Chapter 69 - The penalties for defective construction (aṅga-dūṣaṇa)

1-2. The evil consequences to the king, the kingdom, and the master, if there happen to be anything larger or smaller with regard to any part of the buildings, etc., will be stated here.

3-10. There should not be any defect in the breadth, the height, the plinth, the lintel, the pillar, the entablature, the platform, the neck, the (sperical) roof, the dome, the nose, the windows, etc, and the door, with regard to the portico, the stalk and such other parts, the sanctum (adytum), the floors, all the stairs and staircases, the wall, the gatehouses, the pavilions, the corridors, the balconies, the roof, the shed-yards, the sides, and the tops, and with regard to the foundation and the neighbouring ares: nowhere should there be any defect.

11. The (vigilant) eye of the architect should avoid the possibility of any defect in those members.

12-13. If the breadth (of a member) be less (than what it should be) it would bring poverty upon the master; if it be enormously greater, the wife of the master will die, there is no doubt about that.

14-15. If the main height be less, it is known to cause disease of the master; if it be greater in measurement, the enemy would increase, there is no doubt about that.

16-17. If the plinth be, internally or externally, higher or lower (than what it ought to be), the race of the master will be inevitably exterminated.

18-19. The son of the master will die if the steps to the region of the plinth, or the projection, or the extension in height be lower or higher,

20. If the height of the base be less, the result would be the loss of position (lit., place) and wealth.

21-22, If the steps towards the assemblage of all the members like the rampart be lower or higher, the master would suffer from consumption of the higher limbs and the (sex) organ.

23, If the height of the pillar be lower or higher, the family and the race of the master will be exterminated.

24-25. If the height of the entablature be lower the master would die then and there; if it be of greater dimension (lit., measurement the master would be destroyed.

26. If the platform be by far the smaller, the master would lose his eye-sight (lit., become short-sighted).

27. If its ear (the wing of a building) be greater or less the food of the master will be destroyed.

28. If the component members of the roof be greater or less, the master would suffer from a boil (tumour) on the head.

29. If the dome be greater or less, the people would suffer from poverty.

30. If the nose part be greater or less, the master would suffer from some disease.

31. If the attics including the windows, etc., be less or greater the beauty would be largely destroyed.

32-33. If the measurement of the door or the portico be less or greater, the master would suffer from leprosy (lit., a severe illness), and the King and the country would be destroyed.

34. If the stalk (?) be greater or less, the master would suffer from abdominal diseases.

35. If the lattice (screened window) be less or greater there would be the loss of beauty and wealth.

36. If the adytum proper (of a temple) be greater or less, the village would be destroyed.

37-40. The part beginning from the plinth of an edifice up to the region of the lattice over the wall should be in particular very accurately measured; if through ignorance either the upper or lower portion of the lattice or the surrounding portion comprising (practically) the whole structure be made lower or higher all prosperity would be lost.

41-43. The temples of the attendant deities, etc., should be situated at the end of the courts; they may be built either along the plinth of the (boundary) wall, or along the plinth of the (main) structure; if the reverse be made, the prosperity of the people would be lost.

44. If the staircases be less or greater, the master would be certainly crippled.

45. If the component members of the wall be greater or less, thieves would destroy (steal) the wealth.

46. If the component members of the gatehouses be greater or less, all things would be destroyed: there is no doubt about it.

47-48. If those (component members) of the pavilions, etc., the halls, and the mansions be less or greater, all prosperity would be lost, and the King and the country would be destroyed.

49-50. The family (wife), sons, and grandsons of the master would die if the dimensions of the corridors, the verandahs (or the balconies) be less or more (than what they should be).

51-52. If the measurement of any component members of the upper storeys be loss or more, the result for the people would be the scarcity of rain or overfall, by which the master himself may be destroyed.

53. The people would suffer from poverty (famine) if the shed-yards be greater or less (in measurement).

64. Good people would be destroyed if the measurement of the pentroofs be greater or less.

55-66. If the crowning portion (of a structure) be internally or externally greater or less, spread of learning would be stopped, and the friends would be destroyed, there is no doubt about that.

57-58. If the component members of the wall be greater or less in breadth or height all misfortune would come over to the twice born and all other castes.

59. If the lower part (lit., hip) of the foundation be greater or less, the structure and wealth would be lost.

60-62. If the walls of all description (dimensions) be supported by pillars at the base, in that case the greater or less dimensions of them will be free from any defect (i.e., be harmless), but such divergency will cause all defects if the walls be without any pillar at the base (as support).

63-65. If, therefore, in whatever building, those structures, (i.e., the walls) be made of more or less (dimensions) and be not supported by pillars, the destruction of the sons and grandsons (of the master) would be the result; but if they be as aforesaid and be furnished with pillars as support (lit., part) it will be always auspicious.

66-68. When, therefore, any discretion is to be exercised in matter of increment and decrement (of the prescribed measure), they must be in accordance with the aforesaid directions (śāstra), because, otherwise, if the increment or decrement be less or more at random the master will be destroyed; therefore, the learned artists should exercise the option as directed above.

69. These are the defects (consequences) stated by the ancients with regard to greater or less (inadequate) measurement of any component part (of a building).

70-73. The good or evil results following from the construction of the edifices, the pavilions, the courts and the connected structures, and the component members, also of the gatehouses and all other buildings would affect all men, deities, and even the kings.

Thus in the Mānasāra, the science of architecture, the sixty-ninth chapter, entitled: “The description of the defects in the component members [viz., aṅga-dūṣaṇa].”