Sutra 7

Devanagari script

वप्रस्योपरि प्राकारं विष्कम्भद्विगुणोत्सेधमैष्टकं द्वादशहस्तादूर्ध्वमोजं युग्मं वा आ चतुर्विंशतिहस्तादिति कारयेत् ॥ कZ_०२.३.०७अ ॥

Transliteration

vapras yopari prākāraṃ viṣkambhadviguṇotsedham aiṣṭakaṃ dvādaśahastād ūrdhvam ojaṃ yugmaṃ vā ā caturviṃśatihastād iti kārayet

Translation

وفوق الساتر الترابي ينبغي أن يبني سوراً من الآجر، يكون ارتفاعه ضعف سُمكه، ويرتفع فوق 12 هَسْتَا—ويُستحسن أن تكون الأعداد زوجية—حتى 24 هَسْتَا.

Word by Word

वप्रस्यof the moat/rampart (of the ditch)

उपरिon/above

प्राकारम्a rampart/wall

विष्कम्भ-द्वि-गुण-उत्सेधम्having a height twice its thickness

इष्टकम्made of bricks

द्वादश-हस्तात्from twelve cubits (i.e., exceeding twelve cubits)

ऊर्ध्वम्upwards; above; higher

ओजम्(with) an odd (number as measure)

युग्मम्or even (numbered)

वाor

आup to

चतुर्विंशति-हस्तात्from twenty-four cubits (i.e., up to/exceeding twenty-four cubits as the upper limit)

इतिthus

कारयेत्should cause (it) to be built/constructed

Entities Mentioned

vapra (rampart)

prākāra (wall)

brick construction

hasta (measure)

FAQs

Why specify a height-to-thickness ratio for the wall?

It encodes stability and defensibility into a rule that supervisors can verify—reducing collapse risk and ensuring a predictable defensive profile.