Aspect of Jainology Part 2 Pandita Bechardas Doshi

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 541

UNITS OF LENGTH IN JAINA CANONS
N. L. Jain
Introduction
The Jaina Canons contain large amount of descriptions about the physical phenomena in the world besides the main spiritual processes and discussions. Their knowledge is sensory in the first instance which is analysed by mind to give proper form and explanations. Barring supersensory knowledge, all other forms are primarily relative and qualitative. Their accuracy and absolutism is possible only through measurements. These give reliability and credibility to the descriptions. The Jaina scholars knew this fact and that is why they have written general and special treatises in this direction. The accuracy of the descriptions contained in them depends upon the standard units used.
There have been three main areas of measurements since the earliest times : mass or volume, length, distance or area and time. In contrast, the International Congress on weights and Measures, 1971 have accepted seven areas under this category-mass, distance, time, electric current, heat, light and matter. It could be surmised that the last four categories could not develop in olden times. The author has pointed out earlier about the varieties in names, stages and values of time units described in Jaina canons of various ages. This does not make it possible to evaluate and compare the accurate meanings for the descriptions based on them. It was, therefore, suggested that there must be uniformity of names, stages and equivalent values in current units for the canonical time measures. Likewise, length units also require evaluative consideration.
It is found that there is no such variety in length units described in canons as time. Still, there is no uniformity in their names and values used. The current paper is meant to emphasize the importance of uniformity in length units and to activate the scholars to move in this direction. Concept of Measurement in Jaina Canons
Jaina canons have coined the term of Māna or Pramāņa for the process of measurement. Though Anuyogadwarsutra (ADS), Bhagvati (B), Trilokpragyapti (TP), Jambudvippragyapti and other canons do not mention classification of measures, but Rajvartik (RV) and Triloksara (TS) have accepted two varieties of measures : Laukika or worldly and Lokottar or paraworldly. The first category is mainly related with weight, volume, cost or number of materials and has six subclasses. These are virtually measures of mass (Dravyamana) only. Though ADS and RV seem to include the length measures through the variety of Avamana, but TS has described it as a measure of Volume. This seems to be more reasonable in view of the descriptions.