The Science of the Shulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c21.s2.4

c21.s2.4

Thus it is an instance of division of fractions. Or the same result may have been obtained in a slightly different way which is, indeed, a simplified method of division. Since the area of each brick is 1/25 of a square puruṣa, one square puruṣa will contain 25 such bricks. Therefore an area of 7½ square puruṣas will contain $7½ × 25 = 187 ½ .$ bricks. If the area of each brick be "One-fifteenth of half of a square puruṣa," says Baudhāyana,¹ the number of bricks used will be 225. That is, $7 ½ ÷ 1/15 of ½ = 15/2 ÷ 1/30 = 15/2 × 30 = 225.$