[Y-Indology] How long is "the length of a bow"? A measurem.fromYKU.

[Guest guest]

The traditional sthapatis or temple architects from Gujarat

who follow the 'nagara' style, take one hasta as equal to 2feet.

I know this from personal observation and discussion with

the late Ogharbhai Prabhashankar Sompura, the architect of modern

Somnath and his grandson Chandra Kant Sompura.

 

Another case of divergence between dictionary and practice.

 

There must have been a 'standard' measure for hasta in the past but perhaps

by the time the 'feet' set foot in India, there was no venue for

comparative observation as 'hasta' had been long nirasta.

 

regards,

Bharat Gupt

Associate Professor, CVS, Delhi University,

 

-

ymalaiya

INDOLOGY

Thursday, April 21, 2005 2:15 AM

[Y-Indology] Re: How long is "the length of a bow"? A

measurem.fromYKU.

 

 

 

 

 

From Apte's dictionary,

 

1 hasta = 24 angulas = 18 inches

 

which would give dhanu = 6 feet.

 

Hasta is from elbow to the tip of the finger, and is same as a cubit.

 

Yashwant

 

 

INDOLOGY, "dlite1973" <lime1973@h...> wrote:

>

>

> INDOLOGY, Ashok Aklujkar <aklujkar@I...>

wrote:

> > dhanus must have been a standard measure in ancient India.

Apte's

> expanded

> > dictionary (p. 853) explains it as 'a measure of length equal to

four

> hastas

> > and refers to Yaj;navalkya-sm.rti 2.167 and Manu-sm.rti 8.237 for

> > occurrences of dhanus in this sense. The commentaries on these

texts

> may

> > yield further information.

> >

> > ashok aklujkar

>

>

> Thanks for your help.

> I'll take a look at it.

>

> FM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Bharat Gupta,

 

To make utterly sure I understand you, are you saying that the contemporary

sthapatis treat one hasta as two English feet, or one hasta as two "feet" in

some other, Indian, system? A lot of the terminology for distances, of course,

is similar in widely separated places.

 

Allen Thrasher

 

Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.

Senior Reference Librarian

Southern Asia Section

Asian Division

Library of Congress

Jefferson Building 150

101 Independence Ave., S.E.

Washington, DC 20540-4810

tel. 202-707-3732

fax 202-707-1724

athr

The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Library of

Congress.

 

>>> bharatgupt 04/24/05 8:33 AM >>>

 

 

The traditional sthapatis or temple architects from Gujarat

who follow the 'nagara' style, take one hasta as equal to 2feet.

I know this from personal observation and discussion with

the late Ogharbhai Prabhashankar Sompura, the architect of modern

Somnath and his grandson Chandra Kant Sompura.

 

Another case of divergence between dictionary and practice.

 

There must have been a 'standard' measure for hasta in the past but perhaps

by the time the 'feet' set foot in India, there was no venue for

comparative observation as 'hasta' had been long nirasta.

 

regards,

Bharat Gupt

Associate Professor, CVS, Delhi University,

 

-

ymalaiya

INDOLOGY

Thursday, April 21, 2005 2:15 AM

[Y-Indology] Re: How long is "the length of a bow"? A

measurem.fromYKU.

 

 

 

 

 

From Apte's dictionary,

 

1 hasta = 24 angulas = 18 inches

 

which would give dhanu = 6 feet.

 

Hasta is from elbow to the tip of the finger, and is same as a cubit.

 

Yashwant

 

 

INDOLOGY, "dlite1973" <lime1973@h...> wrote:

>

>

> INDOLOGY, Ashok Aklujkar <aklujkar@I...>

wrote:

> > dhanus must have been a standard measure in ancient India.

Apte's

> expanded

> > dictionary (p. 853) explains it as 'a measure of length equal to

four

> hastas

> > and refers to Yaj;navalkya-sm.rti 2.167 and Manu-sm.rti 8.237 for

> > occurrences of dhanus in this sense. The commentaries on these

texts

> may

> > yield further information.

> >

> > ashok aklujkar

>

>

> Thanks for your help.

> I'll take a look at it.

>

> FM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links