Elusive Consciousness

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari, Surendrasingh Pokharana, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 99

Appendix 3. Table of Measurement of Length as Found in the Jain Literature [8]
US
(1) Infinitely many parmāņus = 1 Avasannasanna skhandha
8 Avasannasanna units = 1 Sannasann askandha 8 Sannasanna units =1 Trutreņu 8 Trutreņu units
=1 Trasareņu 8 Trasareņu units =1 Rathareņu 8 Rathareņu units =1 Uttama bhogbhūmi bālāgra 8 U. b. b. units
=1 Madhyama bhogbhūmi bālāgra 8 M. b. b. units
=1 Jaghanyabhogbhūmibālāgra (9) 8 J. b.b. units
=1 Karma bhūmi bālāgara (10) 8 K. b. b. units
=1 Liksā (11) 8 Liksā units
=1 Yükā (12) 8 Yükā
=1 Yava (Barley corn) (13) 8 Yava units =1 Angula (Finger breadth) (14) 6 Angula units
= 1 Pada (15) 2 Pāda units =1 Vitasti (16) 2 Vitasti units
= 1 Hasta (Forearm) (17) 2 Hasta units
=1 Rikku or Kisku (18) 2 Kisku units
=1 Daņda or Dhanus (Bow) (19) 2000 Daņdas units =1 Krosa (20) 4 Krosa units
=1 Yojana
Here a parmāņu has been defined as the smallest particle of matter having no length, no breadth and no height. This is defined as a particle which can be only thought of but is not practically perceivable. The particle which is perceivable is a group of parmānus. The smallest of such skandha is an avasannasanna skandha. Let us therefore estimate its size by roughly taking the average size of a finger to be equal to 2 cm. We can therefore write the following simple formula by using the above table.
2 cm = 8'2 X size of avsannasanna skandha Therefore Size of avsannasanna skandha = 2X8-12 cm. = 2.9 X 10" cm.
Hence the size of smallest particle of matter that is avsannasanna skandha is around 2.9 X 10" cm. This value lies in between the size of a modern atom (10cm) and size of a nuclei (10 cm). Now we may not be knowing the meanings of many of the objects used in this Table. But statistically, this is a very significant observation and should be taken quite seriously by the scientists. At least it cannot
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