वास्तुनि यो विस्तारः स एव चौच्छ्रायनिश्चयः शुभदः । शालाएकेषु गृहेष्वपि विस्ताराद्द्विगुणितं दैर्घ्यम् ॥ ५३-११ ॥
If the houses in all the cases can be made as high as they are broad, they will conduce to prosperity. In cases where a house has an inner hall, the length of the house shall be twice its breadth.
The houses of the four castes from the Brāhmaṇas downwards are also of five sorts-the breadths of the houses being 32, 28, 24, 20 and 16 cubits. A house less than 16 cubits broad shall be for the use of the men of low class.
The length of the houses of Brāhmaṇas shall be one-tenth as much more as the breadth, that of the houses of Kṣatriyas shall be one-eighth as much more; that of the houses of the Vaiśyas shall be one-sixth as much more; and that of the houses of the Śūdras shall be one-fourth as much more.
The dimensions of the treasury and bed rooms shall be the difference of the dimensions of the houses of the king and the commander. The dimensions of the houses of those honoured by the king shall be of the difference of the dimensions of the houses of the commander and the several castes from the Brāhmaṇas downwards.
The dimensions of the houses of the Pāraśavās and the like shall be one half of the sum of the dimensions of the houses prescribed to their class. If the houses described above for all classes be of greater or smaller dimensions than what we have stated, they will produce evil.