Shloka 37

Prāsāda-Lakṣaṇa: Temple Proportions, Śikhara Ratios, Liṅga–Pīṭha Measures, and Auspicious Ground-Plans

Devanagari script

भित्तेर्द्वैगुण्यतो वापि कर्तव्या मण्डपाः क्रचित् / प्रासादे मञ्चरी कार्या चित्रा विषमभूमिका

Transliteration

bhitterdvaiguṇyato vāpi kartavyā maṇḍapāḥ kracit / prāsāde mañcarī kāryā citrā viṣamabhūmikā

Translation

有时，曼荼罗殿（maṇḍapa）应按墙体尺度的两倍来建造。又在宫殿之中，当作一处名为mañcarī的外挑廊阁，装饰华美，立于高低不齐、层次参差的地基之上。

Word by Word

• भित्तेः: of the wall
• भित्तेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भित्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• द्वैगुण्यतः: from doubling / by doubling
• द्वैगुण्यतः: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वैगुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपातः

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपातः (particle)

• कर्तव्याः: should be made
• कर्तव्याः: Kriya (Predicate necessity/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (Gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• मण्डपाः: pavilions
• मण्डपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: sometimes/at some place)

• प्रासादे: in/on the palace
• प्रासादे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मञ्चरी: a small pavilion/upper chamber (mañcarī)
• मञ्चरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मञ्चरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कार्या: should be made
• कार्या: Kriya (Predicate necessity/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (Gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• चित्रा: variegated, ornate
• चित्रा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विषमभूमिका: having uneven levels/floors
• विषमभूमिका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम + भूमिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विषमा भूमिका यस्याः सा)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Appropriate scaling (even doubling) and ornamentation are legitimate when grounded in measure; beauty (citra) is dharmic when ordered.

Vedantic Theme: Sattvic aesthetics: rūpa as a support for elevated mind when aligned with niyama.

Application: When enlarging spaces, preserve proportional logic; use ornament and level-changes intentionally for circulation, sightlines, and structural safety.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: palatial/temple-adjacent architecture

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.47.36 (wall-based measures); Garuda Purana 1.47.38 (base with four supports and mandapas)

FAQs

What is the importance of mandapa proportions in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights proportional rules—sometimes recommending a maṇḍapa be built at twice the wall-based measure—showing that sacred/royal structures follow deliberate dimensional canons rather than arbitrary sizing.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not address the soul’s journey; instead, it belongs to a vastu/architecture-oriented passage describing how to design structural elements like maṇḍapas and palace galleries.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When building or renovating temples or traditional spaces, follow consistent proportional planning (including allowable enlargements) and design functional galleries/balconies with thoughtful, aesthetically coherent level changes.