The Shulbasutras of Baudhayana, Apastamba, Katyayana and Manava: With Text, English Translation and Commentary c8.t16.4
The Śulbasūtras of Baudhāyana, Āpastamba, Kātyāyana and Mānava: With Text, English Translation and Commentary c8.t16.4
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c8.t16.4
The fire-altar is in the form of a trapezium ABCD, of which the western side BC is 2p units (= 170 aṅg. - 12 tila), the eastern side AD is 3p (= 254 aṅg. + 16 tila) and the height, that is, the distance between AD and BC is 6p (= 509 aṅg. - 2 tila) (Fig. 69). For the word trapezium, the word *ekato'nimaddirghacaturaśra* is used. It means a rectangle of which one side is shorter (than the opposite parallel side). The area of the trapezium is given by $2p × 6p + p/2 × 6p = 15p² = 15/2 sq. pu. = 7½ sq. pu.$ which satisfies the area of the *agnikṣetra*.