Jain Journal 1986 01

SR No.: 520081
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 55
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 4 MB

Page 27

100
JAIN JOURNAL
length measures. Muni Mahendrakumar 'Dvitiya'14 and Lishk et el15 have discussed them as described in ADS. Accordingly, these have three varieties -(i) self measure, (ii) utsedha measure and (iii) pramāņa measure. These are utilised in measuring lengths of different types and extensions shown in Table 4. All the above cannons have these three types of measures. A critical and comparative study of these measures will
Table 4 Uses of Different Length Measures
Name
Unit
Equivalence
Uses
1. Utsedha Utsedhangula, (UA) - Measurements of heights
of bodies and idols 2. Self or Atma Atmängula,(AA) 2 UA Measurement of utility and
useful small things 3. Pramāna Pramānāngula, (PA) 500/ Measurement of islands,
1000 U Aoceans, cities, solar system
etc.
be presented here which are summarised in Table 5 resulting in the following facts :
(i) All scholars have accepted the seven measure units from
angula to yojana as the practical units.
(ii) All agree upon angula as the practical unit of length. The
category of this unit determines the value of yojana. The basic angula has been taken as utsedha angula.
(iii)
The standard unit of ātma angula is the finger tip of a standard healthy person with a height of 84 atma angula. The human heights of 120,108 or 96 angulas depend upon the different conditions and hence not taken as standard.
(iv) One atma angula unit is cannonically equal to 2 utsedha
angulas. 16
14 Muni Mahendrakumar Dvitiya', Visva Prahelika, Javeri Prakashan, Bombay, 1969,
p. 233. 15 Lishk, S.S. 'Length Units is Jaina Astronomy', Jain Journal, 143, 1979. 16 Muni Candan, 'Utsedhamana, Ek Mulyankan', Tulsi Prajna, IX-7-9, 1983, p. 1.