Re: [INDOLOGY] Aṅgula

[Michaels, Axel]

Dear Patrick,Jacob and all,

If aṅgula would be ca. 2 cm, the length of a man (puruṣa) would be acc. to BaudhŚulvS I,19 together with I,16 and 1,7 approx. 190 cm, which might be too much. If you calculate anthropometrically in a realistic way, assuming that the average length of the male was between 160 and 175 cm, aṅgula would be approx. 1,6 cm. This implies that aṅgula might not be the breadth of a thumb but of the middle fingertip, see also MānŚS VIII,13,7 (aṅgulaparvan).
Another calculation could be based on palaeobotanic grounds: In the Śulvasūtras and other texts, 1 aṅgula is often equal to 34 tila (Sesamum indicum) or 14 aṇu (Panicum miliaceum) or 6 resp. 8 yava (prob. Hordeum hexastichon). Whether this leads to a better result, depends on whether it is measured broadside or longside, whether the seeds are shucked or not, and whether the present seeds are genetically manipulated or not. No easy task.
More on this in my Beweisverfahren in der vedischen Sakralgeometrie (Wiesbaden 1978), pp. 156-7.

Best,
Axel Michaels

From: INDOLOGY <indology-bounces at list.indology.info> on behalf of "indology at list.indology.info" <indology at list.indology.info>
Reply to: "jacob at fabularasa.dk" <jacob at fabularasa.dk>
Date: Thursday, 14. January 2021 at 17:03
To: "indology at list.indology.info" <indology at list.indology.info>
Subject: [INDOLOGY] Aṅgula

Dear list,

Is there any consensus on what an aṅgula corresponds to in the metric
system? Or should we not consider it an absolute standard, but rather
take it literally as the breadth of a finger (with all the uncertainties
that follow)? There are a lot of suggestions floating around on the
internet, but I would be interested in any scholarly references.

Best,
Jacob

Jacob Schmidt-Madsen
Postdoctoral Researcher in Indology
Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
University of Copenhagen
Denmark

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