Apastamba Sulbasutram

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The present book is an endeavour of the author to make the scholars and students of antiquity acquainted with the geometry of the fire altars, fire hearths, vedis, mandapas etc. The book is divided into twenty-one chepters. The sutras of Apastamba Sulbasutra along with Hindi translation Jyāmitikā, English translation, geometrical figures and tables are incorporated in the book. An elaborate introduction and four appendices (Units of Measurement, Index to words, Technical Terms, Index to sutras) are provided to enrich the present book.

Dr Dharam Pal Kularia, Professor of Sanskrit (retd.), M.D. University, Rohtak, is a renowned scholar of Sulba sutras. He did his Ph.D. on "The Sulbasūtras: A Critical Study" from M.D. University, Rohtak in 2005. He is the author of 'The Katyayana Sulbasūtra', 'The Maitrayāṇīya Sulbasūtra', 'The Baudhāyana Sulbasutra'. He has authored many research papers on the Sulbasūtras, published in international as well as National Journals.

Rashmi Nandal is currently working as an Assistant professor at State University of Performing and Visual Arts (Design Department). She has five years of works experience as Visual Merchandiser with different corporate organisations. She did Masters in fashion Management from NIFT (2010). She did graduation B.A. (Eng. Hons.) with fine Arts from Punjab University (2007). Also, she did one year of Diploma course in Jewellary Design and Development from NIFT (2008).

We feel elated to give this book to the readers-students as well as the erudited scholars-and hope that this book will be valuable in understanding the geometry of the altars, vedis, mandapas etc.

The Vedas played a pivotal role in moulding the Indian culture. The Yajurveda proved to be a fountainhead of the Vedic ritualism and a vast literature in the form of Srautasutras came into vogue to record the detailed procedure required for the performance of various yajñas. The Sulbasutras being the part of the Srautasūtras deal with the geometry of ritual enclosures which are essential for the performance of various sacrifices. It was the duty of the Adhvaryu, the priest related to the Yajurveda, to make arrangement for the paraphernalia required for the accomplishment of the sacrifices, hence, all the Sulbasūtras belong to the Yajurveda-the Katyāyana Sulba sutra belongs to the Sukla Yajurveda and the remaining Sulbasūtras viz. the Baudhayana Sulbasūtra, the Apstamba Sulbasutra, the Hiranyakesin Sulbasūtra, the Mänava Sulbasūtra, the Maitrāyaṇīya Sulbasūtra, Varaha Sulbasūtra, Vaikhānasa Sulbasūtra, belong to the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda.

The word Sulba can be derived from the root Sulb meaning measuring. In the Sulba litrerature the Sulba and the rajju are used as synonyms, because a rope is used as the instrument of measurement. The word Sulba is thus used in the sense of the instrument of measurement as well as the science of measurement i.e. geometry.

The Sulba can be defined as the science of the measure ment in which the instrument of measurement and the process of measurement are described for the purpose of the construc tion of the ritual enclosures and the fire altars of different shapes and sizes. It has been referred as Sulba Praśna, Sulbasūtra, Saulbi Kriyā, Vihāra, Vihārayoga, Rajjusamāsa, Sulba Vijñāna etc.

**Contents and Sample Pages**