Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c6.s1: Vedic Altars
Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c6.s1
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Vedic Altars
c6.s1.1
Datta in his book, *the Science of Śulba*,² has traced the growth and development of the geometry of this period. Various types of altars are described by him as available in the different *Saṃhitās*, *Brāhmaṇas* and especially in the *Śulbasūtras*. These altars are mostly brick structures of considerable size and shape. They are mainly *Āhavanīya*, *Gārhapatya*, *Dakṣināgni*, *Mahāvedi* (also called *Saumiki vedi*), *Sautramāṇi vedi*, *Prāgvaṃśa*, *Śyenacit’* *Vakrapakṣa vyastapuccha śyena*, *Kaṅka*, *Alaja*, *Prauga*, *Ubhayataprauga*, *Rathacakracit*, *Droṇa*, *Samuhya*, *Paricāyya*, *Śmaśāna*, *Kūrmacit etc.* Besides many other duties, the *Śulbakāras* had to perform several other important duties systematically viz.
c6.s1.2
² Datta, B. *The Science of Śulba*, University of Calcutta, 1932.
c6.s1.3
(i) to clean and level a plot on which the altar is to be constructed, (ii) to fix the east-west line (*prācī*), for it was considered as the reference line, (iii) to construct bricks of specific sizes, (iv) to draw diagrams of specific sizes on the level ground on which the altar is to be constructed, (v) to lay bricks subject to certain principles. To perform these duties many specialists arose to solve constructional problems which required good deal of knowledge of geometry and mathematics. But there cannot be any doubt that the item (iv) together with item (v) helped much the development and nourishment of geometry. In the table (p. 106) an account is given of names of altars, types of altars, horizontal section of the altars (i.e., diagram on the ground) and sectional area (i.e., area covered by these diagrams.).