बृहत्संहिता (आचार्य वराहमिहिर - स्थापत्य, खगोल, मौसम व जल विज्ञान)

Adh. LIII. Sl. 39-41.] त्रिपञ्चाशोऽध्यायः 433 Slokas 39-41.—A house with only a western and a southern hall is termed Siddhartha; one with a western and a northern hall, Yamasurya; one with a northern and an eastern hall, Danda; one with an eastern and a southern hall, Vata; one with an eastern and a west- ern one, Graha-Chulli; and one with a southern and a northern one, Kacha The first kind of house leads to the acquisition of wealth; the second, to the death of the house-holder; the third, to punishment and death; the fourth, to grief from quarrel; the fifth, to loss of money; and the sixth, to hatred among kinsmen. There are many writers on architecture such as Viswakarman, Maya, Kama and Hiranyagarbha. The last one mentions 64 or 120 varieties of houses. Great kings can have mansions of 8½ storeys; Brahmins, of 7½; Kshatriyas, of 6½; Vaisyas, of 5½; and Sudras, of 3½. The height of Sudra's house ought not to exceed 20 moderate cubits; that of Vaisya's, 40 cubits; that of Kshatriya's, 60 cubits; that of Brahmin's, 80 cubits; and that of king's, 100 cubits. The last is the maximum limit for the height of human habitations. According to the same authority, the height of the founda- tions of best houses is to be 2½ cubits. There is restriction regarding the height of the storeys of buildings with two, three and four halls. In a house of a single hall, the height is equal to its breadth. According to another authority, viz Sakra, the width of single- halled houses is not restricted; but it should not exceed the length. Should it exceed the length, such houses would be called Utsargas. But single-halled houses are not prescribed for Brah- mins, etc. Such houses are not conducive to longevity, but if made of straw, they can be permitted (Garga). Viswakarman speaks of three kinds of digits, viz., major, moderate and minor. The first is the length of eight of full- grown barley grains; the second, of seven; and the third, of six. बृ. सं. 55