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236
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(AUGUST, 1876.
Demons. Guardian
Deities.
Guardian Demons
Guardian
considerable difference, and as it may interest
The Silpan's Art. the reader we produce it here.
"The silpan should perfectly understand the The rule for building a house.
cubit measure, the level, the gnomon, the “Divide the site into sixty-four parts: the jewel (proper for him to wear), the box for four central portions constitute Brahma's place keeping jewels), the part of the house named (sthanam), the four portions or rooms at the garbha, the line, the peg, the floor, the various corners of Brahma's sthanam are for guardian
kinds of trees, the mode of hewing timber, demons, the eight portions or rooms adjoining!
the characteristics of trees, the places where these latter are for guardian deities, the remain
each are to be found, the plumb-line and moring forty-eight portions are for the rise of
ticing." people." The author illustrates this with the
Concerning the Gnomon. following chart :
“In building temples great attention is paid Chart of a house, or ground-plan.
to the gnomon : therefore we shall declare what is the proper length and thickness, &o. &c. of this instrument. It should be twelve fingers in length; three-fourths of this should be absorbed by the head (or the thickest part of
the instrument), and the remaining one-fourth Guardian
should taper off to a point like a needle, the whole being turned in a lathe and resembling in shape a conch-shell.
"Gnomons for the use of men should be These four
made of the timber of milk-producing trees, as, places are
for instance, the Artocarpus integrifolia, the Brahmi's
Fious indica, Fious religiosa, Ficus racemosa, sthdnam.
and the Ficus virens. For temples, however, it must be of Acacia Sundra."
Concerning the Peg. Guardian Deities.
“The pegs should each be eleven fingers in thickness, twenty-four fingers in length. Ascertain the position of Vasthu : then in the southwest corner of his belly, the south-east, the north-east, and the north-west corners drive
home your pegs." The author next treats of the silpan himself,
Concerning the Site. his dress and character, and the extent of his
“When required to build houses, palaces, professional knowledge, as follows:
private apartments, &o. &c., first ascertain the The Silpan.
oentre of the site by the line, form there a pit “Ono adorned with a necklace of sacred one cubit square and one cubit in depth, and pour beads, the sacred thread upon him, a ring of water into it until it is quite fall. This water dharba upon his finger; delighting in the wor- should then be made to flow over the sides of ship of God, faithful to his wife, avoiding the pit in the directions of the cardinal points; strange women, true to his family, of a pure by so flowing, it will discover the deflections in mind and virtuous, he is a silpan indeed. the site; stretch the line accordingly and make
Girded with silk-like cord made of fibre, it level. chanting the Veda, constant in the performance | “Houses built with black stone, or with of ceremonial acts, pionsly acquiring a perfect black stone and bricks, are proper for gods, for knowledge of various sciences, the silpan fol- Brâhmans, and for hermits; for others than lows his profession.
these to dwell in such houses is unbecoming."
Guardian Deities.
Deities.
Demons. Guardian
Guardian Demous.
The word in the original is sangu, conoh; the Silpa Asaris have an instrument resembling it made of wood, by which they make some astrological obeervations
