The Science of the Shulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c10.33

c10.33

"Take a cord as long as the measure (to be given to the side of the square); make a tie at both ends and a mark at the middle of itself and of its two halves. Stretch out this cord along the east-west line and fix poles at the ties and marks. Then having fastened the ties at the two poles of outer marks, stretch the cord towards the south having taken it by the middle mark and make a point there. Now fasten both the ties at the middle pole and stretch the cord towards the south by the middle mark over this point and fix a pole at the place reached. Fasten one tie at this pole, another tie at the easternmost pole, and stretch out the cord having taken it by the middle mark; thus will be obtained the south-eastern corner of the square (required). Then freeing the tie from the easternmost pole, fasten it to the westernmost pole and again stretch the cord by the middle mark; thus the south-western corner will be determined. Similarly can be determind the north-eastern and north-western corners of the square.'"¹ (Fig. 23.)