Re: [Samskrita] Re: Yojans

[Subrahmanian R]

Sirs,

 

According to Al Biruni, a yojana is 32000 yards or 8 miles.

 

With respects,

R Subrahmanian

2013/5/10 Arvind_Kolhatkar <kolhat...@gmail.com>

योजन means 'yoking or harnessing bullocks to the cart', according to MW, and 'योजन' as a measure of distance as the distance travelled within one yoking.  MW gives it variously as '4 or 5 miles, 4 क्रोश or about 9 miles etc.  Apte too gives a similar meaning.

लीलावती gives the following table in the परिभाषा:

यवोदरैरङ्गुलमष्टसङ्ख्यै: हस्तोऽङ्गुलै: षड्गुणितैश्चतुर्भि:।

हस्तैश्चतुर्भिर्भवतीह दण्ड: क्रोश: सहस्रद्वितयेन तेषाम्॥५॥

स्याद्योजनं क्रोशचतुष्टयेन...

महावीराचार्य mentions a similar table in गणितसारसङ्ग्रह:

पादद्वयं वितस्तिस्यात्ततो हस्तो द्विसङ्गुण:।

दण्डो हस्तचतुष्केण क्रोशस्तद्विसहस्रकम्॥३०॥

योजनं चतुर: क्रोशान्प्राहु: क्षेत्रविचक्षणा:...

Taking a हस्त to be approximately a distance of 2 feet, a योजन could be about 12 miles.  It will be less or more depending upon how we take a हस्त.

Surprisingly, neither MW nor Apte cite either भास्कराचार्य or महावीराचार्य, though both these old writers give some definition of योजन.  Why is it so?

(I have not checked with the other books of Hindu Mathematics.)

Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, May 09, 2013.

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[Ajit Gargeshwari]

The exact measurement is disputed amongst scholars with distances being given range between 6 to 15 kilometers. I have compiled this from various internet sources.

Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary
योजन (i.e. a distance traversed in one harnessing or without unyoking ; esp. a partic. measure of distance , sometimes regarded as equal to 4 or 5 English miles , but more correctly = 4 क्रोशs or about 9 miles ; according to other calculations = 2 1÷2 English miles , and according to some = 8 क्रोशs) RV. &c
तथा च स्मर्यते योजनानां सहस्त्रं द्वे द्वे शते द्वे च योजने एकेन निमिषार्धेन क्रममाण नमोऽस्तुते॥" Oh sun bow to you, you who traverse 2,202 yojanas in half a nimesha.".

A yojana is said to comprise either 4 or 8 krosha (a cry or shout, or the range of the voice in calling); and 1 krosha (or goruta as far as a cow’s lowing may be heard, or a bull’s roar) may represent either 1000 or 2000 Danda ), and 1 danda represents 1 pauruSa (a man’s length) which equals 1 dhanvantara (bow-string) or dhanu (bow). 1 yojana measures either 4,000 or (more likely) 8,000 dhanus. Assuming that 1 paurusha is 6 ft long, then 1 yojana must represent a distance of about 14.6 km (or about 9 miles, as suggested by Monier-Williams).

Wilson Sanskrit English Dictionary
योजन A measure of distance equal to four Kro4sas, which at 8000 cubits or 4000 yards to the Krosa , will be exactly nine miles; other computations make the yojana but about five miles, or even no more than four miles and a half.

Please see this link for Krosa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kos_%28unit%29

Same value 5 Miles  is given according Jain sources

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~pluralsm/affiliates/jainism/workshop/Jain%20Geoghaph.PDF

According to Arybhatta and Surya siddhanta it about 5 miles (8 Kms). According to Parmeswara it was 8 miles (13 km)

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/17588172/2062381564/name/Astronomy.pdf

Swami Prabhupada gives the equivalent length of a yojana as 8 miles (13 km) SB 5.16.7

According to Ramayana

utsmayitvaa mahaabaahuH prekshya ca asti mahaabalaH |
paada a.nguSTena chikshepa sa.mpuurNam dasha yojanam || 1-1-65

Baali was able to throw Dundubhee Raakshas' body, with whole of his foot, up to two hundred bow-lengths, where the length of bow is said as six to seven feet. But Raam could kick that heap (of his bones) to 10 Yojan far, roughly ninety miles, only with a flip of His big toe's tip. But Sugreev continued his grumbling, 'in those days this skeleton was with flesh and blood, now it has become weight-less, thus show me more of your show of strength...'

One Yojan is an ancient measure for distance, where that distance is covered in one yoking. Chambers Dictionary puts it as five miles, and it is disagreeable for it is British-Indian revenue measure. Traditionally it is four Krosh and thus each Yojan is 9-10 miles.

According to Arthshastra

Arthshastra  says that 1 yojana = 4 gorutas; 1 goruta = 1000 dhanus; 1 dhanu = 96 angulas. Taking the angula as ¾ inch makes the yojana about 4.54 statute miles. During the colonial period the British administration set the yojana at 5 miles; however, this seems to be smaller than its usual value. The ancient commentator on the Arthaśāstra says the goruta is 2000 dhanus, which would make the yojana about 9 miles.

Please see this Link for Aurel Stein's,  T. W. Rhys Davids. views

http://www.sizes.com/units/yojana.htm

Regards
Ajit Gargeshwari
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।2.20।।

2013/5/10 Subrahmanian R <subrah...@gmail.com>

[kamalesh pathak]

regards to scholars,

i remember a shloka as below for SUN.

yojanAnAm sahasre dve dve shate dve chas yojane,

eken nimiShArdhena kramamANam namostute.

is above shloka calculation of sun light to earth ?

kamalesh pathak

2013/5/9 Subrahmanian R <subrah...@gmail.com>

--
Kamlesh Pathak