वास्तु मण्डन (मण्डन सूत्रधार - गृह, राजप्रासाद, दुर्ग एवं नगर-वास्तु सटीक)

Ch. I – Miśrakādhyāyaḥ 23
If the eastern wick glows brightly, then that land is auspicious
for Brahmins and so on.
In the centre of the land, dig a pit up to the depth of one hand
and then replace the soil. If the (filled up) soil is less than the
depth of the pit, the result (compactness) is to be treated as poor;
if equal, it is medium and if the soil is in excess, it is regarded as
auspicious.
69-70. One can fill a pit with water, and walk a hundred steps away
from it.
On return, if one sees the remaining water filling one-fourth
part of the pit the land is to be considered as medium, if less
than one- fourth it is bad, and if the pit is half-filled it is
regarded as the best.
That house, where rats and cats or cats and dogs or mongooses
and snakes live peacefully, gives happiness.
71-72. That land, which has a slope for water towards the East, and
which is favoured by cows and Brahmins is regarded as the best.
73-74. That land is praiseworthy which has slopes on all sides and which
has a beautiful appearance. If any land is full of ant-hills or is
barren, low, covered with darts (full of Śalyas), faded and rough
coloured, giving off a bad odour, is full of stone-chips, or is fre-
quented by worms, serpents, asses, camels, and goats, it would
give extreme sorrow to the owner of the land.
Thus ends the method of soil-testing.