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90 Itanastvagurudevmpaddhati There are other methods also to find out the suitability of the land. A torch lit to the accompaniment of Mantras may suggest suitability of the location by its flourish. The section is concluded underlying the importance of the land in rituals. एवं विचार्य रहितां कथितैश्च दोषैः शस्नैर्गुणैश्च सहितां धरणीं सुरग्याम् । तस्यामभीष्टफलसिद्धिकरं विदध्याद् ___ यागं शिवस्य भवनं यथोक्तमार्गात् ॥ (24) As a preliminary to architectural designs the author introduces certain measurements. He mentions some artifices to find out the time, direction etc. This is known as Saokucchāyā – meaning the shadow of a gnomon. Sankau stands for the pin of a dial whose shadow points to the hour. It is an upright rod for taking the sun's altitude by its shadow. It is to be placed on a level ground. The level is ascertained by splashing water over the area. Methods to find out the directions are detailed by the author. the measurement like. Angula-a finger's breadth, Vitasti-a space of twelve angulas etc, are noted. Angula is a measure equal to eight barley corns. Some measurements are enumerated as follows: परमाणुरजोरोमलिक्षायूकायवाष्टकैः । क्रमान्माङ गुलं ज्ञेयं वितस्ति, वितस्तिदिशा गुणा ।। मानाङ गुलद्वादशकं वितस्तिवितस्तियुग्मं खलु किष्णुसंज्ञम् । हस्तो भवेद् हस्तचतुष्टयं स्याद् धनुश्च दण्डोऽपि स एव नाना ।। दण्डपञ्चाशतायामो गव्यूत्यधं निगद्यते ।
द्विगुणं तन्तु गव्यूतिस्तद्वयं क्रोश उच्यते ॥
योजनं तु चतुष्क्रोशं द्विष्क्रोशं चार्धयोजनम् ॥
These measurement are to be adopted according to the needs of architectural patterns. The following passages show that measurements to be adopted when and where.
दण्डेन तु ग्रामनिवेशनाद्य पुराणिखेटं निगमं च कुर्यात् ।
हस्नेन वेश्मादिषु मानमुक्तं स्वल्पेन चैवाङ गुलकैर्यवैर्वा ।
देवालयगृहादीनि कुर्यान्मन्त्राङ गुलेन हि ॥
The author has mentioned Aryabhata and Maya as authorities on the subject. It is from their treatises that he has borrowed the ideas on the subject. The simple method measuring the time of the day
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