The Shulbasutras of Baudhayana, Apastamba, Katyayana and Manava: With Text, English Translation and Commentary c8.t14: Chapter 17: The Construction of a Fire-Altar in the Form of a Square Trough

The Śulbasūtras of Baudhāyana, Āpastamba, Kātyāyana and Mānava: With Text, English Translation and Commentary c8.t14

Language: English

Chapter 17: The Construction of a Fire-Altar in the Form of a Square Trough

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**17.1-17.2.** Fire-altars in the form of a trough (*droṇacit*) are of two types, e.g., the square shaped and the circular, and both are used. In this chapter, the square type is described.

**17.3.-17.5.** *Measurement and construction.* The body ABCD of the trough is a square of side 2⅔ *puruṣas* or 320 *aṅg*. (Fig. 64). The handle (*tsaru*) EFGH is fixed at the middle of the western side BC of the body. It is a rectangle such that EF = HG = 70 *aṅg*. and FG = EH = 80 *aṅg*. Clearly, BE = CH = 120 *aṅg*. The area of the fire-altar is given by

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$1/(120²)[320² + 70× 80] = 7½ sq. pu.$

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Fig. 64. Fire-altar in the form of a square trough ; also shows placement of bricks in the first layer.

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Fig. 65. Fire-altar in the form of square trough; arrangement of bricks in the second layer.

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**17.6.** *Type of bricks.* The following four types of bricks are used :

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17.7. *Placement of bricks in the first layer.* 6 B₁ bricks are placed on each of BE and HC, that is, along line between the two western corners and the points where the handle meets the body. The remaining space can be filled with 172 B₂s,—160 in the body and 12 in the handle including part of the body. In this way 12 B₁s and 172 B₂s, totalling 184 bricks, can be placed. The deficit of 16 bricks can be met by using B₃s in place of B₁s and B₂s. According to Dvārakānātha, 4 B₂s at the end of the handle are replaced by 4 B₁s and 4 B₃s and 12 B₁s along BE and CH are replaced by 24 B₃s. Now we have 4 B₁s, 168 B₂s and 28 B₃s. (*asmin prastāre catasraḥ ṣaṣṭhyaḥ | aṣṭaṣaṣṭiśatamadhyardhāḥ | aṣṭāviṃśatirardhyāḥ |—D.*)

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17.8-17.12. *Placement of bricks in the second layer.* The method of placement is very clearly explained in these *sūtras* and is shown in Fig. 65. After placing 2 B₂s, one on each of the two eastern corners, 13 B₁s can be placed on the eastern side of the body. 10 B₄s are placed on each of the southern and the northern side. The tail contains 9 bricks, — 2 B₁s, 5 B₂s and 2 B₄s. The remaining space in the body can accommodate just 130 B₂s. The total number of bricks thus used is as follows : B₁ — 15 ; B₂ — 137 ; B₄ — 22 ; total — 174. There is a deficit of 26 bricks, which is met by B₃ bricks. According to Dvārakānātha, after replacement of B₂s by B₃s, the number of bricks of different types stands as follows : B₁ — 15 ; B₂ — 124 ; B₃ — 39 ; and B₄ — 22 ; total — 200. Clearly 13 B₂s are replaced by 39 B₃s.