The Science of the Shulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c8.27

c8.27

It has been stated above that a *Kāmya Agni* has an area of 7½ square puruṣas. That is the case only at the first construction of the altar. At its second construction, the area has to be increased by one square puruṣa; at the third construction by two square puruṣas; and so on until to the size of 101½ square puruṣas. But the strict injunction of the scriptures is that the shape of the altar on the whole, that is, the relative proportion between its different constituent parts at any construction, must not be altered. Thus arise the problems of constructing similar figures.