The Shulbasutras of Baudhayana, Apastamba, Katyayana and Manava: With Text, English Translation and Commentary c8.t22: Chapters 8 and 9: Characteristics of Agni, General Lay-Out and Construction of Caturaśraśyenacit, Enlargement of Units, Height of Vedis and Bricks

The Śulbasūtras of Baudhāyana, Āpastamba, Kātyāyana and Mānava: With Text, English Translation and Commentary c8.t22

Language: English

Chapters 8 and 9: Characteristics of Agni, General Lay-Out and Construction of Caturaśraśyenacit, Enlargement of Units, Height of Vedis and Bricks

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CHARACTERISTICS OF *AGNI*, GENERAL LAY-OUT AND CONSTRUCTION OF *CATURAŚRAŚYENACIT*, ENLARGEMENT OF UNITS, HEIGHT OF *VEDIS* AND BRICKS

**8.1-8.5.** The characteristics of *agni* have been discussed under *Bśl.* 5.7-7.3. The general lay-out of the *caturaśraśyenacit* is given in *Āśl.* 8.2; the *ātmā* that is, the body of the fire-altar measures four sq. *puruṣas*, either wing and tail is each of one sq. *puruṣa*, together with an increment of 24 *aṅg.* in length for the wings and 12 *aṅg.* for the tail. This has already been discussed in *Bśl.* 8.10. For the construction of a fire-altar of 8½ or more sq. *puruṣas*, Āpastamba has followed the same rule as given by Baudhāyana (vide *Bśl.* 5.1-5.6) for proportionate increment of square *puruṣas* from the agni of 7½ sq. *puruṣas*.

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**9.1-9.5.** *Construction of square.* Here two methods of drawing a square required for the construction of the body (*ātmā*) of *caturaśraśyenacit* are described. The first method is explained in Fig. 7.

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Fig. 7

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Fig. 8

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*A*, *B* — holes at the end of a bamboo rod taken equal to the height of a sacrificer with uplifted arms;
*C* — another hole at the middle of *AB*;
*EF* — the east-west line, *AB*;
*O* — the pole corresponding to the hole *C* of *AB*;
*FG*, *EH*— arcs drawn by the end *B* when *A* is fixed once at *E* and then at *F* respectively;
*P* — the point of intersection of the arcs *FG* and *EH*;
*K* — the point reached by the hole *B* when *A* is fixed at *O* and *AB* is laid over *OP*;
*G*, *H* — points fixed by *A* and *B* when *C* is fixed at *K*.
Hence *EFGH* is the required construction of the square.

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The second method is explained in Fig. 8.

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*FS* — the bamboo rod which is qual to √2 a (*dvikaraṇī* of the square), where *a* equals one *puruṣa*;
*ES* — the bamboo rod of length one *puruṣa* is stretched along the east side;
*S* — the common point denoting *aṃsa*, which is one of the corner points of the figure.
Similarly the *śroṇi* point *K* is fixed. *EFKS* is the required construction.

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Four such squares each of 1 sq. *puruṣa* form the body (*ātmā*) of the *caturaśraśyenacit*. How any increment to the area of more than 7 fold *agni* is to be effected has already been discussed in *Bśl.* 5.1-5.6.

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**9.6.** *Bricks of caturaśraśyenacit.* Five kinds of bricks used for the *caturaśraśyenacit* are described as follows :

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*pañcami*, square bricks of side one-fifth of a *puruṣa*, 24 *aṅg.* × 24 *aṅg.*; *adhyardhā*, rectangular brick, 36 *aṅg.* × 24 *aṅg.*; *ardhyā*, a rectangular half of *pañcamī*, 24 *aṅg.* × 12 *aṅg.*; *caturbhāgīyā*, a square brick one fourth of *pañcamī*, 12 *aṅg.* × 12 *aṅg.* *pañcadaśabhāgīyā*, a square brick of side one-fifteenth of a *puruṣa* 8 *aṅg.* × 8 *aṅg.*

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The heights of bricks in most cases are the same with the exception of the *nākasada* and *pañcacūḍā* bricks, which have the height of the normal bricks used for altar construction. The *pañcacūḍā* and *nākasada* bricks are usually used at the top (*vide Bśl.* 5.7-7.3).