Sutra 5

Devanagari script

चतुर्दण्डापकृष्टं परिखायाः षड्दण्डोच्छ्रितमवरुद्धं तद्द्विगुणविष्कम्भं खाताद्वप्रं कारयेदूर्ध्वचयं मञ्चपृष्ठं कुम्भकुक्षिकं वा हस्तिभिर्गोभिश्च क्षुण्णं कण्टकिगुल्मविषवल्लीप्रतानवन्तम् ॥ कZ_०२.३.०५ ॥

Transliteration

caturdaṇḍāpakṛṣṭaṃ parikhāyāḥ ṣaḍdaṇḍocchritam avaruddhaṃ tad dviguṇaviṣkambhaṃ khātād vapraṃ kārayed ūrdhvacayaṃ mañcapṛṣṭhaṃ kumbhakukṣikaṃ vā hastibhir gobhiś ca kṣuṇṇaṃ kaṇṭakigulma-viṣavallī-pratānavantam

Translation

At a distance of four daṇḍas from the moat, he should construct an embanked rampart: six daṇḍas high, with breadth twice that, made from excavated earth; shaped as a raised accumulation, or flat-topped for platforms, or bulging/rounded; compacted by elephants and cattle; and covered with thorny shrubs and spreading poisonous creepers.

Word by Word

• चतुर्-दण्ड-अपकृष्टम्: kept back by four daṇḍas (in extent/setback)
• Type: Participle (Verbal adjective)
• Root: अपकृष्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘अपकृष्ट’ = ‘drawn back/kept at a distance’; ‘चतुर्-दण्ड’ = four-daṇḍa measure

• परिखायाः: of the moat/trench
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिखा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्

• षट्-दण्ड-उच्छ्रितम्: raised to six daṇḍas (in height)
• Type: Participle (Verbal adjective)
• Root: उत्-श्रि
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘उच्छ्रित’ = ‘raised’; ‘षट्-दण्ड’ = six-daṇḍa measure

• अवरुद्धम्: enclosed/blocked off
• Type: Participle (Verbal adjective)
• Root: अव-रुध्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तत्: that (structure)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; अन्वयः—पूर्वोक्तं (खाताद्वप्रम्)

• द्वि-गुण-विष्कम्भम्: having twice the breadth/span
• Type: Noun (measure)
• Root: विष्कम्भ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘द्विगुण’ = twice; ‘विष्कम्भ’ = breadth/diameter/span

• खात-आद्वप्रम्: the ditch-and-rampart (defensive work)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: खात; द्वप्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘खात’ = trench/ditch; ‘द्वप्र’ = rampart/earthen embankment

• कारयेत्: should cause (it) to be made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (णिच्)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; causative ‘कारयति’—‘have (it) made’

• ऊर्ध्व-चयम्: as an upward piling/raised heap
• Type: Noun
• Root: चय
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘ऊर्ध्व’ + ‘चय’ = raised piling/stacking

• मञ्च-पृष्ठम्: with a platform-like top/back (a flat platform surface)
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: मञ्च; पृष्ठ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘platform-backed/with a platform-like top’

• कुम्भ-कुक्षिकम्: pot-bellied/bulging in the middle
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: कुम्भ; कुक्षि
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘kumbha-bellied’ (bulging like a pot)

• वा: or
• Type: Particle
• Root: वा
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्ययम्

• हस्तिभिः: by elephants
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्

• गोभिः: by cattle
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• Type: Particle
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्ययम्

• क्षुण्णम्: well-trodden/compacted
• Type: Participle (Verbal adjective)
• Root: क्षुद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘trampled/compacted’

• कण्टकि-गुल्म-विष-वल्ली-प्रतान-वन्तम्: possessing thorny thickets and spreads of poisonous creepers
• Type: Adjectival compound
• Root: कण्टकिन्; गुल्म; विष; वल्ली; प्रतान; वत्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘-वन्त’ = possessing; qualifying the defensive work (खाताद्वप्रम्)

Entities Mentioned

• parikhā (moat)
• vapra (rampart)
• elephants
• cattle
• thorny shrubs
• poisonous creepers

More Details

FAQs

Why specify compaction by elephants and cattle?

It is a practical engineering method to densify earthworks using available state assets, improving load-bearing capacity and erosion resistance.