The Science of the Shulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c8.103

c8.103

at their halves (that is, at one-tenth puruṣa from the middle mark). Stretch the cord along the *pṛṣṭhyā* (the east-west line) and fix poles at the two ties, the middle mark and the marks at semi-puruṣas. Unfasten the two ties, fasten them to the semi-puruṣa-poles and then stretch the cord towards the south by holding it by the middle mark. Make a point at the place reached by that. Unfasten the two ties; fasten one at the middle pole, then stretch the cord towards the south over the point and fix a pole at the place reached by the middle mark. Then fasten one tie at this pole and another at the eastern pole; stretch the cord towards the south and fix a pole at the place of the middle mark; then another also at the semi-puruṣa-mark. Unfasten the tie from the eastern pole and then fasten it to the western pole; stretch the cord southwards and fix a pole at the place reached by the middle mark and also two about it at the semi-puruṣa marks. Proceed in the same way on the northern side. Again on the southern side, stretching the cord in the way indicated before, fix a pole at the distance of the fifth-puruṣa-mark. Having fastened a tie at that, and also at the eastern semi-puruṣa pole, stretch the cord properly, and fix a pole at a distance of the semi-puruṣa-mark (from the one) and the fifth-puruṣa-mark (from the other). Similarly on the west. Similarly (construct) the northern wing. Thus also the tail with its vitasti. If desired, the two sides of each wing and of the tail may be contracted by four aṅgulis each on one extremity and extended by the same amount on the other."¹