Re: [INDOLOGY] Aṅgula

[Anirban Dash]

Dear Jacob ji

saptaparamāṇuyogād aṇurebhiḥ341 saptabhiś ca sūkṣmarajaḥ342 / saptarajobhiḥ
śaśarajas tat saptabhir eḍakāṇḍakaṃ sadbhiḥ // [2]
An aṇu (atom) is the combination of seven paramāṇu, a combination of seven
aṇu (is) one sūkṣmaraja (molecule), with (combination of) seven sūkṣmarajas
(there is) one śaśarajas, with the combination of seven śaśarajas (there
is) one eḍakarajas.
सप्तडै करजोवर्र्ोरज इवत सप्तवर्श्च यका स्यात् । यकासप्तसमेतो यि इवत
संख्यानमायावत ।। [३]
saptaiḍakarajobhir goraja iti saptabhiś ca yūkā syāt / yūkāsaptasameto yava
iti saṃkhyānam āyāti // [3]
With the (union) of seven eḍakarajas, (there is) one goraja, in this manner
(the union of seven gorajas) is one yūkā and union of seven yūkās is one
yava.
338 N2: lakṣaṇamantraiḥ śubhaṃ
339 N2: āgamakāsu
340 N1: Verses from 1 to 9 are missing 341 L: aṇḍaribhyoḥ
342 N2: surajaḥ

The Buddha, who has a
compassionate mind (bodhicitta), clearly
communicated the proper measurements for dwellings and auspicious
characteristics of the maṇḍalas
sections of
traditional doctrine.
  101 | P a g e
सप्तयिैरंर्ुवलका मध्याऽष्टयिैस्तु साऽङ्गुली ज्येष्ठा ।।
पञ्चयिर्ुवणताऽङ्गुवलका विख्याता कन्त्यसी र्रा ।।[४]
saptayavair aṅgulikā madhyā’ṣṭayavais tu sā’ṅgulī jyeṣṭhā /
pañcayavaguṇitā’ṅgulikā vikhyātā kanyasī bhadrā343/ / [4]
A madhyāṅgulī (middle finger ), is, seven yavas while a combination of
eight yavas is one jyeṣṭḥāṅgulī (index finger), An aṅgulikā (ring finger)
is considered small and auspicious, which is five times of a yava and also
auspicious.
तावर्ः द्वादशवर्िाि वितस्स्तदरवत वद्वर्ुवणतेन हस्तः स्यात् ।
कन्त्यसमध्यमज्येष्ठाः वरविधा हस्तास्तु िणिर्ेदेन ।।[५]
tābhiḥ dvādaśabhir vā vitastir iti dviguṇitena hastaḥ syāt /
kanyasamadhyamajyeṣṭhāḥ trividhā hastās tu varṇabhedena // [5]
A vitasti is a (combination of) these twelve (aṅgulī), (and) twice (a
vitasti) is called a hasta (palm to elbow length). The hand is three-folds
with distinction in size i.e. short, medium and long.

On Thu, 14 Jan 2021 at 9:33 PM, Jacob Schmidt-Madsen via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> 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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-- 





With best regards,

Anirban Dash

Department  of Pali and Buddhist Studies
University of Pune, Ganeshkhind,
Pune  -    411007,  Maharashtra, India
Mobile : 91 +   7769 934157    (PUNE)
                91 +   9839 482298  (VARANASI)
Skype:    brahmilipi


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