स्थण्डिलरचनम्, अग्निस्थापनम्Making the altar; installing the fire
Verse 15
रम्ये परिष्कृते देशे तुषाङ्गारादिवर्जिते । हस्तमात्रप्रमाणेन स्थण्डिलं रचयेत् सुधीः ॥ १५ ॥
ramyē pariṣkṛtē dēśē tuṣāṅgārādivarjitē | hastamātrapramāṇēna sthaṇḍilaṁ racayēt sudhīḥ || 15 ||
Translation
In a pleasant, cleaned place, free of husks, charcoal and the like, the wise one should make an altar of ground a cubit in measure.
Word by word
- ramyē
- in a pleasant
- pariṣkṛtē
- cleaned
- dēśē
- place
- tuṣa
- husks
- aṅgāra
- charcoal
- ādi
- and the like
- varjitē
- free of
- hasta
- a cubit
- mātra
- only
- pramāṇēna
- in measure
- sthaṇḍilaṁ
- an altar of ground
- racayēt
- should make
- sudhīḥ
- the wise one
Meaning
The sthaṇḍila is a square of prepared ground, a low altar (the commentary: a catvara, a square), one hasta or cubit on each side, about eighteen inches. The place must be clean and pleasant, and cleared of chaff and old charcoal so that the surface is smooth and pure.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
He tells the kuśaṇḍikā itself with "ramye" and the rest. "Sthaṇḍilam": a square (catvara), a prepared piece of ground.