Pauranika description of Ayodhya by Agastya muni in the Skandapuranam

The Pauranika description of Ayodhya nagara was first described by Narada muni to Skanda, who in turn describes it to Agastya muni in the Ayodhya Mahatmya of the Skandapuranam.

An artist's impression of Ayodhya of the Purnaic era

The below Shlokas describe Ayodhya on the banks of the Sarayu river as a magnificent city on par with Indra's abode Amaravati. Ayodhya is described as a city full of elephants, horses, chariots & foot soldiers. It tops all cities in its richness & prosperity. It has numerous broad roads & great rampart walls & golden arched gateways resembling mountain ridges & peaks.

Shlokas describing Ayodhya

Ayodhya's squares & crossroads are well planned and neatly maintained. There are many storeyed palaces with numerous artistic alterations & modifications in the walls. It is rendered splendid by many tanks with excellent water abounding in full blown lotuses.Ayodhya is said to be well adorned with shrines of deities possessing divine splendour and is always resounded with the sounds of the chanting of the Vedas which can be heard everywhere.

The below Shlokas describe the various gardens of Ayodhya & its various flowering plants & trees. Among the trees mentioned are Saala(vatica robusta), coconut, palmyras, jackfruit, gooseberry, mango tress, wood apple, Ashoka tree. Among flowers mentioned are mallika, bakula, paatali, naagapushpa, champaka, karaveera, karnikara, ketaki. Some of the other fruit bearing trees mentioned are nimbha(margosa), jambira, kadali(banana), matulinga(pomegranate). The city is always abound with the fragrance of sandalwood.

Shlokas describing various flowering plants.

Below Shlokas describe the citizens of Ayodhya. It has many kinds of citizens of high accomplishments such as princes having qualities of Devas, women of great beauty who are on par with Apsaras, eminent poets of great excellence, Brahmanas equal to Bṛhaspati in intelligence and merchants and other citizens who are like the Kalpa vriksha. The quality of horses in Ayodhya are on par with the Uchchaihshravas & the elephants comparable to Airavata, guarding all the directions of the city. Hence Ayodhya is compared to Indra's capital, Amaravati.

Shlokas describing citizens of Ayodhya

It was here that kings of Suryavamsha with Ikshvaaku as the foremost one, were born. All of them were devoted to protection people. The city is built on the banks of the river Sarayu whose waters are meritorious. Its banks are echoed with humming of bees & chirping of birds.The Sarayu is a sparklingly clear and beautiful river with Manasa lake as its source. It is full of holy water. The touch of this river is as excellent as that of Ganga.

Kings of Ayodhya praised

Such is the description of Ayodhya nagara as mentioned in the Ayodhya Mahatmya in the Skandapuranam.

Reference:

Skandapuranam by Nag Publishers.

Traditional town planning described in the Shilpa Shastra

The Manasara Shilpashastra describes how towns & cities were planned & constructed in ancient Bharat. Literature on Hindu architecture is very vast. 

Layout plan of a village

The Manasara Shilpashastra describes 8 different kinds of village layout plans alone.

1)Dandaka 

2)Sarvatobhadra 

3)Nandyavarta 

4)Padmaka 

5)Swastika 

6)Prastara 

7)Karmuka 

8)Chaturmuka(seen above) 

Each plan caters to a particular purpose. Much emphasis is laid on broad streets, open spaces & water tanks.

Layout plan for Towns & Forts

The Manasara doesn't make much of a distinction between a village, town, fort or a city in terms of the layout itself. A town is an extension of a village. And the fort in many cases is nothing more than a fortified town. The extent of a village, town or city is well defined.

The most important part to note here is that the boundaries of the village, town & cities were well defined. It prevented haphazard growth. Villages or cities had 4 entry/exit points. Unlike badly planned modern cities where its impossible to restrict movement into or out.

There were generally 4 main gates for entry into a village or town. Inside the wall there was a large street running all round the village. There are also 2 other large streets, each of which connected 2 of the opposite main gates.

Nandyavarta layout village plan

This is the Nandyavarta layout village plan. As you can see emphasis is laid on broad streets & well spaced out dwellings. Ancient Hindus were organized people. We really need to revive Hindu architectural practices going forward.

Do read this post on the need to revive ancient Hindu architectural methods in conjunction. 

References:

Indian Architecture according to Manasara-Shilpashastra by PK Acharya.

The need to revive ancient Hindu architectural methods.

A post that makes out a case for the urgent need to revive Hindu architectural methods. On why this subject should become part of academic curriculum.

3D render of the new Parliament building

Recently when the 3D renders for the new Parliament building was made public, it was mostly met with widespread criticism. Criticized for failing to incorporate elements of architecture which represent splendour of our Hindu civilization.

While many may say it is unfair to criticize a design just based on 3D renders, there is a reason why this criticism holds good in this case. It is the same reason why we haven't been able to construct many noteworthy public building since 1947 reflective of our ancient & classical culture(rare exceptions exist though). The reason being the complete abandonment a huge vast ocean of literature on Hindu architecture.

Coming back to the new Parliament building, its design & why it lacks traditional aesthetics. The problem is far more fundamental. The Central Vista & Lutyens was designed & constructed to serve the British Crown.

Map of the original Central Vista

The fundamental flaw isn't with the new Parliament building, rather the flaw is in the design of Lutyens itself (which is basically a mini township).The new parliament building is just a continuation of this flaw which we have failed to remedy till now.

There is a huge misconception that Hindu architecture is just limited to Temples. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Vaastu & Shilpa Shastras dwell into literally every single element of design & construction, from smallest of villages to the biggest of metropolises.

Layout plan of a Capital city according to Manasara

The above is a map of the a Rajadhani (Capital City) described in the Manasara Shilpa-shastra. The Manasara is the standard codified treatise on Hindu architecture. It deals with literally every element of design & construction.

Shloka describing 8 different classes of towns/cities.

The Manasara classifies towns/cities into 8 different classes. 

1)Rajadhani 

2)Nagara 

3)Pura 

4)Nagari 

5)Kheta 

6)Kharvata 

7)Kubjaka 

8)Pattana 

Each of the above 8 classes of towns/cities(Nagara-Vidhana) are based on not only their size, but what kind of kings rule from the respective towns/cities. That again brings us to different classifications of Kings & their palaces (Raja-griha Vidhana).

Just like 8 classes of cities, there are 8 classes of kings mentioned in the Manasara. The highest of them being the Chakravarthin class of kings. Other kings are 

1) Chakravarthin 

2) Maharaja 

3) Narendra 

4) Parshinkha 

5) Pattadhara 

6) Mandalesha 

7) Pattabhaj 

8) Praharaka

CLICK HERE to read the post on traditional town planning described in the Shilpa Shastra for additional info on classification of Village types.

Each class of King rule from the corresponding class of cities mentioned above. The Charavarthin rules from the Rajadhani & so on. The Manasara lays down specific rules on how the Palaces of each of these kings needs to be constructed.

Location of the Palace within the City.

The Palace (the power center) described for the Chakravartin in the Manasara is huge & incorporates many architectural elements. As one can see the palace itself doesn't exist in isolation. It is rather part & continuation of the elaborate plan of the Rajadhani (capital).

The point here being a building (the parliament or the secretariat or a Palace) just cannot exist in isolation. The buildings are a mere extension & expression of the larger plan. So there is no point pinning the blame on just one building when there is a fundamental problem.

This issue can be sorted only when town planners & architects are also trained in traditional architectural methods, which has sadly been restricted to just Temples. The literature in the Manasara Shilpa-shastra is vast & needs to become part of mainstream academics.

I'll just list out some of the elements of design & construction that the Manasara shilpashastra dwells into. 

1) Manoprakarana vidhana.(System of measurement) Click to read 

2) Bhu pariksha & Bhumi samgraha (Examination of soil & selection of construction site)

3) Shanku-stapana-vidhana (Sun dial for establishing cardinal points) 

4) Pada vinyasa(Groundplan) 

5) Gramalakshana vidhana(characteristics of villages) 

6) Nagara Vidhana (characteristics of towns & cities) 

7) Bhumilamba vidhana (Dimensions of buildings)

8) Garbhanyasa vidhana ( The foundation) 

9) Upapeetha vidhana (design of Pedestal) 

10) Adhisthana vidhana(design of the Base) 

11) Stambha lakshana vidhana(classification of pillars) 

12) Prastara Vidhana(design of the entablature) 

13) Sandhikarma vidhana(wood joinery)

14) Vimana vidhana (classification of buildings based on storeys) 

The Manasara describes buildings in detail based on the number of storeys. From single to 12 storey buildings. Within each of these storeys, the buildings are further divided into different types.

description of multi-storeyed buildings in the Shilpa shastra

15) Prakara vidhana(courts) 

16) Gopura Vidhana(gate house) 

17) Mandapa vidhana(Pavilions) 

18) Griha mana sthana vinyasa(Location & measurement of houses) 

19) Dvara-sthana(Location of doors) 

20) Dvara-mana-vidhana(measurement of doors)

21) Raja-griha Vidhana( Palaces) 

22) Rajanga-lakshana Vidhana(Royal courts) 

23) Ratha-lakshana Vidhana( Cars & chariots) 

24) Sayana vidhana(Couches) 

25) Simhasana lakshana vidhana(Thrones) 

26) Torana Vidhana(Arches) 

27) Madhyaranga Vidhana(Theatre)

Apart from building & construction, the Manasara also gives details on sculptures. The Manasara Shilpashastra is the most comprehensive text on Hindu architecture. Infact it covers architecture more comprehensively than Vitruvius' De architectura(Roman architecture)

Different pillar styles described in the Shilpa shastra

Especially when it comes to the area of Pillar design, the Manasara has no rival. The sheer variety of columns described in here is mindblowing. 

The greco-roman architecture pioneered by Marcus Vitruvius under the patronage of Roman emperor Augustus became standard for the western world for centuries. The Manasara was codified during the classical age of the Guptas & remained the standard till the invasions. While the west has successfully incorporated Vitruvius' architectural principles into modern times(as reflected by their town planning & building construction), we in Bharat have forgotten an equally great school of Architecture.

For anything to develop & evolve into something beautiful, it has to put into practice. Traditional architecture of Bharat took a massive hit after invasions. Not just the Temples, but the basic fundamentals of our town & city planning. Some may argue "You are talking about Kings & monarchy. These are not applicable for the modern times we live in etc" So did Vitruvius. His patron was a Roman emperor. Yet western architecture has evolved into what it is today due to continued use.

Now that the threat of invasions is over, this present era should become the era of reclamation. Reclamation of not just Temples but everything that came to a standstill during the medieval age of invasions. Art, Architecture, Literature, Science, Astronomy, Mathematics etc

Other Hindu architectural & sculptural treatises apart from the Manasara Shilpashastra that deserve mention 

1) Mayamata Shilpa-Shastra 

2) Anshumadbheda of Rishi kashyapa 

3) Vishvakarma Shilpa 

4) Sanatkumara Vaastu Shastra 

5) Shilpa shastra of Mandhana 

6) Shilpa Samgraha

Apart from the above texts The Puranas like the Agni & Matsya Purana go into details on architecture. So does the Brihatsamhita of Varahamihira. The Agama shastras too dwell into detail on the subject of design,construction & sculpture.

The literature is simply too vast to simply be put across in a post. It requires years of study & practice to even comprehend such lofty & highly aesthetic literature.

References:

Indian Architecture according to Manasara-Shilpashastra by PK Acharya.

The ancient Hindu system of measurement (मानोपकरणविधानम्)

The Shilpa shastras give much insight into how dimensions such as length, width, height etc were measured. It is using this system that the smallest of murthis to the biggest of buildings were planned & constructed in ancient Bharat.

Before defining the different units of measurement, the Shilpa shastra makes a brief reference to the prerequisites of those who must be well versed in this subject in order to carry out the task of planning & construction. i.e the Architects.

The Architects are classified into 4 different categories. They are: 

1) Sthapati 

2) Sutragrahin 

3) Vardhaki 

4) Takshaka 

Each one of the above have a specific role in the process of planning & construction.

स्थपतिः सर्वशास्त्रज्ञः सूत्रपाहीति सूत्रधृत् 

वर्धकी(किर्) मानकर्मज्ञः तक्षणात्तक्षकः स्मृतः 

Shastras say Sthapati must be well versed in all Shastras, Sutragrahin holds the Sutra(measuring rope), Vardhaki is well versed in measuring & Takshaka is well versed in carpentry.

In the hierarchy of architects; the Sthapati holds the highest of positions. He is the master builder. He is the guide of the other 3. The Sutragrahin is required to be an expert in architectural drawing, the Vardhaki in the area of painting & Takshaka with wood work.

मुनीनां नयनोद्वीक्ष्य(च्य) तत्परमाणुरुदाहृतम् 

ताभिरष्टाभिर्गुणितं रथधूलिरिति स्मृतम् 

Shastra defines the smallest unit of measurement as a Paramanu (an atom). It is that unit which is perceptible to eyes of the Rishis. 8 Paramanu make what is called a Ratha-dhuli(molecule).

रथधूल्यष्टमिलितं वालाग्र मिति स्मृतम् 

वालागैरष्टधायुक्तं लिक्षा परिकीर्तितम् 

8 such Ratha-dhuli combined together form a वालाग्र/Valagra (hair end) 8 hair-ends joined together form what is known as a लिक्षा/Liksha (a nit) Nits are eggs of lice (insect).

लिचे(क्षाभि)श्चाष्टभिरायुक्तं यूकं तमि(दि)ति कथ्यते 

यूकैरष्टाभिः(भिश्च) प्रोक्तं यवमेवं विधीयते 

8 Likshas (nits) combined together form a यूक/Yuka (one lice insect) 8 Yukas combined together give us a यव/Yava (barleycorn) Barleycorn is ​1/3rd of an inch (around 8.47 mm).

यवैरष्टसमायुक्तमङ्गलं तत्प्रकीर्तितम् 

8 Yavas (barleycorn) combined together give us an Angula (finger breadth). The Angula is the most important usable unit of measurement . It has been used & mentioned in the Rig Veda. Angula forms the basis for other bigger units.

मानमात्रं त्रिधा प्रोक्तं यववृद्धिविशेषतः 

षट्सप्ताष्टयवैरेतत्कनिष्ठो(ष्ठ)मध्यमोत्तमम् 

To account for different finger breadths, the Angula has been further classified into 3 different types. The small (6 yavas), the intermediate (7 yavas) & the large (8 yavas).

12 Angulas together are called one वितस्ति/Vitasti. Vitasti is the distance between the tips of the stretched out thumb & ring finger.

2 Vitasti make a किष्कु/Kishku (small cubit) An Angula added to one Kishku is called प्राजापत्य/Prajapatya(cubit) (A cubit is the distance between tip of the middle finger to elbow) 25 Angulas together give us 1 Prajapatya Hasta.

षड्विंशत्यङ्गुलो हस्तो धनुर्मुष्टिरिति स्मृतम् 

A cubit of 26 Angulas is called a धनुर्मुष्टि/Dhanur-mushti (bowlength) 

             सप्तविंशतिकाङ्गुल्यं हस्तमुक्तं धनुर्ग्रहम[हः] 

A cubit of 27 Angulas is called a धनुर्ग्रह/ Dhanur-graha.

चतुर्हस्तं धनुर्दण्डं दण्डाष्टं रज्जुमेव च 

4 Dhanur mushtis make a दण्डा/Danda (churning stick seen in the picture below) 8 such Dandas make what is known as a रज्जु/Rajju (measuring rope).

Each of the above units of measurement has a specific utility. The Kishku measurement is recommended for the making of conveyances like chariots. It is also made use for the making of furniture. Prajapatya measurement is used for planning & construction of mansions.

Dhanurgraha measurement is used in the planning of villages, towns, cities. There are bigger units of measurements like Gavyuti & Yojanas which are used for measuring geographical distances. The scope of this post is limited to measurements used in Architecture.

To summarize how we arrived from the smallest unit of absolute measure (Paramanu) to Rajju (measuring rope) It is using this system of measurement that all of the most intricate murthis to the biggest of Temples/Palaces/Cities of ancient Bharat were planned & constructed.

Reference:

Indian Architecture according to Manasara-Shilpashastra by PK Acharya.

The Greatness of Tripundra/Vibhuti mentioned in the Shiva Puranam

The Vishvesvarasamhita of the Shiva Purana explains in detail the great benefits to be had by applying Bhasma & Tripundra. It also explains in great detail the significance of the Tripundra; how, why & where to apply it.

Rishi Suta in the above Shloka says the Bhasma are of two types. One is known as Mahabhasma (great ashes) & the other is called the Svalpa (the little) . The Maha Bhasma is classified into many different types.

तद्भस्मत्रिविधंप्रोक्तंश्रोतंस्मार्तंचलौकिकम् । भस्मैव स्वल्पसंज्ञंहिबहुधापरिकीर्तितम् ॥ 

Maha Bhasma is of 3 types. 1st one is obtained from Shrauta rites, the 2nd through Smartha rites & the 3rd is Laukika, which is prepared from ordinary fire.

It is mandated for the dwijas to chant mantras while applying the Bhasma. The others can simply apply without any mantra.

People belonging to all the Varnas and Ashramas can put on the Tripundra on the forehead or dust their bodies with the mantras mentioned in the Jabala Upanishad or if no mantra is used they shall do the same with reverence.

The one who makes the Tripundra on the forehead with white ashes shall attain, on death, the primordial worlds. 

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, people of mixed castes, women, widows, girls, heretics, a brahmacarin, a householder, a forest dweller, an ascetic, performer of sacred rites who have Tripundra marks are undoubtedly liberated souls.

The one who wears the Tripundra while performing Shraddha, Yajna, Japa, Homa, Vaishvadeva and the worship of the deities is a purified soul and he conquers even death.

The Tripundra on the forehead extends from the middle of the eyebrows to the tips of the brows on either side. With the middle & the ring fingers a line drawn in the opposite direction is called Tripundra. For each of the 3 lines there are 9 deities everywhere in the body.

The nine deities of the first line of the Tripundra are: The syllable “A”(of AUM), Garhapatya (sacrificial fire), Earth, Dharma, Rajas attribute, Rigveda, Kriyashkti (the power to do), Pratahsavana (morning rituals) and Mahadeva. 

The nine deities of the second line are: The syllable “U” (of AUM), Dakshina fire (sacrificial fire), the principle of Ether, Sattva attribute, Yajurveda, Madhyandina Savana (midday rituals), Icchashakti (will power), the Antaratman (immanent soul) & Maheshwara.

The nine deities of the third line are: The syllable “M” (of AUM), Aahavaniya (sacrificial fire), the supreme soul, Tamas attribute, Swarga, Jnana Shakti, Samaveda, the third Savana (evening rituals) and Shiva.

The above Shlokas mention the different parts of the human body connected with the deities mentioned in the above Shlokas. It also mentions that the Tripundra can be applied at 32 places, 16 places, 8 places or 5 places on the body.

The 32 places are: head, forehead, two ears, two eyes, two noses, mouth, neck, two arms, two elbows, two wrists, chest, two sides, navel, two testicles, two thighs, two knees, two calves, two heels & two feet. The names of the following shall be uttered when the Tripundra is applied: Agni, Varuna, Prithvi, Vayu, followed by the names of the Ashta Dikpalakas & the eight Vasus i.e. Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Apa, Anila, Anala, Pratyusha & Prabhasa.

Or the devotee shall apply the Tripundra in 16 parts of the body : 

head, forehead, neck, two shoulders, two arms, two elbows, two wrists, chest, navel, two sides and back. The names of the deities presiding over them and which are to be worshipped are: the two Ashvins, Dasra and Nasatya, Shiva, Shakti, Rudra, Ishana, Narada & nine Shaktis.

Deities associated with the 16 parts : Shiva, Chandra, Rudra, Brahma, Vighneshvara, Vishnu, Shri (Lakshmi) in the heart, Shambhu, Prajapati in the navel, Naga, Nagakanyas, Rishikanyas in the feet and the ocean of vast expansion in the back.

Or the devotee shall apply the Tripundra in 8 parts of the body : The private parts, forehead, the ears, two shoulders, chest and navel. The presiding deities are Brahma and the Sapta Rishis.

Or the devotee shall apply the Tripundra in 5 parts of the body : Forehead, two arms, chest and navel.

If incapable of dusting the whole body with the holy ashes the devotee shall have the Tripundra on the forehead alone, remembering Lord Shiva by repeating Namah Shivayah.

The devotee shall have Tripundra in the sides saying Ishabhyam Namah (obeisance to Shiva and the goddess) and in the forearms by saying Bijabhyam Namah.

The devotee shall apply the ashes beneath by saying Namah Pitrbhyam (obeisance to the ancestors) and above by saying Namah Umeshabhyam (obeisance to Uma and Isha), on the back and the back of the head by saying Namah Bhimaya (obeisance to Bhima)

This concludes the post. As we can see there are tremendous benefits to be had by applying the Tripundra. Same goes for the Vaishnava tilaka; Urdhva Pundra (praised in various texts like the Skandapuranam & Vasudevopanishad).Whatever be ones sampradaya, one must try to adhere to it to the best of their abilities.

Reference

Shiva Puranam

The spiritual benefits of growing the Tulasi plant at home

The greatness of Tulasi has been reiterated in many of our Puranas since ages. The Padma purana especially has many references in praise & glory of Tulasi. We'll see what they are in this post.

Tulasi at our home

Tulasi praised in the Padmapuranam

The Srishti, Brahma, Uttara & Kriyayogaasara Khanda of the Padma purana praise Tulasi to the hilt. Time & again they reiterate on the benefits of having a Tulasi at home & performing puja to her. Above is an illustration from Brahma Khanda of the Padma Purana depicting Tulasi puja.

Rishi Suta says that the servants of Yama do NOT come a house where there is a grove of Tulasi. Those who plant the Tulsi do NOT ever see Yama. All the sin of those who plant the Tulasi, nourish it, attend upon it, look at it & touch it, perishes.

The best rivers like Ganga, the best (gods) Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva, along with deities and holy places like Pushkara, remain in a Tulasi leaf. A sinner who endowed with Tulasi leaves casts his life & goes to Vishnu’s abode.

Sin does not touch the body of the man who would wear the sandal like Tulasi wood. He goes to the highest position. He who though impure and of bad conduct wears beads made of Tulasi wood round his neck, goes due to his devotion to the abode of Vishnu.

Along with Tulasi, Dhatri (Amla) fruit is praised as very auspicious. The man on whose body is seen the beads made of Dhatri fruits or Tulasi, is a devotee of Vishnu. He who, puts round his neck the garland of Tulasi, would worship Vishnu, obtains for each flower, plenty of cows.

He who keeps the Dhatri fruit in his hand, on his head, round his neck or in his ears should be known as Vishnu himself. The sin earned during crores of existences of him who would worship Vishnu with the leaves and fruits of Dhatri, at once perishes.

A man should worship Vishnu in a Tulasi grove & at the root of a Dhatri in Kaartika maasa. He certainly goes to Vishnu’s world by doing so. If a sinner devoutly holds on his head the water remaining at the root of Tulasi, he goes to Vishnu’s abode.

He who would hold on his head the water flowing from a Tulasi leaf, has bathed (i.e. has obtained the fruit of having bathed) at all sacred places, and in the end he goes to the abode of Maha Vishnu.

Pictures of Tulasi at our residence

References

Padma Puranam