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EDUCATION, LITERATURE AND ART
465
ART AND ARCHITECTURE, SCULPTURE AND PAINTINGS
Sūtradhāra, Silpin? Viśvakarma (Primarily meaning the divine architect and through generalisation meaning an architect), Vātika" are the expressions employed to mean an artisan, an architect, a sculptor etc., individually as well as conjointly in so far as all the four expressions have been employed to mean a sculptor apart from meaning an architect. 'Vātika', however, has been employed to mean a sculptor in its specialised sense. Meghavāhana ordained the Sūtradhāras to start the work for repairs in the shrine of gods. The Sūtradhāras even carved out image to be placed inside the shrines. Tridivasilpin and Viśvakarmā primarily are synonymns meaning the divine architect and secondarily, an architect in the general sense.
'तीक्ष्णकोटिभिरष्टंकिकाभिस्तक्ष्यमाणाभ्यः शिखा मणिशिलाभ्यः'5
refers to the art of carving out or chiselling out the bejewelled stones meant to form the images. 'Tankikā' is the chiselling hoe while 'taks anakriyā'in 97827410477227:' means the act of chiselling or carving. Even 'Viśvakarmā' and 'Silpinah', have been employed synonymously meaning artisans or architects. Vātika has been construed by the commentator to mean “Dhātuvādika’ or one who works on ores, mineral substances, metals etc. and Kuttāka has been construed to mean 'Chedanaśīlaih' i.e. prone to dissector chisel out or carve out while îțanka' means a hoe. It appears, therefore, that Dhanapāla has treated Artisanship’, Architecture and Sculpture as the mainsprings of the same art or science or branch of knowledge.
As already observed Dhanapāla in describing the temple, house and miscellaneous architecture of Ayodhyā has very much kept in mind the architecture of Dhārā illustrated in the Samarānganasūtradhāra of Bhoja.
Ayodhyā has been described as surrounded by a fortification having a broad plinth and a wall white like snow. It was provided with oblong tanks in hundreds having steps easy of descent and huge in (dimensions). It was
1. Geferatury piufcaaran HTIYTY.... ERT 1984: TM Vol. II p. 164.
Toale Gif a refrTEHAIR: E yfeira FR41 Ibid. Sm. ed. p. 297. 2. fafcaffc4-19 stronifaciucchiefweifach auf4467741022: Fyra uffTCITAZT: TM Vol. II p. 323. 3. Chri fa gauri Hura fa 1941 10 TM Vol. II p. 323.
7 fax a quriliuage forfeqa: HATI TM Vol. III p. 105.
fa ge f a fafayeti Ibid. Vol. I p. 54. 4. aifea &1928 19 ftalashforafasITM Vol. III p. 131. 5. TM II p.323, LL 7 LDSE para 116 page 90 L-26 6. SSD. I. XVIII 1-6 Cg. Paramāras p. 297.
