HINDU PERIOD
The Yuktikalpataru also gives elaborate directions for decorating and furnishing ships so as to make them quite comfortable to passengers. Four kinds of metal are recommended for decorative purposes, viz. gold, silver, copper, and the compound of all three. Four kinds of colours are recommended respectively for four kinds of vessels: a vessel with four masts is to be painted white, that with three masts to be painted red, that with two masts is to be a yellow ship, and the one-masted ship must be painted blue. The prows of ships admit of a great variety of fanciful shapes or forms: these comprise the heads of lion, buffalo, serpent, elephant, tiger, birds such as the duck, peahen or parrot, the frog, and man, thus arguing a great development of the art of the carpenter or the sculptor. Other elements of decoration are pearls and garlands of gold to be attached to and hung from the beautifully shaped prows.[1]
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धात्वादीनामतो वक्ष्ये निर्णयं तरिसंश्रयम्।
कनकं रजतं ताम्रं त्रितयं वा यथाक्रमम्॥
ब्रह्मादिभिः परिन्यस्य नौका चित्रणकर्मणि।
चतुःशृृङ्गा त्रिशृङ्गाभा द्विशृङ्गा चैकशृङ्गिणी॥
सितरक्तापीतनीलवर्णान् दद्याद् यथाक्रमम्॥
केशरी महिषो नागो द्विरदो व्याघ्र एव च।
पक्षी भेको मनुष्यश्च एतेषां वदनाष्टकम्॥
नावां मुखे परिन्यस्य आदित्यादिदशाभुवाम्॥
••••••नौकासु मणिविन्यासो विज्ञेयो नवदन्दवत्।
मुक्तास्तवकैर्युक्ता नौका स्यात् सर्व्वतो भद्रा॥
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