Samarangana-sutradhara
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Samarangana Sutradhara is an encyclopedic work on classical Indian architecture (shilpa) written by Paramara King Bhoja of Dhar (1000-1055 AD).
Bhoja was a great patron of learning and himself a distinguished scholar, architect and a poet.
Here are some verses from Samarangana Sutradhara, which describes characteristics a "sthapati" i.e. architect.
- The architect should be well-versed in the science involving the significance of objects to be created and their specificationss. He should know the theory and the practice; he should have the insight and the skill accompanied with procedure.
- That person is said to be an expert in workmanship who knows how to sketch the ground plan, draftmanship, the horizontal and vertical measurements, the details of ground work of the plot, the 14 kinds of sketch lines, the cutting of the logs and stones etc., and seven kinds of circular sections; well finished joinings of the joints and proper demarcation of upper, lower and outer lines.
- An sthapati should know eight-fold workmanship, the draftmanship and sketches of various kinds, and variety of carpentery, stone-masonry and gold-smithy. The engineer equipped with these merits invokes respect. One who knows the fourfold engineering with its eight constituents and who is pure in his mind gets status in the assembly of engineers, and is endowed with a long life.
(Based on translation by Punya Mishra).
It also describes aircraft construction and operation and espionage technology. [1] [2] [3]
Other classical Indian Shilpa texts include are: Visnudharmottaram, Aparajitaprchchha, Abhilasitartha-Chintamani (or Manasollasa), Shilpa-ratna, Narada-silpa-shashtra and Kashyapa-shilpa.
