History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.50.4

v3.c51.50.4

To the west of the utkara at a distance of six prakramas (which comes to about the middle of the north side of the great altar) is prepared the shed for āgnīdhra, which is half inside and half outside the great vedi, which has four posts and the beams of which run from west to east, which has a door to the south and is covered on all sides with mats. This shed is so made that its west side would be a continuation of the end of the western side of the havirdhāna maṇḍapa and this shed is a square having sides of five aratnis each (com. on Kāt. VIII. 6. 13). The *sadas* is measured at a distance of three prakramas from the western side of the great vedi to its east and has its length from south to north. The width of the *sadas* is nine aratnis (or half of its length) and its length (from south to north) 27 aratnis or as much as would be necessary for allowing room to all the priests, their dhiṣṇyas (seats) and the prasarpakas (assistants and spectators). In the midst of the sadas a post of udumbara is fixed which is of the height of the sacrificer above its pit and which is placed at a distance of one prakrama to the south of the pṛṣṭhyā. All saṁskāras that are made on the yūpa and its pit are made in the case of this post except those referring to *śakala* (vide p. 1115 above). The udumbara post has an ear-like protuberance towards the east when it is fixed in the pit.