Mritsamskara, Mṛtsaṃskāra, Mrit-samskara: 1 definition
Introduction:
Mritsamskara means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
The Sanskrit term Mṛtsaṃskāra can be transliterated into English as Mrtsamskara or Mritsamskara, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts (shilpa)1) Mṛtsaṃskāra (मृत्संस्कार) (lit. “purification of the clay”) is the name of chapter 6 of the Viṣvaksenasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text comprising 2800 Sanskrit verses dealing with theological matters, image-worship, iconography (relating to pratimā-icons) and the construction of temples.
Description of the chapter [mṛtsaṃskāra]: Viṣvaksena turns here to the clay to be applied to the śūla-form, and he makes some distinctions between baked and unbaked clay, regarding the color to be used according to the Yajamāna’s caste, concerning the mixture of specified foreign substances in it etc. Acceptable clay is to be brought from a holy place, dried out for a month until ready, applied to the waiting form—which is then wrapped with nine strings and colored (1-10). Five main colors, as well as the intermediate colors resulting from mixing any two or more of these five, are acceptable; these are given names (11-27).
2) Mṛtsaṃskāra (मृत्संस्कार) refers to “making an idol of clay”, as discussed in chapter 5 of the Mārkaṇḍeyasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text comprising some 2200 Sanskrit verses mainly dealing with temple-building, iconography, pūjā (worship procedures), utsava (festivities) and prāyaścitta (expiatory measures).—Description of chapter [mṛtsaṃskāra-vidhi]: The clay to be used when fashioning an icon out of plaster will vary according to the caste of the person undertaking to sponsor its construction and installation—white clay will be used when the patron is a Brahmin, red clay when a Kṣatriya, yellow clay when a Vaiśya and black clay when a Śudra. Where such clay is to be collected, how it is to be mixed with other materials, how cured,—these things are to be done only by a qualified Śilpin, and these steps constitute the “saṃskāra”-procedure (1-27a). The colors of paints to be used on an idol are also specified (10ff.).
Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Mrid, Samskara.
Starts with: Mritsamskaravidhi.
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Full-text: Mritsamskaravidhi, White clay, Red clay, Yellow clay, Black clay, Samskara, Mrid, Clay.
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Search found 1 books and stories containing Mritsamskara, Mṛtsaṃskāra, Mṛt-saṃskāra, Mrit-samskara, Mrtsamskara, Mrt-samskara; (plurals include: Mritsamskaras, Mṛtsaṃskāras, saṃskāras, samskaras, Mrtsamskaras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Hindu Architecture in India and Abroad (by Prasanna Kumar Acharya)
A Summary of the Agastya (authority on architecture) < [Chapter 4 - Shilpa Shastras]
A Summary of the Amsumad-Bheda of Kasyapa < [Chapter 4 - Shilpa Shastras]