Town Planning in Ancient India c7.16

c7.16

The ground to be avoided, according to the Mānasāra, is that "which has the form of a circle, a semi-circle, or containing 3, 5, or 7 angles, resembling a trident or a window; which is shaped like the hinder part of a fish, or the back of an elephant or a turtle, or the face of a cow, and the like; situated opposite to any of the intermediate quarters, north-west and the like (bidiksthā); abounding with human skulls, stones, worms, ant-hills, bones, slimy earth, decayed woods, coals, dilapidated wells, subterranean pits, fragments of tiles, lime stones, husks of corn; exposed to the wafted effluvia of curd, oil, honey, dead bodies, fishes, etc.; such a space should be avoided on every account." To avoid the odium of reiteration, I mention those disqualifications which Mayamuni lays down, distinct from the Mānasāra :—"The ground that has mighty trees at its four corners, is sterile, has a large number of oceans in it or has none at all, is to be avoided".