rudrazca nidhizca zubhadonnatam // 4 // AbhyAM tu kuTilo[rvAbhyAM nipuNedRSTilakSaNaiH / kecid vakroccamityAhustathA vaMzazca dRzyate // 41 // stambhayorantare dve vA trayaM vAkuramasti cet / pUrvarandhrAparAnnetrAmulaM vA?nameva vA // 42 // tyaktvAto vaMzapuSTayAtra kuryAd randhrANi pUrvavat / punarapyevamevaikAM suSirAli ca kalpayet / tayaiva gatvA svAviddhAH sambhaviSyanti veNavaH / / 43 / / vakrAzcAyatamUlAgrekyAmulaiSTAdibhirhatAH / dhvajAdyayuge yonyAdyAM dvijAdikramataH zubhAH / / 44 // vaMzavakraprakaraNam 122 : agaracanda nAhaTA abhinandana-grantha . For Private &Personal Use Only ,