Extracts from the Ratnavali

Summary

The Ratnavali is a Vaisnavite Tantric manual that combines ritual instructions with guidelines on temple architecture. In this article the author introduces the text, noting that it is a compendium drawn from various Agamic sources. The Ratnavali’s authorship is not stated in the surviving manuscripts. However, references in the Manusyalayacandrika attribute a Ratnavali to Mūrti or Murdri and Parasara; given that Murdri is associated with Saivite nibandha literature, the Vaisnavite Ratnavali is plausibly attributed to Parasara. The author emphasises that the Ratnavali functions as a pocket manual for a family of Tantric priests, providing a concise but comprehensive guide for constructing temples and performing rituals. The extracts presented focus on architectural prescriptions. They describe the Tarunalaya (literally ‘house of a young god’), a subsidiary shrine attached to the main temple. The text explains that after establishing the main deity in the sanctum, a Tarunalaya should be built in front or attached to one side for ritual training and ceremonies. It provides precise measurements for the Tarunalaya: seven hastas (cubits) square with four doorways, paved with plaster and concrete. The instructions specify how to lay out the foundation, arrange the principal supports, and set up the main image. The extracts then discuss the derivation of the term ‘prāsada,’ stating that it is the place where the lord bestows grace. They proceed to outline measurement systems used in temple architecture. One method divides the measurement of a human hand (hasta) into smaller units (angulas) and uses these to determine the proportions of pillars, door frames and sanctum width. The text explains how to divide the overall width of the sanctuary into nine or seven parts to calculate the doorway’s breadth and how to determine the height of pillars. Annotations by the modern author elucidate these technical terms and compare them with measurements used in Kerala temple manuals (Śrimalasthana). The article suggests that the Ratnavali’s architectural rules shed light on the regional diversity of Vaisnavite temple design. Although the extracts are brief, they reveal the careful attention to proportion and ritual symbolism in Tantric architecture. The conclusion encourages further study of the complete Ratnavali, which could illuminate connections between Vaisnavite ritual practices and architectural forms across South India.