Aspect of Jainology Part 2 Pandita Bechardas Doshi

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

Page 546

Units of Length in Jaina Canons
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These are also the base for quantitative descriptions of the canons. These are termed as 'Akashanu' or space atoms like matter atoms. These are the measure of minimum length and thus form its basic units. As the space has extension, it could be 2 or 3 dimensional also. Hence the basic unit of Pradesha also forms the basis for area and volume units.
It has been seen that time and distances are independent of each other, still the length units are described in canons as correlated with time units. The larger units of time-Palya and Sagara-have been defined on the basis of Yojana-a length unit. Though B, TP, RV and JDP follow this tradition, the ADS and SK (Satkhandagama-1) deal length units independently.
Measure of Length in Bhagvati and Other Jaina Canons
The Jaina canons like B, ADS, SK, TP, RV, TS, JDP and others written between Ist C. to 12th. century AD contain descriptions about length measures. Muni Mahendrakumarji-11 and Lishk et el have discussed them as described in ADS. Accordingly, these have three varieties—(i) self measure (ii) utsedha measure and (iii) pramana measure. These are utilised in measuring lengths of different types and extensions shown in Table IV. All the above canons have these three types of measures. A critical and comparative study of these measures will be presented here which are summarised in Table V, resulting in
Table IV. Uses of Different Length Measures Name Unit Equivalence
Uses 1. Utsedha Utsedhangula, UA - Measurements of heights of
bodies and idols 2. Atma Atmangula, AA 2 UA Measurement of utility and
useful small things 3. Pramana Pramanangula, PA 500/1000 UA Measurement of islands, oce
ans, cities, solar system etc, the following facts : (i) All scholars have accepted the seven measure units from Angula A, to
Yojana Y, as the practical units. (ii) All agree upon Angula as the practical unit of length. The category of
this unit determines the value of Y. The basic A has been taken as UA. (ii) The standard unit of Atmangula is the finger tip of a standard healthy
person with a height of 84 self angulas. The human heights of 120,108 or
96 A depend upon the different conditions and hence not taken as standard. (iv) One Atmangula unit is canonically equal to 2 UA. (v) The Angula unit is 1-dimensional as per JDP which is also known as
Suchyangula