Agam 45 Chulika 02 Anuyogdwar Sutra

Author(s): Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 36

( xxxv ) viz. ayamgula, ussehamgula and pamānamgula. All other units are to be understood with reference to these three basic units.
71. The ayamgula (Skt. Atmā ngula) is an ever changing measure, being equal to the breadth of the finger of a person, which varies from age to age, and also from person to person (sutta No. 334). The breadth of Lord Mahavira's finger is taken as the standard. According to one calculation, Lord Mahavira's one amgula=2 usse hamgulas, and one pamānamgula=500 amgulas of Lord Mahavira. We thus get the equation 1 pamānamgula=500 a yamgulas (Lord Mahāvīra's amgulas)=1000 ussehamgulas.
As regards the relation between an amgula and vihatthi, etc. the following equations are given (sutta No. 335, 337), which are true for all the three kinds of amgulas, their values being however determined by the above equation.
6 amgulas=1 pāda 2 pādas (or 12 amgulas) = 1 vihatthi 2 vihatthis (or 24 amgulas)=1 rayapí (cubit) 2 rayaņis (or 48 amgulas) ==1 kucchi 2 kucchis (or 96 amgulas) -1 damda (also called dhanu,
juga, näliyā, akkha and musala)
1. It is said that Lord Mahāvira was 7 cubits in height by ussehamgula, that is,
7 x 24 or 188 ussehamngulas. Now, according to one tradition, he was 31 cubits by ayamgula, that is, 31 x 24 or 84 ayamgulas. From this it follows that 84 ayamgulas (Lord Mahavira's amgulas )= 168 ussehamgul as, that is, Lord Mahāvira's one aigula= 2 ussehaangulas. But there are two other traditions of 41 and 5 cubits, which make Lord Mahāvira's one amgula equal to 168/ (41 x 24) i. e. 14/9 ussehainzulas, or 168/(5 x 21) i. e. 123 ussehamgulas (Commen. tary p. 158 B). Our Text (vide sutta No. 334, verse 97) gives 108 āyamgulas as the height of superior men.
The height of Cakravarti Bharata is given as 120 pamānamgulas or 500 dhanūs by ussehamgula, i. e. 503 X 4 X 24 or 48,000 usse hamgulas. This means that one pamanamgula= 48000/120 or 400 usehamgulas. Now as the pamāṇamgula is 2ussehangulas in breadth, it can be considered (400 X 21) i. e., 1000 ussehamgulas in length, assuming it to be only one ussehamgula in breadth. This makes the length of one pamānangula (with breadth of one ussehangula) equal to one thousand ussehamgulas (Commentary, p. 159A), that is, 500 amgulas of Lord Mahāvira, if Lord Mahāvīra's one amgula were equal to 2 ussehamgulas as given in one of the three traditions. This is also in conformity with our Text (sutta No. 358): tam samaņassa bhagavao Mahāvirassa addhamgulam, tam sahassag uņam pamāṇamg ulam bhayati.