![]() Source: : Shiva Purana - English Translation Six sub-continental ranges (varṣaparvata) lie to the north an south of the Meru-Nīla, Śveta and Śṛṅgī to the north and Niṣadha, Hemakūṭa and Himavat to the south. Below the central mountain are the four viṣkambha-parvatas (Sujacent hills), Mandara, Gandhamādana, Vipula and Supārśva. Meru (मेरु).-The entire mountain system of the world, as conceived by the Puranic writers, centres round the Meru, the mountain of gold, which is supposed to stand in the middle of Ilāvṛta, a highly elevated sub-continental region (varṣa) of Jambudvīpa. Source: : Geography in Ancient Indian inscriptions (purāṇa) It is composed of two parts and Sūta is the main narrator. The Varāhapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, and was originally composed of 24,000 metrical verses, possibly originating from before the 10th century. There are also four regions in the four directions: Northern direction: mount Supārśva has Vaṭa tree on its peak Mahābhadra lake. Western direction: mount Vipula has Aśvatta tree on its peak Asitoda lake Southern direction: mount Gandhamādana has Jambū tree on its peak Mānasa lake There are four mountains with a tree surrouding Meru in the four directions, and also four lakes:Įastern direction: mount Mandara has Kadamba tree on its peak Aruṇoda lake Northern side: red, represents the Kṣatriya. ![]() Western side: black, represents the Śudra. Southern side: yellow, represents the Vaiśya. Meru is composed of the following colours:Įastern side: white, represents the Brahmin. Jambūdvīpa is ruled over by Āgnīdhra, one of the ten sons of Priyavrata was a son of Svāyambhuva Manu, who was created by Brahmā, who was in turn created by Nārāyaṇa, the unknowable all-pervasive primordial being. ![]() Meru (मेरु).-One of the seven mountains located in Jambūdvīpa, according to the Varāhapurāṇa chapter 75. Meru in Purana glossary Source: Wisdom Library: Varāha-purāṇa Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe. Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. These temples are classified according to the particular shape, amount of storeys and other common elements, such as the number of pavilions, doors and roofs. Meru (मेरु) refers to a “twelve-storied” variety of the hundred types of Temples (in ancient Indian architecture), according to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, an ancient Sanskrit text which (being encyclopedic in nature) deals with a variety of cultural topics such as arts, architecture, music, grammar and astronomy.-It is quite difficult to say about a definite number of varieties of Hindu temples but in the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa hundred varieties of temples have been enumerated. Source: Shodhganga: Elements of Art and Architecture in the Trtiyakhanda of the Visnudharmottarapurana (vastu) This list represents a classification of temples in Nort-India. It is listed under the group named Vairāja, featuring square-shaped temples. Meru is also listed in the Agnipurāṇa which features a list of 45 temple types. Meru is also listed in the Matsyapurāṇa which features a list of 20 temple types. This list represents the classification of temples in South-India. Meru is also listed in the Īśānaśivagurudevapaddhati which features a list of 52 temple types. This list represents the earliest form of the classification of temples in the South Indian Vāstuśāstra literature. Meru is also listed in the Suprabhedāgama, which describes a list of 13 temple types. ![]() Meru is found in another list in the Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra, chapter 63, where it is listed in the group named Nāgara, containing 20 different prāsādas (temples/buildings). Meru is found in another list in the Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra, chapter 60, where it is mentioned in a list of thirty-six Prāsādas (temples) having activities of the townsmen entailing Sādhārās. The Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra is an 11th-century encyclopedia dealing with various topics from the Vāstuśāstra. As the last name mentioned in this group, Meru is also known as Prāsādarāja. The Sāndhāra group contains twenty-five out of a sixty-four total prāsādas (temples) classified under four groups in this chapter. Meru (मेरु) refers to a type of temple ( prāsāda) classified under the group named Sāndhāra, according to Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra chapter 56. Meru in Vastushastra glossary Source: Wisdom Library: Vāstu-śāstra
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |