________________
lxxi
gifted souls, the idol gets the presence of the deity in a pro. portionately stronger measure. The ceremony of Kumbha. bhisheka or bathing the deity with consecrated water has as its chief part the Japa of the mantra of the deity by a large number of devotees for a long time and using that consecrated water for bathing the deity. The place where the deity ultimately resides is the heart of the loving devotee and the idol gives the benefit of the result of such contemplation in the form of the presence of the deity in the idol and it is easier for the worshipper to get the loving comtemplation of the deity in temples containing such idols than when he begins the contemplation without such aid, This is the rationale of idol worship which has been followed from time immemorial in our country and forms part of our living faith today.
The paths followed by those who have realised the object of their worship are embodied in voluminous treatises called Agamas which are of equal authority (if not more in certain circles) with the Vedas. We have two kinds of idols the Moola Bēra and the Utsava Bēra. The Moola Bēra is generally made of stone or brick and mortar or sudha and even in hard wood in certain places. The Utsava Bēra is generally made of gold or silver or copper or a special kind of bronze composed of the five metals gold, silver, copper, tin or lead and zinc.
The Agamas and Silpa sustras describe all the deities in minute detail and give the proportions in all the three dimensions of space, of all the features of the deity. The proportions are given by classifying the deities and other forms into 10 or 12 main categories, each category being described with reference to a standard height associa - ted with that category. This classification is called Tala Māna, Tāla meaning a span. The standard heights begin from twelve spans and reach the lowest level of one span. Heroic figures have the standard height of 12 spans and are said to be made in Dwadasa Tāla. Beneficent aspects of
