The Science of the Shulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c8.55

c8.55

One thing should be made here perfectly clear: the treatment in the earlier literatures, the *Saṁhitā* as well as the *Brāhmaṇa*, of the measurement of the various *Vedi* and *Agni*, appertains chiefly to the ritualistic aspects of the problems. Reference to the secular or geometrical and other truly scientific aspects are only incidental for them and hence are found on rare occasions. Fuller details of the geometry of the measurements of the altars are particularly described in the *Śulba* parts of the *Śrauta-sūtra*. But traces of that, it will be shown conclusively in the course of this work, are clearly noticeable also in the *Brāhmaṇa*. And it will not be improper, I think, to presume that the geometrical methods for the solution of the problems of the measurements of the altars were known in still earlier periods. For the rituals of measurements will be altogether baseless unless accompanied by a knowledge of the underlying geometry.