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JANUARY, 1987
97
system'.2 Jainas had developed their peculiar system of time-units 3 which is quite different from the parallel Vedic and Buddhistic systems of time-units, yet Jaina astronomical system based on the theory of two suns and two moons worked as an efficacious via media in paving the way for the probable emergence of sexagesimal system from the trigesimal system of time-units. 4
(b) Length-Units
Anuyogadvāra Sūtra, one of the Cūlikā Sūtras belonging to Jaina Canonical literatures describes three systems of length-units, viz. pramāna, ātma and utsedha systems. Accordingly we have
1 pramāna yojana
=
500 ātma yojanas 1000 utsedha yojanas
8 Tiloya-Pannatti yojanas
Such a type of classification of systems of length-units has not hitherto been found anywhere in Pauranic or Buddhistic literature also.
(c) Units of Arc-Division
A unique achievement of the Jaina astronomical system is that the zodiacal circumference was graduated in time-degrees days of a nakşatra month (lunar sidereal revolution) and subsequently in time-degrees muhũrtas (1 muhũrta = 48 minutes) of a nakșatra month, 54900 gagana khandas (celestial parts), numerically equal to 54900 muhũrtas of a five-year cycle and finally in 360 saura days (a saura day means the time taken by the sun to traverse to part of zodiacal circle). Consequently the concept of 360 modern degrees of arc might have been developed. Such an evolution of the system of arc division seems to be quite independent of any foreign influence.
2 Lishk, S. S. and Sharma, S. D. (1976), "Time-units in Ancient Indian Astronomy",
Tulsi Prajna, Vol. 2 Nos. 7-8, pp. 100-108, Ladnun. 3 Ibid. • See ref. 1(b) 5 Lishk, S. S. and Sharma, S. D. (1979), “Length-units in Jaina Astronomy", Jain
Journal, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 143-154, Calcutta. See also ref. No. 8. Lishk, S. S. and Sharma, S. D. (1979), “Zodiacal Circumference as Graduated in Jaina Astronomy”, IJHS, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 1-14 INSA, New Delhi.
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