The Science of the Shulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c13.s2: Volume of a Prism or Cylinder
The Science of the Śulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c13.s2
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Volume of a Prism or Cylinder
c13.s2.1
We have so far treated of the shape and size of the base of the various kinds of Fire-altars and have observed that the size in all cases has been prescribed to be the same, namely, 7½ square puruṣas. Every Fire-altar, save and except the one of the shape of the cemetery (*Śmaśāna-cit*), has a perfectly horizontal surface whose height is prescribed to be one *jānu* (=32 aṅgulis) for the first construction, two *jānus* for the second construction, and so on. Again the number of layers of bricks at successive constructions increases as multiples of five; and the shape and size of any layer of a particular Fire-altar at any construction is the same as those of its base. Hence all the Fire-altars are right prisms or circular cylinders. And the early Hindu geometers evidently knew the formula
c13.s2.2
$Volume of a prism or cylinder=(base)×(height).$