Introduction to
Indian Knowledge
System: HS1051
Unit III
Time – Concept of Kala, Cycles of Time
Measurement of Time, Knowledge of Time
The Science of Light, Concept of Matter, Life
and Universe, Gravity
Sage Agastya’s Model of Battery
Velocity of Light.
Rainfall Measurement (Rishi Parashar)
Bhāgavata-purāṇa
Rainfall Measuresurement
द्वादशाधधपलोन्मानं चतुर्भधश्चतुरङ् गुलैः ।
स्वर्धमाषैः कृतच्छिद्रं यावत् प्रस्थजलप्लुतम् ॥
Take a copper pot weighing six palas (1 pala = 48 gms).
It can hold water of one prastha (1 prastha = 640 gms; in
the case of water it is 640 ml).
The vessel shall be bored at the bottom with a golden
needle weighing four maṣas (1 māśa = 1 gm) and of
length four aṅgulas (अङ् गुल).
Leave the pot in water and start a stopwatch.
Wait until the vessel is filled fully with water and it just
submerges in the water.
Stop the watch and record the time.
This elapsed time is Nāḍika (नाड़िका) Ghaṭika (घडिकााः )
.
Two major types of water clocks
Nalikayantra – A tall jar/pot with an outflow orifice at
the bottom. The device when filled up with water at
sunrise (prataḥ) would get emptied at the next sunrise
representing 60 naḍika.
Ghaṭikayantra - The sinking-bowl type of water clock
Time – The elapsed period for the light to pass through the
physical entity.
Length – The measure of the size of the entity.
Weight – The measure of the mass of the entity.
Time Measurement in Ancient India
Time is known as kala कालैः
The time take for light to pass through a
paramanu परमार्ु is considered to be a
smallest measure of time.
Several smaller natural markers of time
Anu अनु = 2 paramanu , Trasarenu त्रसरे णु = 3 Anu
Truti त्रुडि = 3 Trasarenu 0.03 to 35 microseconds,
Vedha वेध = 100 Truti , Lava लाव = 3 Vedha
Nimesh(Moment) डनमेष = 3 Lava (eye wink)
Kshana क्षण= 3 Nimesh, Kaashtha काष्ठ = 5 Kshana
Laghu लघु = 15 Kaashtha , Nadika नाड़िका = 15 Laghu
Nadika नाड़िका / Ghaṭika (घडिका) – 24 minutes approximately.
Muhurta मुहूतत (योग) - 2 Nadika नाड़िका / Ghaṭika (घडिका)
= 48 min
The term Muhurta मुहूतध (योग) is found in
Rig Veda in the sense of ‘moment’
A day is a period of 30 muhurtas , i.e., 24 hours.
The day is divided into 30. muhurta or 60
nadikas as the practical measures of time.
As per existing measurement system
5
Time :: Paramanu 1 1.3110 sec onds
7
Length :: Paramanu 1 2.88 10 mm
5
Weight :: Paramanu 1 5.79 10 gm
Aṅgula अङ्गुल Hasta हस्त
Purusha पुरुष
Distance Measurement in Ancient India
Yuga, the word itself signifies the Ages, which is used to
describe in the Indian History.
Yugas are divided in 4, termed as:-
1.) Sat Yuga (Golden Age)
भ्
2.) Treta Yuga (Silver Age)
3.) Dwapar Yuga (Bronze Age)
4.) Kal Yuga (Iron Age)
Anguli (width of 3 fingers) = 1 Girah
8 Girah = 1 Hath (elbow to the end of the middle finger,
approximately 18" )
5 5/6 Hath = One Kathi 20 Kathi = One Pand
1 Pand= 1 Beesa 20 Pand = One Begah
2 Hath = 1 Gaz 3 Gaz = Two Karam
3 Karams = 1 Kan 3 Square Kans = 1 Marla
20 Marlas = 1 Kanal 8 Kanals = 1 Ghamaon
9 Kanals 12 Marlas = 1 Acre 4 Kanals = 1 Begah
1 Yojan = 4 Kos = 12 Kms = 9 miles
approx
1 Kos = 2 and a 1/4 miles
Dhanush (bow) = 6 feet
Aryabhata's Calculation of the Length of a Day
Aryabhata determined that a day
consisted of 23 hours, 56 minutes, and
4.1 seconds.
This calculation is remarkably close
to the modern value of 23 hours, 56
minutes, and 4.091 seconds.
The Accuracy of Aryabhata's Calculation of
a Year
Aryabhata arrived at a figure of 365
days, 6 hours, 12 minutes, and 30
seconds.
Modern value for a year is 365 days, 6
hours, 9 minutes, and 9.76 seconds.
The Aryabhata's calculation deviates by
just 3 minutes and 20 seconds
Kaṇāda कर्ाद
Parmanu: An eternal particle
of matter
Atoms could be united
together in various ways to
generate chemical
substances in presence of
other factors.
Vaisheshika Philosophy by Kanad
Karma is related to motion.
There are five types of motion.
Upward Motion
Downward Motion
Due to the release of tensile stress
Shearing Motion
General type of motion
Laws of Motion
Ray of light ha seven colors (Spectrum)
सप्त –अश्व-आरुढ Names of Seven Horses
Name Sanskrit Colour
Gayatri गायत्री Violet
Brihati बृहडत Indigo
Ushnih उष्णिह् Blue
Jagati जगडत Green
Trishtumbha डत्रष्िु भ् Yellow
Anushtumbha अनुष्िु भ् Orange
Pankti पङ् ष्णि Red
