Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 14: The Aśvamedha Sacrifice
Text 1.14.22-23

प्राप्ते यूपोच्छ्रये तस्मिन्षड्बैल्वाः खादिरास्तथा।
तावन्तो बिल्वसहिताः पर्णिनश्च तथापरे॥

श्लेष्मातकमयस्त्वेको देवदारुमयस्तथा।
द्वावेव तत्र विहितौ बाहुव्यस्तपरिग्रहौ॥

prāpte yūpocchraye tasmin ṣaḍ bailvāḥ khādirās tathā
tāvanto
bilva-sahitāḥ parṇinaś ca tathāpare

śleṣmātakamayas tv eko deva-dārumayas tathā
dvāv
eva tatra vihitau bāhu-vyasta-parigrahau

prāpte yūpa-ucchraye = when it was time to erect the sacrificial pillars; tasmin = during the Aśvamedha sacrifice; ṣaṭ = six; bailvāḥ = bilva pillars; khādirāḥ tathā = a khadira pillar; tāvantaḥ bilva-sahitāḥ = each with; parṇinaḥ ca tathā = along with palāśa trees were set up; apare śleṣmātakamayaḥ tu = śleṣmātaka pillar; ekaḥ = one; deva-dārumayaḥ = as well as a pair of deva-dāru pillars; tathā = were also set up; dvau eva tatra vihitau = the distance between each pillar was two; bāhu-vyasta-parigrahau = armspans.

During the Aśvamedha sacrifice, when it was time to erect the sacrificial pillars, six bilva pillars, each with a khadira pillar, along with palāśa trees were set up. One śleṣmātaka pillar as well as a pair of deva-dāru pillars were also set up. The distance between each pillar was two armspans.

The author then describes how the sacrificial pillars were erected in order to describe the animal sacrifices that had to be carried out on the day of the Aupasathya ritual [8].

[8] rājjudālam eka-viṁśaty aratniṁ samminoti pautudravāv abhitas trayo bailvā dakṣiṇatas traya uttaratayas trayaḥ khādirā dakṣiṇatas traya uttaratas trayaḥ pālāśā dakṣiṇatas traya uttarataḥ. (Āpastamba) ṣaṇ-ṇavaty-aṅgulaṁ bāhu daṇḍam aṣṭottaraṁ tu /yūpāntarālaṁ tan-mātram aśvamedhe mahā-kratau. (Dharma-nirṇaya)