Mahaabhaarat
Glossary A-M | |
Measurement of Distance in Ancient India 1 Kos or
Krosh = 2 miles, According to the latest measurement standards, this distance is calculated as 80 miles. culled from Valmiki Ramayan, [2/54/29]
Ancient
Indian Measurement 1 Angul (one finger wide space) = 3/4 of present day inch; 4 Angul = Dharnugrah (bow grip) = 3 in; 8 Angul = 1 Dhanurmushti (fist with thumb raised) = 6 in; 12 Angul = 1 Vitastaa (span-distance of stretched out palm between the tips of a person's thumb and the little finger) = 9 in; 4 Vitastaa (from the tip of the elbow to the tip of the middle finger) = 1 Aratni or Hast (cubit or Haath) = 18 in; (I don't understand this that 1 Vitastaa is 9" then how 4 Vitastaa can be only 18") 4 Aratni (Cubit or Haath or Hast) = 1 Dand or Dhanush (bow) = 6 ft; 10 Dand = 1 Rajju = 60 ft; 2 Rajju = 1 Paridesh = 120 ft;
2000 Dand (Dhanush) = 1 Krosh or Gorut 4 Krosh = 1 Yojan = 9 miles - nearly 15 km; and this being so, the British Revenue measured a Yojan as a 5 mile distance and Chambers and Oxfords has this 5 mile figure in their dictionaries, while traditionally a Yojan (4 Krosh or Kos) is said to be as a distance of 10 miles. [Taken from Valmiki Ramayan 3/69] Note: Both passages are taken from Valmiki Ramayana, but both do not match among themselves. Ghatotkach's Chariot's Measurement 1 Cubit = 1 Haath, or 1 Hast, or about half yard (from the elbow to tip of the middle finger) 1 Nalavaa = 400 Cubits = 400 Haath = 200 yards
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Created
by Sushma Gupta
On 5/27/04
Contact: mahaabhaarat@yahoo.com
Modified on 02/24/06