The Shulbasutras of Baudhayana, Apastamba, Katyayana and Manava: With Text, English Translation and Commentary c8.t13.22

c8.t13.22

Now, 225 is a squared number 15². A chariot wheel with spokes consists of the central circular part, the nave, the spokes and the outer circular rim, the felly. The spokes connecting the nave and the felly alternate with empty spaces. In the procedure suggested, an area equivalent to the empty spaces between spokes is first added and then removed. This area is here taken to be equivalent to that of 64 square bricks of the type described above, probably because 225 plus 64 make 289, a squared number 17². Hence the direction of arranging 289 bricks in the form of a square so that each side contains 17 bricks. This is done in two stages; at first 256 bricks are arranged in a square, each side containing 16 bricks, and then 33 bricks, — 17 plus 16, are placed along two adjoining sides. In this way the square *ABCD* is formed (Fig. 61).