Sutra 8

Devanagari script

पृथुशिलासंहतं वा शैलं कारयेत् न त्वेव काष्टमयम् ॥ कZ_०२.३.०८ ॥

Transliteration

pṛthuśilāsaṃhataṃ vā śailaṃ kārayet na tveva kāṣṭamayam

Translation

He should have it built of rock—either of broad stone slabs tightly bonded or of solid stone; but not made of timber.

Word by Word

• पृथु-शिला-संहतम्: a mountain/rock mass compacted (made solid) with broad stones (i.e., well-compacted stonework)
• Type: Adjective (participial)
• Root: सं-हन् (→ संहत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषणम् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘संहत’ = ‘संहतम्’); ‘पृथु’ + ‘शिला’ + ‘संहत’ इति समासः; ‘शैलम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• शैलम्: rock / stone mass / mountain-stone (as building material)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मपदम् (कारयेत् इत्यस्य)

• कारयेत्: should have (it) made / should cause (it) to be constructed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कारय-)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (आज्ञार्थ/विध्यर्थ) परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative): ‘कारयति’ = ‘to cause to be made/constructed’

• न: not
• Type: Particle
• Root: न
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• तु: but / however
• Type: Particle
• Root: तु
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• एव: indeed / certainly
• Type: Particle
• Root: एव
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम्

• काष्ट-मयम्: made of wood / wooden
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मयट् (मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘काष्ट’ + ‘मय’ = काष्टमय (‘made of wood’); ‘शैलम्’/निर्माण-वस्तु इत्यस्य निषेध-विषयः

Entities Mentioned

• stone construction
• timber (rejected material)

More Details

FAQs

Why is timber discouraged for fort structures?

Timber increases vulnerability to fire, decay, and enemy sabotage; stone improves survivability under siege and reduces maintenance risk.