Vayu Purana

यथायोगं यथाकामं समेषु विषमेषु च। आरब्धास्ते निकेता वै कर्त्तं शीतोष्ण वारणम्

As suited and as they wished, in level and uneven places, they began to make dwellings to ward off cold and heat.

ततः संस्थापयामास खेटानि च पुराणि च। ग्रामांश्चैव यथाभागं तथैवान्तः पुराणि च

Then they established hamlets and cities, and villages as appropriate, and likewise inner quarters.

तासामायामविष्कम्भान् संनिवेशान्तराणि च। चक्रुस्तदा यथाप्रज्ञं प्रदेशः संज्ञितस्तु तैः

They then determined the lengths, breadths, and intervals of settlements according to their understanding; the region was thus designated by them.

अंगुष्ठस्य प्रदेशिन्या व्यासः प्रादेश उच्यते। तालः स्मृतो मध्यमया गोकर्णश्चाप्यनामया

The breadth measured by the thumb and index finger is called a pradeśa; a tāla is measured by the middle finger, and a gokarṇa by the ring finger.

कनिष्ठया वितस्तिस्तु द्वादशाङुल उच्यते। रत्निरङ्गुलपर्व्वाणि संख्यया त्वेकविंशतिः

A vitasti is measured by the little finger, said to be twelve fingers in length; a ratni is counted as twenty-one finger-widths.

चतुर्विंशतिभिश्चैव हस्तः स्यादङ्गुलानि तु। किष्कुः स्मृतो द्विरत्निस्तु द्विचत्वारिंशदङ्गुलम्

A hand is said to measure twenty-four finger-breadths; a kiṣku is remembered as two ratnis, which is forty-four finger-breadths.

चतुर्हस्तं धनुर्दण्डो नालिकायुगमेव च। धनुः सहस्रे द्वे तत्र गव्यूतिस्तैर्विभाव्यते

A bow-staff and a pair of arrow-shafts are each four hands in length; two thousand bows thus define a gavyūti.

अष्टौ धनुःसहस्राणि योजनं तौर्निरुच्यते। एतेन योजनेनैव सन्निवेशस्ततः कृतः

Eight thousand bows make a yojana, it is said; with this yojana, the arrangement is then established.

चतुर्णामेव दुर्गाणां स्वसमुत्थानि त्रीणि तु। चतुर्थं कृत्रिमं दुर्गं तस्य वक्ष्याम्यहं विधिम्

Of the four types of forts, three arise naturally; the fourth is an artificial fort, and I shall explain its method.

सौधोच्चवप्रप्राकारं सर्वतश्चातकावृतम्। तदेकं स्वस्तिकद्वारं कुमारीपुरमेव च

With high mansions, moats, and ramparts, all around covered with reeds, that one has a single auspicious gate and is called Kumārīpura.

श्रोतसीसह तद्द्वारं निखातं पुनरेव च। हस्ताष्टौ च दश श्रेष्ठा नवाष्टौ वाऽपरे मताः

Its gate, along with a water channel, is again set below; eight or ten hands are considered best, while others think nine or eight.

खेटानां नगराणाञ्च ग्रामाणाञ्चैव सर्व्वशः। त्रिविधानाञ्च दुर्गाणां पर्व्व तोदकबन्धनम्

For forts, cities, and villages in every way, and for the three kinds of forts, the boundary is made by water or mountains.

त्रिविधानाञ्च दुर्गाणां विष्कम्भायाममेव च। योजनानाञ्च विष्कम्भमष्टभागार्द्धमायतम्

For the three kinds of forts, the breadth and length are as follows: the breadth is half of one-eighth of a yojana.

परमार्द्धार्द्धमायामं प्रगुदक्‌प्रवरं पुरम्। छिन्नकर्णं विकर्णन्तु व्यञ्जनं कृशसंस्थितम्

The city should have a length of half of the greatest half, with the best water to the east; it should not be with cut or deformed corners, nor irregular or slender in shape.

वृत्तं हीनञ्च दीर्घञ्च नगरं न प्रशस्यते। चतुरस्रार्जवं दिक्स्थं प्रशस्तंवै पुरं परम्

A city that is round, deficient, or elongated is not praised; a city that is square, straight, and aligned with the directions is considered excellent.

चतुर्विंशतिराद्यन्तु हस्तानष्टशतं परम्। अत्र मध्यं प्रशंसन्ति ह्रस्वोत्कृष्टविवर्ज्जितम्

The foremost measure is twenty-four, and the highest is eight hundred hands; among these, the middle is commended, avoiding what is too short or too long.

अथ किष्कुशतान्यष्टौ प्राहुर्मुख्यनिवेशनम्। नगरादर्धविष्कम्भं खेटं ग्रामं ततो बहिः

Eight hundred kiṣkus are said to be the chief settlement; half the city's breadth is the suburb, and the village is outside that.

नगराद्योजनं खेटं शेटाद्ग्रामोऽर्द्धयोजनम्। द्विक्रोशं परमा सीमा क्षेत्रसीमा चतुर्द्धनुः

From the city, the suburb is one yojana; from the suburb, the village is half a yojana; the utmost boundary is two krośas, and the field boundary is four bows.

विंशद्धनूंषि विस्तीर्णो दिशां मार्गस्तु तैः कृतः। विंशद्धनुर्ग्राममार्गः सीमामार्गो दशैव तु

The road in each direction is made twenty bows wide; the village road is twenty bows, and the boundary road is ten.

धनूंषि दश विस्तीर्णः श्रीमान् राजपथः स्मृतः। नृवाजिरथनागानामसम्बाधः सुसञ्चरः

The royal road is said to be ten bows wide, unobstructed and easy for the passage of men, horses, chariots, and elephants.

धनूंषि चैव चत्वारि शाखारथ्यास्तु तैः कृताः। गृहरथ्योपरथ्याश्च द्विकाश्चाप्युपरथ्यकाः

The branch lanes are made four bows wide; the house lanes and sub-lanes are two, and the smaller sub-lanes are also two.

घण्टापथश्चतुष्पादस्त्रिपदञ्च गृहान्तरम्। वृत्तिमार्गास्त्वर्द्धपदं प्राग्वंशः पदिकः स्मृतः

The bell road is four feet, the three-foot way is between houses; the circular roads are half a foot, and the eastern row is called a footpath.

अवस्करं परीवाहं पदमात्रंसमन्ततः। कृतेषु तेषु स्थानेषु पुनस्वक्रुर्गृहाणि वै

A drainage channel surrounds the area, measuring one foot all around; when these places are established, the householder should then build his houses.

यथा ते पूर्वमासन्वै वृक्षास्तु गृहसंस्थिताः। तथा कर्तुं समारब्धाश्चिन्तयित्वा पुनः पुनः

Just as the trees were formerly established in houses, so they began to arrange them again, reflecting repeatedly.

वृक्षाश्चैवगताः शाखा न ताश्चैव परागताः। अत ऊर्द्ध्वंगता श्चान्या एवं तिर्य्यग्गताः पुरा

And the trees had branches that extended, but those did not go elsewhere; from there, some went upward, and others went sideways as before.

बुद्ध्वाऽन्विष्यस्तथा न्यायो वृक्षशाखा यथा गताः। तथा कृतास्तु तैः शाखास्तस्माच्छालास्तु ताः स्मृताः

Understanding and investigating in this way the manner in which the branches of trees spread, they made similar branches, and therefore those are called halls.

एवं प्रसिद्धाः शाखाभ्यः शालाश्चैव गृहाणि च। तस्मात्ता वैस्मृताः शालाः शालात्वं चैव तासु तत्

Thus, from the branches, halls and houses became well known; therefore, those are remembered as halls, and their nature as halls is established in them.

प्रसीदति मनस्तासु मनः प्रसादयन्ति ताः। तस्माद्गृहाणि शालाश्च प्रासादाश्चैव संज्ञिताः

The mind delights in them, and they bring joy to the mind; therefore, houses, halls, and palaces are so designated.

कृत्वा द्वन्द्वोपघातांस्तान् वार्त्तोपायमचिन्तयन्। नष्टेषु मधुना सार्द्धं कल्पवृक्षेषु वै तदा। विषादव्याकुलास्तावै प्रजास्तृष्णाक्षुधात्मिकाः

Having caused those mutual conflicts and considering means of livelihood, when the wish-fulfilling trees along with honey were lost, the people then became distressed with sorrow, thirst, and hunger.