IKS_CH06_C06

Summary

In this video, the ancient Indian knowledge system's approach to units of measurement is discussed, including their methods for measuring time, length, and weight. The video explains the use of "paramanu" as a fundamental unit across these dimensions. It references scriptures like the Srimad-Bhagavata Mahapurana for descriptions of time from fractions of a second to cosmic scales, and discusses the historical use of balances and weights in the Harappan period and Arthashastra. The complexity and precision of these ancient systems show a robust understanding necessary for trade, science, and more.

Highlights

• Ancient Indian systems used the term 'paramanu' to describe the smallest units of time, length, and weight. 📏⏰⚖️
• The Srimad-Bhagavata Mahapurana details time from 10^(-5) seconds to 432 billion years. 📚
• Time described using physical experiments, such as piercing a vessel with gold needles, as per scriptures. ⏳
• Historical calibrations of balance systems were found in the Harappan period excavations. 🏺
• Arthashastra described extensive systems for verifying and calibrating weights and balances. 🧐
• Ayurveda relied on precise weight measurements to ensure medicine efficacy. 🍵

Key Takeaways

• Indians had a sophisticated understanding of numbers and measurements. 🔢
• The concept of 'paramanu' was crucial in ancient measurements for length, time, and weight. 📏⏰⚖️
• Scriptures like the Srimad-Bhagavata Mahapurana contain detailed time measurement systems, from microseconds to billions of years. 📚
• Ancient Indians used a sequential system of units, with many described as multiples of each other. ➗
• Sophisticated balances and checks for weights were in practice as early as the Harappan period. ⚖️
• The Arthashastra highlights detailed measurement systems and periodic verification of balances. 📏
• Ayurveda depended heavily on accurate measurements for medicinal preparation. 🍵

Overview

The ancient Indian knowledge system had a scientific and intricate approach to measurement, utilizing the concept of 'paramanu' across various units like time, length, and weight. Drawing from texts such as the Srimad-Bhagavata Mahapurana and Arthashastra, this framework is both detailed and methodical, reflecting the requirements for trade and scientific pursuits.

Time measurement in Indian scriptures like the Srimad-Bhagavata Mahapurana encompass scales from microseconds to cosmic epochs. The ingenuity of these systems also included unique physical experiments described in verses to provide a practical basis for these measurements. This highlights a deep understanding of astronomical and daily timekeeping needs.

The adaptation and precision of balance and weight measures, evident from ancient texts and archaeological finds, signify a complex grasp of necessities in trade, health (through Ayurveda), and daily life. The Arthashastra's detailed guidelines on measurement verification and the system's use even in the Harappan period underscore this sophisticated legacy.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Importance of Measurement Units The chapter titled 'Introduction and Importance of Measurement Units' begins by referencing previous discussions on how numbers are perceived and represented in Indian culture, including large numbers and unique number names. Having established a strong number system, the focus shifts to the necessity of measurement units. This sets the foundation for understanding how measurements are essential in various contexts and how they complement the numerical systems already in place.
• 00:30 - 01:40: Ancient Indian Units of Measurement The chapter explores the ancient Indian knowledge system and how it approached units of measurement for various aspects including time, length, and weight. It highlights the sophistication and practicality in their scientific and trade practices. The video provides a brief insight into how these units were applied and conceptualized within the context of ancient India.
• 01:40 - 05:30: Paramanu Concept Described The chapter titled 'Paramanu Concept Described' begins by defining various measures of length, volume, mass, etc., as it is integral to the work on mathematics. The author emphasizes the importance of establishing these fundamental concepts. The transcript further references certain Shlokas that explain these concepts in the Srimad-Bhagavatam Mahapurana. Although Puranas are generally associated with God and religious themes, they also contain extensive material on other topics. Particularly in Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, Book Three provides an elaborate description pertinent to the subject of this chapter.
• 05:30 - 10:00: Ancient Indian Measures for Length The chapter titled 'Ancient Indian Measures for Length' explores the vast range of time measurement in ancient Indian literature, spanning from fractions of a second to billions of years. This span of time, specifically covered in chapter 11 of book 3 of the Srimad-Bhagavata Mahapranam, shows a unique understanding and definition of time, including concepts like the 'paramanu.'
• 10:00 - 15:00: Description of Time in Bhagavata Purana The chapter discusses the concept of 'paramanu' within the context of Bhagavata Purana. It clarifies that 'paramanu' is not directly correlated to modern-day subatomic particles, but there might be some conceptual similarities. Furthermore, the chapter explains that the smallest measure of time is defined by the time it takes for light to pass through a 'paramanu'.
• 15:00 - 19:30: Historical Facts and Weights in Ancient India The chapter discusses the concept of 'paramanu' in the context of ancient Indian measures of time, weight, and length. It explains that the 'paramanu' of time is calculated to be 1.31 x 10^-5 seconds, which is the duration it takes for light to pass through a paramanu, illustrating its role as a fundamental unit of time. Similarly, 'paramanu' is also highlighted as the smallest unit for measuring weight and length, emphasizing its foundational significance in ancient Indian metrology.
• 19:30 - 30:00: Conclusion: Significance of Measurement Systems The chapter titled 'Conclusion: Significance of Measurement Systems' discusses ancient measurement systems, exemplified by the term 'paramanu'. For length, paramanu equates to 2.88 into 10 power minus 7 millimeters, and for weight, it equates to 5.79 into 10 power minus 5 grams. These measurements are derived from scriptural references. The chapter suggests a depiction in tabular form for better understanding and highlights the progression from ancient to modern measurement systems.

IKS_CH06_C06 Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 foreign [Music] so in the previous videos for five of them we saw how Indians looked at numbers how they thought about large numbers number names and how to uniquely represent numbers also so we have a robust number system in place now the second thing that is required is units of measurement because all these are required for all
• 00:30 - 01:00 trade science scientific discoveries everything we need all these so in this video we will very briefly see how the Indians or the ancient Indian knowledge system as you may call it has deployed some units of measurement for time length and weight these three are very important so let us see how they have thought about the units of measurement for this
• 01:00 - 01:30 Begins by defining certain measures of length volume mass etcetera because it is a its a work on mathematics so he need to he needs to put all these in place so you find some shlokas in which all these are explained in srimad-bhagavatam mahapurana you know people think purana means it's all God and religious well that is true there are lot of material in puranas actually so in srimad bhagavata mahaprana in book three there is an elaborate description of
• 01:30 - 02:00 units of time starting from 10 power minus 5 Seconds to 432 billion human years this entire span of time is described in chapter 11 of book 3 actually in srimad-bhagavata mahapranam ah in the ancient Indian literature what we also find is a certain definition called paramanu
• 02:00 - 02:30 now when you say paramanu I would like to clarify it is not in any ways directly related to the modern day sub atomic particle because paramanu we may think you know its subatomic particle it's not directly related ah in that sense but in some ways it may be now ah the time taken for light to pass through a paramano constitutes the smallest measure of time
• 02:30 - 03:00 so when you say paramanu of time ah which turns out to be you know if you use some of the scriptural references and compute it turns out to be 1.31 into 10 power minus 5 Seconds that seems to be the elapsed time for light to pass through a paramanu that's why it is called paramanu equivalent of time similarly if you look at the weight and length of the paramano it will respectively constitute the smallest measure for weight and length
• 03:00 - 03:30 so for example the paramanu for length would be 2.88 into 10 power minus 7 millimeters similarly the Paramount of our weight will be 5.79 into 10 power minus 5 grams in fact all these I have computed based on the scriptural references and I have come to these numbers one or two I will actually show you you know in a tabular form then we can relate it to that now we look at the ancient
• 03:30 - 04:00 Indian measures for length what I will do is let us look at a table and go through the table and understand how they have specified different measures for length so what you see here is a table and as you see here it starts with what is called paramanu Raja one paramanu Raja that you
• 04:00 - 04:30 see here is 2.8778 into 10 power 7 millimeter now the measures go like this it says seven paramanos will make a Renu seven rhenos will make a through T which means 49 permanus will make a through T so that's how these numbers are coming seven through T's will make a varthya in a Raja that's why you know again multiply by seven you get 343 paramanu
• 04:30 - 05:00 Raja will make one Bhatia in a Raja and so on so Sasha Raja is one grain of barley actually so Eva so ah you know you can keep on Multi maybe seven of the previous one make the next one so it is all power seven actually so that is what these numbers are showing four crores three lakhs 53 607
• 05:00 - 05:30 ah paramanos will make actually one yava that's what it because I am just multiplying it by this table seven seven seven and all and then that's how you come here and one anguli parva is seven yavas again so again multiply this number by seven you get this so This many permanent will make this number so ah we know this measure actually anguli parwa from which I back calculated all of them and reached this point so that's how this ah numbers of
• 05:30 - 06:00 measures for length are there and from anguli parwa you go to Greater measures so you have angula one angula is again today in modern terms we know one angula is ah actually you know ah one point six seven um you know um centimeter and so on that so these numbers are coming everything is in meters now earlier it was in millimeters now it is meters so eight eight angulas make one dhanur mushti OK and three
• 06:00 - 06:30 dhanur mushtis make on prajapatya hasta foreign foreign so one yojana is 14.484 kilometers and basically from this number from angula we kept on
• 06:30 - 07:00 multiplying and arrayed at this number actually so that's how all these calculations are made in this particular modern measures relating modern measures to the ancient Indian measures now about time let us take this bhagavata mahapurana in which there is a very interesting experiment mentioned here what you see here is a shloka Dua dashar the Paloma
• 07:00 - 07:30 so this is the shloka so what this loka is saying is 12 ardha is half so we are talking of 12 divided by 2 which is 6 and it says six Palace so there are six palas chaturbischa also four also four Palace
• 07:30 - 08:00 so there is another measure then you have chaturangulahi you are talking about four inches so we have now three measures we have six Pala four Pala these two are weight measures and you have four inches which is a length measure so we have all these from the first line of this shloka and the second line it says it talks about a swarna Masha
• 08:00 - 08:30 and Marsha is a needle and swarna Masha is actually a Golden Needle that's what it is talking about now krita is piercing a hole and then it says a copper vessel of a certain measure so now let us make sense of what is going on in this particular shloka
• 08:30 - 09:00 so it basically says take a copper wire part weighing six Palace OK which can hold water of one prasta is so much gram 640 grams means 640 ml because water specific gravity is one and now it says you try to uh krita make a hole at the bottom okay and with what with a Golden Needle swarna Masha weighing four mashas one Masha is one
• 09:00 - 09:30 gram and the length of four angula so you know all that we saw so this is what it is now the interesting part is gold and it talks about a weight of four mashas correct and it talks about a length of four inches and with this information because of specific gravity of gold you can
• 09:30 - 10:00 actually get the thickness of the rod actually because of weight and length and specific gravity you can get the thickness of the rod if you get the thickness of the rod you can get the diameter of the hole which is being pierced that is all contained in this loka so you take a Golden Needle four inches long weighing four mashas that means you know what is the diameter of the rod
• 10:00 - 10:30 based on specific gravity you can calculate and with that you are actually piercing a hole and put that water copper vessel on a water body leave the part and start a stopwatch let us say we start a stopwatch if you start a stopwatch wait until the now water is coming from the bottom so wait until the water is fully filled fully with water and it is just about to submerge in the water at that time stop the watch and record the time
• 10:30 - 11:00 and this elapsed time is called nadika and with that in bhagavata purana it relates so many nauticals make something else to nadikas make something that is how the entire description of time is given so we will see the description now so here is the table and just now we saw a definition for nadika which is a scientific experiment it says take a vessel do all that and then put it and
• 11:00 - 11:30 all that kind of thing right but in the in that particular chapter there are so many descriptions starts with paramanu it says two paramanos make an Anu three anus make a Thrust Reno sixth thrust rainos make a three T and 18th make away the 100 Vedas make a lava three lovers make a Nivea nimesha it goes on up to is nothing but ah you know it is one ah
• 11:30 - 12:00 one fourth of a daytime or some such thing so one actually knows one can calculate what is the duration of time in seconds that's where you can start and then back work everything that's where I started and then I kept on dividing by this number to get this paramanu number which turns out to be some 10 power minus 5. now we can move the the same chapter goes further now we have one fourth of a day then you can talk about a day you can talk about uh you know
• 12:00 - 12:30 paksha and then you can talk about a Masa Masa is uh you know two pakshas make a Masa and two ritus make two masas make a rutu and three ritus make a an Ina dakshana two inas make a human ear then the lifespan of human ear is 100 years so you can calculate that then it there is a formula for calculating the celestial lifespan
• 12:30 - 13:00 it says 360 human years ah makes 360 days make one year so 360 into hundred makes hundred years of a Celestial lifespan which comes to 36 000 human years and then thousand twelve thousand Celestial lifespan make a Maha yoga which comes out to be such a large number right 43 lakhs 20 43 crores 20
• 13:00 - 13:30 lakhs makes on mahayuga then thousand Maha yugas make a kalpa so all these numbers are described in a single chapter in bhagavata purana and what you find is you have a description of time from 10 power minus 5 Seconds to a very large number that you see here so these are the descriptions of time this is one example there are many examples available I just took one example from srimad bhagavata purana now let us talk about weights and
• 13:30 - 14:00 balances and let us look at some historical facts that are part of it actually if you look at the excavations the excavations have revealed that balances have been in use from the Harappan period itself that's what all these Sindhu Sarasota excavations are telling us if you look at arthashastra which belongs to 2nd Century BCE which which is 2300 years is what we are talking about arthashastra provides Vivid details on
• 14:00 - 14:30 measures for weight there are lower denominations of weights for precious metals which are being described there are guidelines for development of 16 types of balances to be used and there are also very interesting you know descriptions of how verification of these balances are made once in three months to ensure that the balances are calibrated you know even in modern times you need to constantly calibrate devices
• 14:30 - 15:00 and there is an inspector of devices who should certify similar things are described in arthashastra actually so what you see here is a nice illustration of a balance which is of the mauryan time this is a constructed balance it's not the actual balance based on the descriptions they have constructed this balance and what you also find is ayurveda has multiple measures for weights because they are very much required for correct mixing of
• 15:00 - 15:30 the ingredients in ayurveda they use different components metallic substances and so on so you need to measure the correct weight and then mix the right ingredients therefore there was a well defined system of Weights is what I am actually coming to so now let us look at some ancient Indian measures for weight look at this table and this table actually presents these measures again we start with
• 15:30 - 16:00 paramanu and one paramanu is 5.787 into 10 power minus 5 grams again if you ask me how did you calculate based on this number is known that four Palace make 48 grams so from there I backward with all these ratios and came up to this number so that so you know we have constructed some of these numbers so anyway coming back 30 paramanos will make a vamshi foreign
• 16:00 - 16:30 these days we don't but we were using it I distinctly remember these kinds of
• 16:30 - 17:00 measures so what I have shown here so far is an elaborate system of how length time and weight have been specified and there are reasons for it you need elaborate descriptions of descriptions of time because astronomical calculations were involved you need you know measurements of weight as I told you you know in ayurveda it is used and of course in any trade you need to use therefore therefore you know elaborate
• 17:00 - 17:30 system of calibration of balances different types of balances all these were described in arthashastra so with this we will conclude this section of ah units of measurement that ancient Indians have been using we will move to the next video which is a very interesting video which talks about how this binary system which we have been using in the last 60 70 years and the fundamentals of that were actually
• 17:30 - 18:00 available in an ancient work which we will see in the next video [Music] foreign